והיה לכם לציצת. והנה ישוב הפתיל להיותו בקצה כמו הציצית. והפירוש השני כאשר העתיקו חז"ל ובעבור שיש עדים נאמנים על הפירוש השני בטל הראשון והם העתיקו כי זאת המצוה עם בגד שיש לו ארבע כנפים והציצית הם הגדילים ועוד אפרשנו. והנה מצוה על כל מי שיש לו בגד בארבע כנפים שיתכסה בו ביום תמיד ולא יסירנו מעליו למען יזכרו והמתפללים בטלית בשעת התפלה יעשו זה בעבור שיקראו בקריאת שמע והיה לכם לציצית ועשו להם ציצית רק לפי דעתי יותר הוא חייב להתעטף בציצית בשאר השעות משעת התפלה למען יזכור ולא ישגה ולא יעשה עבירה בכל שעה כי בשעת התפלה לא יעשה עבירה: AND IT SHALL BE UNTO YOU FOR A FRINGE. The thread at the end was like the fringe.68The blue thread that was placed on the edge of the garment was to resemble one of the loose hanging threads. The other interpretation is the one which the rabbis of blessed memory transmitted.69That the fringes are not part of the garment but are attached to the corners of the garment. Now the first interpretation is nullified in view of the fact that there are true witnesses70Jewish practice throughout the ages. to the second explanation. The rabbis transmitted to us the law that this commandment applies to a garment that has four corners and that the tzitzit are fringes.71Hanging from but not part of the garment. I will explain this law later.72The reference apparently is to I.E.’s commentary on Deut. 22:11. Now this commandment states that everyone who has a four-cornered garment shall always cover himself with it during the day. He shall not remove it so that he remembers73So Vat. Ebr. 38. Mikro’ot Gedolot reads, so that they remember. the commandments. Those who pray with a tallit during the time of prayers do so because they read in the shema,74The shema is part of the morning and evening prayers. It consists of Deut. 6:4-9; Deut. 11:13-21; Num. 15:37-41. And it shall be unto you for a fringe (v. 39) and that they make them throughout their generations fringes (v. 38). However, I believe that one is more obligated to enwrap oneself in fringes when he is not at prayer than during the time of prayer, so that he remembers the commandments and does not err and trespass during the other hours of the day, for in the hour of prayer he will not sin.75“Now, the person who envelops himself in a tallit [during prayer] does not fully observe the commandment. In reality, one is obligated to wear fringes the entire day, for when a person is in the market and his eyes wander, his heart lusts after what his eyes see much more than it does during prayer.” See The Secret of the Torah, p. 79.
וראיתם אותו. מצוה להיות נראה: THAT YE MAY LOOK UPON IT. The commandment requires that the fringes be seen.
אחרי לבבכם. המתאוה והעין רואה והלב חומד והנה יהיה הציצית לאות ולסימן שלא ירדוף אדם אחר הרהור לבו וכל אשר שאלו עיניו: AFTER YOUR OWN HEART. Which lusts. The eye sees and the heart desires. The fringes thus serve as a sign and a mark that a person should not pursue the thoughts of his heart and all that his eyes desire.
אשר אתם זונים. כי מי שילך אחרי תאותו הוא זונה מתחת עבודת אלהיו: AFTER WHICH YE USE TO GO ASTRAY. For one who follows his desires goes astray from the service of his God.