Review Packet and Practical Guide By Rabbi Ike Sultan Presented by Dedicated by Tomer and Shari Haik in honor of our children ריבונו של עולם מלא כל מישאלות לבנו לטובה בבריאות בהצלחה וכל טוב. ויתגדל כבוד שמך הגדול וכבוד תורתך על ידינו ועל ידי זרענו וזרע זרענו תמיד. אמן כן יהי רצון. Background and History One of the cherished mitzvot that klal yisrael lost for major volumes on the topic of techeiles which centuries was the mitzvah of wearing techeiles thoroughly analyzes all the primary sources of chazal strings as part of the tzitzis. Techeiles is described in and rishonim on the topic as well as includes the tanach as a beautiful and royal dye that was used in responds he received from rabbis of his day. the mishkan and the kohanim’s clothing.1 In this In 1913 in packet we’re going to summarize the opinions about working on a doctorate the modern day rediscovery of techeiles and how on techeiles, Rav poskim advise us practically in this matter. Yitzchok Isaac Halevi In the days of the gemara they still had Herzog, later to be the techeiles but by the days of the geonim and rishonim chief rabbi of Israel, it disappeared. Why? The destruction of the temple showed that the and exile from Israel for the vast majority of the Radziner's techeiles Jewish people could easily have led to the loss of the was untenable. After identification or even the means of producing the asking for the entire techeiles.2 Another historical reason is that in the process of how it was fifth century the Romans outlawed selling or even produced he owning purple or techeiles garments on the pain of investigated with chemists only to find that the blue death.3 color was Prussian blue chemicals and not from the In 1887, Rav Gershon Henoch Leiner, the cuttlefish at all. Rav Herzog himself was intrigued by Radziner Rebbe, undertook the project of restoring the possibility of the chilazon being the murex techeiles. After researching the topic, visiting an trunculus based on the works of secular scientists but aquarium, and discussing with a chemist, he rejected it because he was only able to produce deep concluded that the cuttlefish was the true chilazon. purple from the murex. Until this day, chasidim of the Radziner sect follow In 1980, Prof. Otto Elsner the Radziner Rebbe’s conclusion and use that type of of Shenkar College of Engineering techeiles. The Radziner’s work is collected in three and Design, in Israel, conducted an experiment with the murex trunculus and was successful in producing deep blue. By hashgacha this discovery happened by accident. Usually the experiments were done in the lab far from natural sunlight, but as a result of the stench, he was requested by colleagues to go outdoors. When he moved his project outside he saw that the murex Works of the Radziner 1 Shemot 25:4 2 Teitelbaum p. 262 3 Sterman p. 83, Shimel p. 14 22 2 dyes in fact turned from purple to blue. Only a few on Rav Tavgar’s direction, starting in 1991, the Ptil years later, Rav Eliyahu Tavgar pioneering the Tekhelet company produces techeiles using the project and started to produce techeiles for tzitzis murex trunculus. using the murex dyes exposed to the sunlight. Based Proofs from Archeology, Linguistics, and Chazal on more than 350 tablets describing the gifts for the royal union between the Syrian kingdom of Murex Piles Qatna Building Mitanni and Egypt Archeological evidence from Because garments decay quickly Amarna Tablet the Minoan civilization on the there are no artifacts of the around Greek Island, Crete, as early as remnants of techeiles or any 1350 BCE (the days of Dovid 8 1750 BCE (the days of the tzitzis for that matter. Yet, in the Hamelech). Yehoshua) were using the murex basement of the palace of the trunculus for dyes as large Amorite kingdom, Qatna, in mounds of whole and crushed Syria dating back to 1600 BCE shells were found all along the (the days of the shoftim) a few coast. On the same island, in a patches of garments were tablet that discussed royal discovered and some were dyed textiles the word po-pu-re-jo with murex dyes.6 Other appears which has to do with garments with murex dyes were purple dyes.4 Possibly this is found in Siberia from 500 BCE what Yechezkel5 was describing as well as Masada from the first when he said that the production century.7 of techeiles was on the Islands of One of the most relevant Italy. discoveries was made in Israel. In the city of Dor (Yehoshua The earliest mentions of the 12:23) which is located along the terms techeiles and argamon coast of Israel between Chaifa (“takhilti” and “argamannu”) and modern day Tel Aviv in the outside of the Torah were found area of Menashe, a techeiles 4 Sterman p. 20 6 Sterman p. 24 5 27:7 as per Targum Yonatan, Ri 7 Sterman p. 46, 79 Kara, and Radak 8 Sterman p. 25 33 3 factory was discovered. In fact, they found several pits, a meter in depth and diameter, lined with Rashi13 describes the chilazon as stones, with remnants of dried a limotz in French which means 14 purple dye, thousands of murex snail. Aruch and Tiferet shells in another pit, and one pit Yisrael15 concur. Ran16 seems to that was watertight, which could subscribe to this definition. This have been used for dying. could be supported from the Ramban12 states that no one Nearby were rectangular pools Midrash that its shell grows with would dare to use techeiles with shells of murex abound. it.17 This isn’t a definite proof besides royalty. According to the The pits and other discoveries since they could be referring to Ramban, it is very easy to date back to the second and third ay snail any snail and does not understand how murex dyes century BCE, the second temple specify the murex.18 were reserved for the royalty as period.9 Over time between 30 they were the same snails used and 40 places along the Israel for Tyrian purple, albeit coast were found with dying pits 19 produced in a slightly different The Ravyah in fact writes that with murex shells.10 manner. Evidence of the fact that techeiles is purpora, which in snails were used to produce the ancient world was used to royal purple can be gleaned from refer to the murex.20 Raavad From Mount Zion, facing the the above archeology as well as (Comm. to Sefer Yetzira, Intro temple mount, a murex trunculus the numerous Roman coins that ch. 8) and Mekor Chaim of shell from the first century BCE contained an image of the Chavot Yair (OC v. 1 p. 99) also was found. It isn’t clear what its murex. have this definition. In ancient purpose was there because it Coin with Hercules Dog Discovering a Greek the word pupora was used very unlikely that they to refer to the murex snail.21 Rav industrially manufactured Herzog believed that the techeiles in Yerushalayim so far chilazon was the murex snail as from the coast, but it is possible archeology and the Ravyah that it was brought for evidenced but ultimately advertising the sale of techeiles rejected it because he couldn’t or showing the authenticity of produce a blue dye. While real techeiles that the kohanim secular scientists concluded that Murex used for bidgei kehuna.11 the chilazon was the murex 9 Sterman p. 53 14 Entry Chilazon 20 Dr. Mendel Singer (RJJ v. 40, 10 Or Yisrael v. 10 p. 136 15 Introduction to Moed "Understanding the Criteria for 11 Sterman p. 67 16 Shabbat 107a s.v. hasadan Chilazon") questions this proof. 12 Shemot 28:2 17 Devarim Rabba 7:11, Shimel p. 50 21 Teitelbaum p. 263 based on 13 Avoda Zara 28b s.v. mishakdi, 18 Shimel p. 51 Aristotle, Pliny the Elder, The Iliad manuscript, oz vhadar fnt. 16 19 Brachot siman 25 48 4 though techeiles was purple and because no one would use it The Gemara emphasizes the not blue, for Rav Herzog that since it was banned by the importance of buying techeiles was impossible. The story has a Romans on the pain of death.24 from a reliable source because it happy ending because in the R: If so, then the Rambam who is impossible to tell the 1980s it was discovered that the didn’t live under the edicts of difference between real techeiles murex dyes do produce a blue Rome shouldn’t have quoted this and kela iylan. Kela iylan is dye when exposed to the sun.22 test. Also, Tosefta Menachot 9:5 identified by the Aruch25 and A: The evidence that the non- indicates that there weren’t other Nemukei Yosef26 as indigo. Jews used murex for dyes is alternative dyes. Also, Menachot 43a is clear that overwhelming, however, that there was no other alternative could have been a form of counterfeit dye for techeiles counterfeit techeiles, and only besides kela iylan. Rav Herzog the Jews knew the secret of the inferred that if the counterfeit chilazon.23 techeiles was indigo the real A: Menachot 43a indicates that techeiles had to be the same there was only one type of color. counterfeit kela iylan and when you buy techeiles you need to Plant Indigo rule out that possibility but there was no other known dye that would make that color. A: perhaps really there were three dyes that could produce the same color but a priori the Murex Dye before Exposure to Sun gemara ruled out the murex What’s the Counterargument? Chazal say that the tests make kela iylan fade.