I have come, further, to awaken ourselves to [the significance of] something we say every day in the section of tzitzith (Bamidbar 15:39): "And you shall see it, and you shall remember all the mitzvoth of the L-rd." Our Rabbis of blessed memory have said concerning this (Menachoth 43b): "Seeing leads to remembering and remembering leads to doing." But when is this of avail? When he studies and knows the mitzvoth but is afraid that he might forget them. Tzitzith avails for this, that he will remember them and not forget them, and, as a matter of course, he will come to fulfill them. But if he does not know the mitzvoth, how will tzitzith avail him? Therefore, it is very desirable that one learn all of the book, Mitzvoth Hashem, or, at least, Kitzur Sefer Charedim which is included in Zichru Torath Mosheh of the Chayeh Adam. He will thereby know the mitzvoth and will fulfill correctly the mitzvah of tzitzith.
Now, in truth, tzitzith is comparable to a list that a man makes when he travels to buy merchandise and which he refers to several times so as to fix in his mind which merchandise to buy. But all this is of avail only when he knows and recognizes the types of merchandise. However, if he does not, then even if he looks at the list the whole day, he will not know what to buy. Therefore, it is well to do as we have written.
And the verse implies that the seeing of the tzitzith is of avail in spurring one [to do] the mitzvoth of the L-rd and not to go astray after his eyes. If so, how fitting it is to look at them several times a day, especially when some impure thought or some [kind of] anger enters his heart. It is then highly advisable to gaze upon the tzitzith, whereupon the yetzer will depart.
הִתְעוֹרְרוּת לְלִמּוּד הַמִּצְוֹת וּסְגֻלַּת צִיצִית
Arousal to the study of mitzvoth, and the property of tzitzith
עוֹד בָּאתִי לְעוֹרֵר עַל דָּבָר שֶׁאָנוּ אוֹמְרִין בְּכָל יוֹם בְּפָרָשַׁת צִיצִית (במדבר ט"ו ל"ט): "וּרְאִיתֶם אֹתוֹ וּזְכַרְתֶּם אֶת כָּל מִצְוֹת ה, "; וְאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ שּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (מנחות מ"ג:): רְאִיָּה מְבִיאָה לִידֵי זְכִירָה, וּזְכִירָה מְבִיאָה לִידֵי עֲשִׂיָּה. אֲבָל אֵימָתַי יָכוֹל לְהוֹעִיל דָּבָר זֶה. ? כְּשֶׁהוּא לוֹמֵד וְיוֹדֵעַ הַמִּצְוֹת, אַךְ שֶׁהוּא יָרֵא שֶׁמָּא יִשְׁכָּחֵם, וְעַל זֶה מוֹעִילָה הַצִּיצִית, שֶׁיִּזְכְּרֵם וָלֹא יִשְׁכָּחֵם, וּמִמֵּילָא יָבוֹא לִידֵי קַיּוּם, אֲבָל אִם לֹא יֵדַע אֶת הַמִּצְוֹת, מַה יּוֹעִילוּ לוֹ הַצִּיצִית. ? וְעַל כֵּן נָכוֹן מְאֹד שֶׁיִּלְמַד כָּלּ אָדָם סֵפֶר "מִצְוֹת הַשֵּׁם" אוֹ עַל כָּל פָּנִים "קַצּוּר סֵפֶר חֲרֵדִים", הַמּוּבָא בְּסֵפֶר "זִכְרוּ תּוֹרַת מֹשֶה" לְבַעַל חַיֵּי אָדָם, וְיֵדַע הַמִּצְוֹת, וְאָז תִּתְקַיֵּם בִּשְׁלֵמוּת מִצְוַת צִיצִית.
I have come, further, to awaken ourselves to [the significance of] something we say every day in the section of tzitzith (Bamidbar 15:39): "And you shall see it, and you shall remember all the mitzvoth of the L-rd." Our Rabbis of blessed memory have said concerning this (Menachoth 43b): "Seeing leads to remembering and remembering leads to doing." But when is this of avail? When he studies and knows the mitzvoth but is afraid that he might forget them. Tzitzith avails for this, that he will remember them and not forget them, and, as a matter of course, he will come to fulfill them. But if he does not know the mitzvoth, how will tzitzith avail him? Therefore, it is very desirable that one learn all of the book, Mitzvoth Hashem, or, at least, Kitzur Sefer Charedim which is included in Zichru Torath Mosheh of the Chayeh Adam. He will thereby know the mitzvoth and will fulfill correctly the mitzvah of tzitzith.
וְהִנֵּה בֶּאֱמֶת צִיצִית הוּא כְּמוֹ רְשִׁימָה שֶׁאָדָם עוֹשֶׂה, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנּוֹסֵעַ לִקְנוֹת סְחוֹרָה, וְדֶרֶךְ הָאָדָם לְעַיֵּן בָּהּ כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים, עַד שֶׁנִּקְבַּע בְּרַעֲיוֹנָיו אֵיזֶה סְחוֹרָה לִקנוֹתָהּ, אֲבָל כָּל זֶה מוֹעִיל, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיּוֹדֵעַ וּמַכִּיר מִינֵי הַסְּחוֹרָה, אֲבָל אִם אֵינוֹ מַכִּיר אֶת מִינֵיהֶם, אֲפִלּוּ אִם יַבִּיט בָּרְשִׁימָה כָּל הַיּוֹם, לֹא יֵדַע מַה לִּקנוֹת, וְעַל כֵּן נָכוֹן לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ.
Now, in truth, tzitzith is comparable to a list that a man makes when he travels to buy merchandise and which he refers to several times so as to fix in his mind which merchandise to buy. But all this is of avail only when he knows and recognizes the types of merchandise. However, if he does not, then even if he looks at the list the whole day, he will not know what to buy. Therefore, it is well to do as we have written.
וְהִנֵּה מִפַּשְׁטוּת הַכָּתוּב מַשְׁמַע, דִּרְאִיַּת הַצִּיצִית, תּוֹעֶלֶת הִיא לְהִזְדָּרֵז בְּמִצְוֹת ה', וְלֹא לָתוּר אַחַר עֵינָיו. וְאִם כֵּן, מַה נָּכוֹן הוּא לִרְאוֹת אוֹתָם כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים בַּיּוֹם, וּבִפְרָט בְּעֵת שֶׁעוֹלָה אֵיזֶה מַחֲשָׁבָה שֶׁאֵינָהּ טְהוֹרָה עַל לִבּוֹ אוֹ אֵיזֶה כַּעַס, טוֹב מְאֹד לְהִסְתַּכֵּל אָז בַּצִּיצִית וְאָז יִפָּקַע הַיֵּצֶר.
And the verse implies that the seeing of the tzitzith is of avail in spurring one [to do] the mitzvoth of the L-rd and not to go astray after his eyes. If so, how fitting it is to look at them several times a day, especially when some impure thought or some [kind of] anger enters his heart. It is then highly advisable to gaze upon the tzitzith, whereupon the yetzer will depart.