Making a New Bracha on Tzitzit

From Halachipedia

Intent to put it back on

  1. The Shulchan Aruch holds that if you remove your tallis for any period of time, even if you had intention to put it back on immediately, you have to make a new beracha [1]
  2. The Rema disagrees and holds that if you remove a talit with intention to put it back on within “a short period of time” one doesn’t make a new Bracha upon putting on the talit a second time within that short period of time. [2]
  3. If one removes the talit with intent to put it back on right away and then doesn’t put it on right away but rather tarries, a new Bracha is needed. [3]

What is “a short period of time”?

  1. It’s unclear from the poskim what's considered "a short period of time". Many authorities define it as a unit of time, opinions ranging from a half hour to three hours, while other authorities define it as the time it takes to do a certain activity, some say that has to be a significant activity and some say it has to be a activity without a definite time limit. (See footnote for clarification).[4]
  2. Sephardim should follow the opinion of that defines a short period as a half hour. [5]

Examples of momentarily

  1. If one sees that his Tzitzit are inside out, one may take them off, flip it and then put it back on without a new Bracha. [6]

Changing places

  1. For changing one’s place there’s no obligation to make a new Bracha. [7]

Lending one’s talit for a mitzvah

  1. If one removed one’s talit to give to someone getting an aliyah (or duchaning), no new Bracha is needed when getting back the talit. [8]
    1. For example, a person who gave his talit to someone for an aliyah and instead it gets used for all the olim and it only gets returned after a half hour, a new Bracha is needed when returned. [9]
    2. Similarly, if someone took the talit from a person shoulders without asking, the owner doesn’t need to make a new Bracha when he gets it back unless the owner fears not getting the Talit back. [10]
  2. If one gave a talit to someone in order to fulfill the mitzvah and in order that the borrower can make a Bracha on it, the talit was given as a gift on condition (Mattana Al Menat Lehachzir), there’s a dispute whether a person should make a new Bracha when the talit is returned. [11]

Going to the bathroom

  1. If one does into a bathroom, one doesn’t make a new Bracha on the talit upon exiting the bathroom [12] even if it takes a half hour. [13]
    1. If one has a Talit with a פסוק written on the crown, since it’s forbidden to bring into a bathroom, one must make a new Bracha upon exiting and putting back on the talit. [14]

Bathing, Showering, Tevilah, Swimming

  1. One doesn’t need to make a new Bracha after bathing. However, it’s preferable to have in mind while making the Bracha in the morning only to cover the Tzitzit until that point in time and then after bathing a new Bracha would be required. [15] However, if one bathed for a long time (and removed one’s mind from tzitzit) one should make a new Bracha. [16]
    1. If one didn’t have this kavana but usually does, it’s assumed that your kavana was your normal practice [17]
  2. After taking a shower, no new Bracha is needed (unless an exceptionally long time is taken and one removed his mind from Tzitzit). [18]
  3. After Tevilah no new Bracha is needed. [19]
  4. However, after going swimming a new Bracha is needed (unless it was short and one kept one’s mind on Tzitzit). [20]

Kiddish in middle of Davening

  1. If one removed one’s talit for Kiddish before Mussaf no new Bracha is needed. [21]

Going to sleep without tzitzit

  1. There’s a dispute if one sleep during the day without wearing one’s tzitizit whether a new Bracha is needed upon waking up. Therefore, it’s preferable to wear them to sleep or have them cover you as you sleep. [22]
  2. If one sleeps at night in Tzitzit, there’s a dispute in poskim and so one shouldn’t make a new Bracha but should have it covered by making a Bracha on the talit (or listening to someone else make the Bracha on the talit). Additionally, one shouldn’t remove the tzitzit with intent not to put it back on and then put it back on since according to some that’s causes an unnecessary Bracha. [23]

Intent not to put it back on

  1. If one removes the talit with explicit intent not to put it back on for a while or not at all, a new Bracha is needed even if one put it back on right away. [24]
    1. If one removes one’s talit in order to put on another talit and then changes his mind, a new Bracha is needed [25]
    2. If one changes talit’s a new Bracha is needed if one didn’t have that new one in mind when one made the Bracha in the morning. [26]
    3. Therefore, when switching Tzitzit’s on Friday for Shabbat, if when donning the weekday pair in the morning that it should cover the Shabbat pair, one doesn’t need a new Bracha, however if one didn’t have this intent, a new Bracha is needed. If one’s normal practice is to switch into a Shabbat pair, even stam intent is enough to cover that pair, and no new Bracha is needed. [27]
    4. If one removed a talit in Davening by accident thinking that Davening was over, a new Bracha is needed. [28]

Intent Stam

  1. If one removed the talit stam without intent, it depends on one’s actions:
  • If one was still wearing one’s Tzitzit when one removed the talit, no new Bracha is made. [29]
  • If one folded the talit and put it in it’s case since you display the fact that one doesn’t plan on putting it back on, a new Bracha is needed. [30]
  • If one folded the talit without any intent in middle of Davening, no new Bracha is needed. [31]

References

  1. Aruch Hashulchan 8:19
  2. Rama 8:14 writes that if one removes the Talit with intent to put it back on one doesn’t make a Bracha. This is explained by the achronim based on the language of the Tur who writes that if one intends to put it back on immediately (מיד) then there’s no need for a new Bracha. So rules Mishna Brurah 8:37 and Ezor Yisrael 8:14.
  3. S”A HaRav 8:24, Mishna Brurah 8:37, Ezor Yisrael 8:14
    • Rav Hershel Schachter (Hilchot Tzitzit min 43), Hilchot Gra Veminhagim 1:17 (pg 20), Netivot Hachaim (3 pg 222), Or Torah (vol 23, 5751 Av, pg 714), and Tzitzit Halacha Pesukah (Rabbi Tzvi Kohen, 8:72 in the note) hold a half hour of removing the Tzitzit requires one to make a new Bracha.
    • Rav Shlomo Zalman in Halichot Shlomo 3:7 writes that one should only make a new bracha is the tzitzit were removed for 3 hours. However, the footnote there clarifies that this number isn't exact. See also Rav Moshe Shternbach in Teshuvot VeHanhagot 1:32 who writes that one should make a new Bracha only if it has been an hour or two and one also left the house or building one was in.
    • Ezor Yisrael (pg 39) writes that if you do a significant activity one should make a new Bracha, but if it’s a transitory activity, no new Bracha is required. Similarly, Piskei Teshuvot 8:23 concludes that if it’s a activity with a defined time limit, then no new Bracha is required, however if the activity doesn't have a definite time limit or one tarries after that activity, a new Bracha is required.
  4. Sh”t Yabea Omer 8:2(4), Yalkut Yosef (Tzitzit pg 222), Sh”t Or Letzion 2:44(10), Sh”t Otzrot Yosef 1:28
  5. Sh”t Bear Moshe 6:3(9)
  6. Magan Avraham 8:18, Mishna Brurah 8:34, 37, piskei teshuvot 8:23(6), Ezor Yisrael 8:14, Tzitizit Halacha Pesuka (by Rav Tzvi Kohen) 8:73
  7. Bet Baruch 12:39, Tzitizit Halacha Pesuka (by Rav Tzvi Kohen) 8:77, Halichot Shlomo (3:7 in the notes), Rav Hershel Schachter (Hilchot Tzitzit min 43). However, Sh”t Rivivot Efraim 5:14 writes that this is a certain hesech hadaat.
  8. Rabbi Hershel Schachter (Hilchot Tzitzit min 43) in as an example
  9. Mishneh Halachot 15:7 who says that if a person took your talit for an aliyah you don’t need a new Bracha, unless you thought you wouldn’t get your talit back.
  10. Sh”t bear Moshe 6:5 and Bet Baruch 12:39 hold that you need a new Bracha, while Sh”t hillel Omer 4 writes that no new Bracha is needed.
  11. Darkei Moshe 8:6, Mishna Brurah 8:37, Ezor Yisrael 8:14 pg 40
  12. Halichot Yisrael (Siman 4 pg 20) quotes Rav Gustman as saying that going to the bathroom doesn’t require a new Bracha even if takes a half hour.
  13. Artzot HaChaim (Meir HaAretz) 8:79, Beer Moshe 6:2(5), and seemingly Piskei Teshuvot 8:23.
  14. Buir Halacha D”H VeYesh quotes Artzot HaChaim 8:86 in name of the Kol Eliyahu 2:2 to say that a new Bracha is needed for bathing, however, Biur Halacha writes that the minhag is not to make a new bracha, and concludes that it’s better to have in mind not to cover the wearing of Tzitzit after bathing and then one can make the Bracha afterwards. So writes Tzitzit Halacha Pesuka by Rav Tzvi Kohen 8:80.
  15. Sh”t Tzitz Eliezer 13:4, Sh”t Bear Moshe 6:4(11), Ben Ish Chai Beresheet 10, and Kaf HaChaim 8:56 hold that for bathing which takes a long time requires a new Bracha, whereas, tevilah, which is short doesn’t require a new Bracha. See Torat Chaim Sofer 8:23.
  16. Sharei Teshuva 8:15, Tzitzit by Rav tzvi Kohen 8:80
  17. Ezor Yisrael pg 40
  18. Kaf HaChaim 8:56, Sh”t Bear Moshe 6:4(11-2)
  19. Ezor Yisrael pg 40
  20. Halichot Yisrael (Siman 4 pg 18-9) quotes Rav Gustman who says that if one took off a talit to have kiddish before tekiyot shofar on ראש השנה shouldn’t make a new Bracha since he probably intended according to the minhag to put it back on after kiddish. So holds Piskei Teshuvot 8:23(3). [Halichot Yisrael (pg 18) writes that Rav Aharon Kotler once made a new Bracha after a short kiddish, however there he gives many explanations for this incident.] See Sh”t Chelkat Yacov 1:105 who writes about a minhag to remove one’s talit for a couple of hours in order to go home for kiddish and learn before Mussaf, and concludes that since there’s a doubt, one should fold one’s talit before going home so that you can make a new Bracha upon returning. (Tzitzit Halacha Pesuka by Rav Tzvi Kohen 8:72 argues that it won’t work since you do plan to put it back on!).
  21. Mishna Brurah 8:42. Tzitzit by Rav tzvi Kohen 8:81 adds one should remove it to cover oneself without taking it off completely. Piskei Teshuvot 8:23(7) adds that if it’s only a shinat arraya (sleeping on one’s hands, bench, weird position) – no new Bracha according to everyone and so one doesn’t need to cover’s one’s body with the tzitzit.
  22. Mishna Brurah 8:42.
  23. Magan Avraham 8:18, Mishna Brurah 8:37, Sh”t Bear Moshe 6:4(10), Piskei Teshuvot 8:23(4), Ezor Yisrael 8:14
  24. artzot hachaim, Tzitzit by Rav tzvi Kohen 8:71
  25. S”A 8:12 writes that if one has many pairs of clothes with Tzitzit one must make a Bracha on each one unless one had intention to where all of them. Mishna Brurah 8:32 explains that if one didn’t have explicit intention, one must make another Bracha for each one. Almost all achronim write this distinction of switching two pairs of Tzitzit (where one surely makes a new Bracha) and removing one and replacing it after time (where there’s a dispute) including Sh”t Divrei Shmuel 1, Sh”t Teshurat Shai 133, Pri HaSadeh 4:64 (it’s regarding Tefillin, but references Talit), Artzot HaChaim, Sh”t Yabea Omer Y”D 3:17(2), Tzitzit Halacha Pesuka (by Rav Tzvi Cohen 8:79), Piskei Teshuvot 8:23(8). See Sh”t Rivovot Efraim 1:23 and Sh”t Bear Moshe 6:4.
  26. See above note. Leket Kemach Hachadash 73, and Torat Chaim Sofer 23 write explicitly regarding this case that a new Bracha should be made. However, Tzitzit Halacha Pesuka (by Rav Tzvi Cohen 8:79 in the footnote) writes that the Chazon Ish didn’t make a new bracha, and he quotes Rav Chaim Kanievsky who explained that it was for the reason that the Chazon Ish didn’t want to make a Bracha on a talit katan.
  27. Daat Torah, Tzitizit Halacha Pesuka by Rav tzvi Kohen 8:76
  28. Mishna Brurah 8:38, Piskei Teshuvot 8:23(5)
  29. Mishna Brurah 8:38, Piskei Teshuvot 8:23(5)
  30. Mishna Brurah 8:38.