Tzitzit: Difference between revisions

# There is, however, no obligation to wear such a garment in the first place.<ref>Rambam Hilchot Tzizit 3:11; Tur 24:1; Shulchan Aruch 24:1</ref> Nevertheless, it is certainly proper and correct to observe this important mitzvah by wearing Tzitzit all day.<ref>Rambam Hilchot Tzizit 3:11; Tur 24:1; Shulchan Aruch 24:1; Rav Ovadya Yosef in Yechaveh Daat 4:2</ref>Additionally, the accepted minhag is to wear Tzitzit and one should not break from this minhag. <ref>Rav Moshe Feinstein in Igres Moshe 4:4 </ref>

# The earliest time to say a bracha on Tzitzit is from the time period that there is enough natural light so that one is able to distinguish between the white and blue strands within a clump of Tzitzit.<ref>Shulchan Aruch 18:3</ref> This time period is also known as the time when one is able to recognize an acquaintance from 4 cubits away. Both descriptions are equivalent and commonly referred to as Misheyakir. There is a wide range of opinions precisely when Misheyakir occurs on a perfect day<ref>Meaning that there is exactly 12 daylight hours and every seasonal hour consists of 60 minutes.</ref>  in Jerusalem: 35 minutes before sunrise,<ref>Rav Moshe Feinstein in Le-Torah ve-Hora'ah Vol. 3:7</ref> 60 minutes before sunrise,<ref>Rav Tukaczinsky in Eretz Yisrael 1:4</ref> and 66 minutes before sunrise.<ref>Rav Ovadya Yosef in Yechaveh Daat 2:8</ref> The various opinions would then have to be extrapolated according to the region of the world and time of year.<ref>There are two factors at work here: First, the processes of daybreak and nightfall occur faster at places near the equator than places further away from the equator. Second, the speed of these processes are also affected by the seasons.  A common solution would be to use seasonal minutes. In order to calculate a seasonal hour, one would need to add up all the daytime minutes and then divide by 12 to get the number of minutes that are in each seasonal hour. For instance, if there were 11 hours of daylight, each seasonal hour would consist of 55 minutes. To further complicate matters, there are two ways of counting the daytime minutes: The Magen Avraham counts from dawn until nightfall with the emergence of 3 stars, whereas the Gra counts from sunrise to sunset. Another means for calculation, which has only recently been implemented, is to compare the level of brightness by using the relative position of the sun. For instance, it has been determined that 60 minutes before sunrise on a perfect day in Jerusalem the sun is 12.9 degrees below the horizon. Therefore, if one wanted to find the equivalent time anywhere in the world during any season, he would simply determine at what time the sun will be 12.9 degrees below the horizon in that locale on that day and that would be the extrapolated Meshiyakir.</ref> Thus, according to the commonly accepted opinion that Meshiyakir is between 50 and 60 minutes before sunrise in Jerusalem - In New York, depending on the time of the year, it could be anywhere from 56-73 minutes before sunrise.<ref> MyZmanim.com. These figures are determined using MyZmanim’s earliest published position of 11.5 degrees below the horizon. Unfortunately, MyZmanim.com only offers calculations based upon 10.2 degrees, 11 degrees, and 11.5 degrees but not 12.9 degrees. It is unfortunate because 12.9 degrees correlates to Rav Tukaczinsky’s 60 minutes before sunrise which, although is a very lenient position is also well collaborated and accepted.</ref>