Q&A: Removing Tekhelet
Removing Tekhelet
Question
Hello Rabbi,
Would I have a problem of “one ascends in holiness and does not descend” if I remove a tekhelet thread from my tallit and put in only white threads, or would the Mishnah’s statement in Menachot, “tekhelet and white do not invalidate one another,” ‘protect’ me?
Thank you in advance
Answer
I didn’t understand why you would remove it. Are you transferring it to another set of tzitzit? I don’t think this is considered descending in holiness, because tzitzit are not something that has inherent sanctity. But it is the neglect of the positive commandment of tekhelet. There is a common mistake that tekhelet is optional, but it is not. It is a full obligation, a binding positive commandment, except that failure to fulfill it does not invalidate the white threads.