Q&A: Tzitzit
Tzitzit
Question
Does the Rabbi wear his tzitzit strings outside his pants?
And what does the Rabbi say about the claim that those who tuck them into their pants are like someone hiding a medal from the king, as if he is ashamed that he serves God?
And to sum up, is there any point in wearing them out?
Answer
Yes, because that is the custom (at least among Ashkenazim). I think there is value in wearing them out in order to signal your commitment to the commandments. But of course, for someone who does not wear them out, there is no problem at all. If he knows about himself that he does not wear them out because of embarrassment, then perhaps he does have a problem, and specifically should wear them out.
Discussion on Answer
Go and read it in the schoolhouse—it’s elementary. But as is well known, the commentaries cite a dispute on the matter, and the custom of most Sephardim is not to wear them out. The discussion was about which custom to adopt, and that is why I used the reasoning I used.
Why should we look for new reasons when the reason is explicit in the verse, and the Sephardic custom is only based on kabbalistic reasons (not because the rationale of “and you shall see it” is incorrect)? And there is also a responsum about this from Rabbi Yaakov Hillel, may he live long, in the responsa Vayeshev Hayam, that even according to the Arizal one should wear them outside.
Why not read what I am explaining before repeating the objection?
There is a disagreement between customs. The question was whether it is nevertheless preferable to wear the tzitzit out in order to overcome embarrassment. So what exactly was I supposed to write to him—“And you shall see them”?
This is explained in the Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 8:11, and in the commentaries there, that one should wear them out in order to fulfill what is written: “And you shall see it and remember,” etc.