Shulchan Aruch: Chapter 20 - Laws Relating to Purchase and Sale of Tallisos

SECTION 20 Laws Relating to the Purchase and Sale of Tallisos. (1–6)

1 If one buys a tallis with tzitzis from a Jew he may assume that it is valid, for all Jews are knowledgeable with regard to the proper manner of making tzitzis.1

2 When one buys a tallis with tzitzis from a non-Jewish merchant, even if that non-Jew does not deal in tallisos but in other merchandise, his word may be accepted if he says that he bought this tallis together with its tzitzis from a Jew. [The rationale is that] we assume that a merchant will not lie, for [he realizes that] if his lie is discovered in one matter, he will not be believed in others.

This presumption may be relied upon only when he sells a tallis to which tzitzis are attached as required by law. [In that instance,] there is further room for leniency, because it is not common for a non-Jew to know how to make the coils and the knots [of the tzitzis], so we can assume that he purchased [the tallis] together with its tzitzis from a Jew. However, we do not buy [threads for] tzitzis which are not attached to a garment from a non-Jew, even if he is a merchant, because it is possible that he spun or twined them himself.

3 If a person sends tzitzis to a friend with a non-Jew he should have them sealed with a double seal,2 as explained in Yoreh Deah, sec. 118. For we suspect that the non-Jew might exchange them for other threads which were not spun for the sake [of the mitzvah] of tzitzis.

When does the above apply? When the non-Jew would benefit from such an exchange. If, however, this would bring him no benefit at all, we do not suspect that he will have made an exchange only to cause the Jew to blunder [in his observance].

4 The above [need for a seal] applies only when one sends threads that are not twined — or even threads which are twined, but which are not cut into four long threads, and instead remain as one long thread. If, however, they are twined and cut into four long threads, there is no room to suspect that a non-Jew will exchange them, for he certainly would not have other threads like these, since such threads are made only for the sake [of the mitzvah] of tzitzis.

5 Similarly, if tzitzis found in the marketplace are twined and cut into four long threads, [the ruling is that] they are valid, for they were certainly made for the sake [of the mitzvah] of tzitzis.3

6 A tallis with tzitzis may not be sold to a non-Jew,4 even if he is a merchant, lest the non-Jew wear it and thus appear to another Jew as a [fellow-]Jew because he is wearing tzitzis. The non-Jew [impostor] may then accompany him on a journey and kill him — for we suspect that non-Jews may murder.5 Similarly, one may not give a non-Jew a tallis with tzitzis for a pledge or for safekeeping, unless it is left with him for such a short time that there is no likelihood a Jew will set out with him on a journey.