TANAKH
“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, and they shall prepare for themselves a fringe on the corners of their garments for their generations, and they shall put on the fringe of the corner a sky blue thread” (Numbers 15:38).
MIDRASH
“They shall prepare for themselves” – not from what has already been prepared; that one should not take out strings and prepare it from them, but rather, the mitzva is to bring white and sky blue and prepare.
When? When there is sky blue; however, now, we have only white, as the sky blue has been sequestered.
“On the corners” – not in the middle, but only on the corner; “a thread [petil]” – one is required to twine them [lefotelan].
Rabbi Meir said:
In what way is sky blue different from all sorts of colors?
It is that sky blue is similar to the firmament, and the firmament is similar to the Throne of Glory, as it is stated: “They saw the God of Israel [and under His feet was like a configuration of sapphire brick and like the very heavens in purity]” (Exodus 24:10).
Sky-blue [tekhelet] – תכלת: is frequently referenced in the Bible and by Jewish Sages, but unlike modern Hebrew, it does not denote a specific color. Instead, it pertains to wool dyed with a unique substance. Historical texts, including biblical and rabbinical sources, indicate that tekhelet was a valuable and scarce dye, often reserved for the garments of royalty and other high-ranking individuals.
This dye was derived from a creature known as the Hilazon, predominantly found in the northern coastal regions of ancient Israel, within the tribal area of Zebulun, extending to Tyre. The Phoenicians, who resided in what is now Lebanon, were also known to have engaged in the production and trade of tekhelet. Archaeological findings along Israel’s coast have revealed evidence of a thriving dye industry, including the production of tekhelet and the purple dye known as argaman.
Over time, the production of tekhelet declined due to the lower cost and increased availability of
INSIGHT
plant-based dyes, along with restrictive regulations imposed by the Romans and Byzantines. While tekhelet continued to be used in ritual fringes during the Talmudic period, it eventually became unavailable by the era of the ge’onim, leading to the loss of the tradition.
In recent years, efforts have been made to rediscover the Hilazon and revive the production of tekhelet for ritual use. The Murex trunculus snail is the most commonly promoted (but not exclusive) candidate for the Hilazon.
