By Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb

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everal decades ago a group of Israeli scholars from an organization called “til Tekhelet (www.tekhelet.com) visited Baltimore, where I then resided to speak about their discovery of the authentic tekhelet, the blue dye which was used extensively in ancient times by royalty and, more importantly, to color some of the fringes of the tzitzit.

As it is noted in this week’s Torah portion, Shelach (Numbers 13:1-15:41): 

 “The Lord said to Moses as follows: Speak to the Israelite people and instruct them to make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments throughout the ages; let them attach a cord of blue to the fringe at each corner. That shall be your fringe; look at it and recall all the Commandments of the Lord and observe them, so that you do not follow your heart and eyes in your lustful urge…” (Numbers 15:37-39)

The source for the dye which colored the cord of blue was a sea animal known as the chilazon, whose exact identity was lost over the ages so that until recent times observant Jews only attached colorless fringes to their talitot.

But in the 20th century, Rabbi Isaac Herzog, who would eventually become the chief rabbi of Israel, wrote a dissertation suggesting that the true chilazon was a type of snail, specifically the Murex trunculus. The scholars who visited Baltimore reported that their organization had corroborated Rabbi Herzog’s findings; and they were producing tzitzis with the proper “cord of blue.” 

I began wearing the “true blue” tekhelet from that time forward. Since I began using this “cord of blue,” I experience a numinous mystical mood each morning when I wrap myself in my tallit to pray.

That same year I learned the news about the true tekhelet, I led an expedition to Eastern Europe, mainly to visit sites of Jewish significance. Tragically, most of those sites are neglected cemeteries or synagogues in ruins. My special interest is visiting graves of famous Jews, particularly the graves of great rabbinic scholars. 

We visited the city of Prague and stood on line behind a large group of non-Jewish tourists who were attracted to the grave of the great Maharal, allegedly the creator of the famous Golem and thus an attraction even to non-Jews. Rather than wait, I suggested we visit another famous grave, that of Maharal’s successor in the Prague rabbinate, Rabbi.Shlomo Ephraim of Lunshitz, known by the title of his masterwork, Kli Yakar. At his grave, I vowed to familiarize myself, not only with Kli Yakar, but with its author’s entire oeuvre.

Since adopting the “cord of blue,” I began to search the sources to better understand its significance. Particularly, I was puzzled by Ramban’s insistence that it was the “cord of blue,” not at all the “cords of white,” that effectively enable us to “recall the Commandments of the Lord and observe them” and not follow our eyes’ and hearts’ and lustful urges. What’s the secret of the cord of blue’s magic?

I found many answers to this question, but my favorite is to be found in the Kli Yakar’s commentary toward the end of this week’s Torah portion. He begins with the Talmudic passage which reads, “The blue of tekhelet evokes the image of the deep blue sea, from there to the blue of heaven, and from there to the Almighty’s ‘throne of glory.’”

He proceeds to describe the grand works of nature which faithfully obey the Lord’s design. The heavens, with the sun and the moon and the stars, never fail to follow the Lord’s will. Furthermore, they do so joyously, without protest or resistance, happily and out of love.

The sea behaves differently. Its waves strive to overcome their boundaries and to deluge the shore. They are contained, however, by their fear of the Lord and not by the love they have for Him. As the prophet Jeremiah puts it, “Should you not tremble before Me, who sent the sand as a boundary to the sea… not to be transgressed? Though its waves toss, they cannot prevail…” (Jeremiah 5:22)

Kli Yakar thus reminds us that there are two basic motives to religious behavior: fear or awe of the Almighty on the one hand, love and attachment to Him on the other. By contemplating the sea, we acknowledge His power to contain our “waves,” our “lustful urges.” By moving on to contemplate the heavens, we are inspired to worship him joyously and lovingly. We are then positioned to stand before His “throne of glory.”

There are many paths open to us in our search for spirituality. The “cord of blue” provides us with one easy path–the color blue, and only the color blue, prompts us to contemplate the deep blue sea and the blue of heaven.

I can’t assure you that you will glimpse the Almighty’s “throne of glory” the instant you begin to wear the “cord of blue.” But I encourage you nevertheless to wear tekhelet, contemplate both the sea and the heavens, and patiently await the next glorious spiritual achievement.