Forgotten and Little Known Halachos and Customs (42)
Tzitzis. When to Make a New Beracha. There are four relevant questions that are debated by the Poskim - without a unanimous conclusion - regarding making a second beracha on one’s Talis or Tzitzis. Let us analyze these four cases:
If one put on his Talis Katan when it is already daytime, but does not intend to put on his Talis for quite some time (he has an early-morning shiur or learning session), should he make a beracha on his Talis Katan right then or should he exempt it with the beracha that he will make later on?
If one is a guest at a Shabbos morning meal, and wears his Talis from shul to the home of his host, can he remove it for the meal and afterwards just put it back on to wear it home, or should he say a new beracha when putting it back on?
If a person takes off his Talis during the Yom Kippur break between Musaf and Mincha (to possibly take a nap), should he say a second beracha when he comes back for Mincha?
If one takes off his Talis Katan to go swimming for a while, should he make a new beracha on his Tzitzis when he finishes swimming and puts his Talis Katan back on?
Some Basic Principles. If one removes his Talis or Talis Katan and is not planning to put it back on, but then changes his mind and puts it on again, a new beracha is required (1). Even when he didn’t actually think about doing so, if his actions indicate that his mitzvah is over for now, i.e. he folded up his Talis, etc., a new beracha is required if he puts it back on (2). In the four scenarios mentioned previously, there is no change of mind; however, there might be a long-enough break to be considered היסח הדעת - he took his mind completely off the mitzvah - and he should make a new beracha. The poskim use different terms to describe the amount of time or new activity that necessitates a new beracha. Some (3) say “not immediately,” others (4) say “from Shacharis to Mincha,” and yet others (5) say “two or three hours.”
The Halacha and a Way to Avoid the Question. Because of the difficult terminology, there are a number of opinions what to do. I have heard that some Rabbanim hold that any break in wearing Tzitzis longer than one hour requires a second beracha. Some say three hours. Some say that if the specific situation dictates that after taking off his Talis or Tzitzis, he will certainly come back and put it on again, e.g. when he comes back for Mincha on Yom Kippur, he should not say a new beracha. R’ Aharon Leib Shteinman Shlita recalls that the Chazon Ish ZT”L, one year after a two-and-a-half-hour break on Yom Kippur, did not make a new beracha when he came back. If one has in mind at the time of the first beracha to exempt the Talis only until the break, he can and should make a new beracha. (6)
(1) משנה ברורה ח:לז (2) שם:לח (3) מגן אברהם ח:יח (4) באר היטב ח:טז (5) שו"ע הרב ח:כג (6) עיין פסקי תשובות ח:כג שמביא כל המקורות
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