More on Techeles: It's enough to visualize blue

by Chaim Gershon

In a recent post, I discussed the various views about Techeles in out time. They ranged from the attempts identify the source of the dye, using any source of dye that meets the criteria, and the claim that Techeles would not be renewed until Moschiach comes.

There is another way to fulfill the commandment of Techeles these days, without actually wearing it. It may be enough to try to visualize the blue.

This approach is cited in Ben Ish Chai (end of first Noach) and the Chida's
Birkei Yosef (OC 24). It is to imagine/visualize that some of the strings are
colored with Techeles. Why this works is explained in depth in Kav HaYashar by Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Kaidanov in Perek 45, as follows:  The gematria of Techeles (850) is the sum of  twice the gematria of eye ( 2 x 130) plus the gematria of Tzitzis (590). One
should thus looks at one's tzitzis with both of one's eyes with this intention.

Comments

[josh waxman]

could we similarly dispense with tzitzis altogether by eating sufficient amounts of kugel?

;)

kt,
josh

[avakesh]

Working to gain the ability to visualize blue is very important in several mystical traditions, Christian and Hindu, for example; Jewish texts warn that it is the lowest level and can be misleading. Blue is associated with Malchus and the sky. It is different from eating kugel.