[Avodah] Techeiles: definition

[Micha Berger]

It seems from a conversation on Areivim that many are unaware of the
definition of the word "techeiles".

Techeiles isn't a color or even a specific dye. It's lambswool dyed a
particular shade of blue with a colorfast dye; according to most
shitos a specific colorfast dye. The dye without the wool isn't
techeiles.

This is how the Torah simply says "pesil techeiles" and we know that
it must be wool, to the extent that asei docheh lav and it's wool even
when the garment is linen.

For this reason, Amutat Petil Tekehelet dye the raw wool before
spinning it into strings. This way one has a pesil techeiles, a thread
made from techeiles, without running any risks of violating "'ta'aseh'
- velo min ha'asui". When dealing with "Rambam strings", where 1/2 is
blue, 1/2 white, this means changing the color of the yarn being fed
into the spinner mid-string. Because the strings are kaful

Radzin is not maqpid on this chumrah, and they dye 1/2 of a finished
string.

Similarly, argaman and tola'as shani are kinds of dyed wool, not
colors or dyes.

SheTir'u baTov!
-micha

-- 
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