(Information for this article was gleaned from an introductory tour for tour guides of the Ptil Tekhelet Educational Center.)
Twice daily we recite the third paragraph of Shema where we relay the mitzvah of wearing tzitzit. On the tzitzit we are commanded to put a thread of “techelet.” What is techelet? Where can it be found? How is it produced? All of this and more can be learned at the new educational center of Ptil Tekhelet in Kfar Adumim. (This topic is subject to halachic debate. This article reports the views presented by the Ptil Tekhelet Educational Center and does not take the place of halachic consultation with a rabbi.)
An exploration of the Ptil Tekhelet Educational Center begins in the discovery area, which is a large hall filled with self-paced displays to teach all about the history and halachot of techelet. The first exhibit teaches that the art of producing techelet, a blue dye, was well-known in the ancient world. Techelet was not used only by Jews. Archeological sites throughout the Mediterranean coastline show dye installations as well as remains of the murex snail believed to be the chilazon from which techelet is derived. Chof Dor is one example of such a site but there are many others.
In the hall visitors can see dyed wool in various shades of purples (argaman) and blues (techelet), all of which are produced from the murex snail. A screen displays a timeline of sources from both Tanach and Medrash where techelet is mentioned. Also on display is a replica of Sennacherib’s Prism that states that Chizkiyahu paid him a ransom of techelet and argaman. Hanging in the center is a model of one of the garments of the Kohen Gadol, which was made completely out of techelet. This cost a fortune in ancient times when techelet was worth 20 times its weight in gold.
Children will enjoy the small fish tank which hosts a few live murex snails. There are also the shells of various species of the murex snail on display as well. It’s fascinating to note that murex snails actually eat each other if they are short on food.
Techelet was added to tzitzit during the eras of the First and Second Beit Hamikdash. Even after the destruction of the Second Beit Hamikdash, techelet was still used until the time of the Amoraim. Remnants of fabrics containing techelet derived from the murex snail have been discovered on Masada and in Wadi Murabat (in the Judean Desert, near Qumran). The Roman emperors then imposed severe restrictions on the wearing of certain colored garments. The Justinian Codex declared owning a garment with certain colors (including hyacinthine, which is believed to be techelet) a crime tantamount to treason. These colors were to be reserved only for royalty. It was during this era that it seems the use of techelet in tzitzit was discontinued.
With all of this historical information as background, visitors can then learn about the production of tzitzit in modern times. First the wool is sheared from the sheep. Then it is combed and whitened. Next it is made into little threads. Visitors can peer through a glass window and watch the process of “shezirah” being performed as threads are spun together to produce tzitzit. This is done behind a window in order not to interrupt the concentration of the man doing this process uniquely for the mitzvah of tzitzit.
The display then turns to the quest for techelet in modern times. In the late 1800s, the Radzyner Rebbe began searching for techelet and believed he found it in the cuttlefish. It is from this that his chasidim make their techelet. In the early 1900s, Rav Herzog wrote a doctorate about modern techelet research. This is the basis for the Ptil Tekhelet factory which uses the murex snail.
The highlight of the visit is the workshop where visitors get to participate in a live show that exhibits the production of the techelet dye on fabric from the glands of the murex snail. Both kids and adults will be fascinated by this demonstration that combines halacha and modern chemistry to once again produce the techelet dye for tzitzit.
Hava Preil is an enthusiastic licensed Israeli tour guide. She grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and holds an M.A. in Judaic studies. Hava has developed and taught accredited courses in Tanach and Jewish ethics for Naaleh/Woodmont College and Cybersem. She currently lives in Givat Ze’ev with her family. Hava can be reached at IL: 054-844-1579, USA: (845) 391-0438, or at [email protected]. Visit her website, Home – Hava Preil – Tours, havapreiltours.com! Hava is also offering virtual tours of various sites in Israel — a perfect activity for your school, synagogue or youth group!
