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What is Tekhelet?

Tekhelet, or Biblical Blue, was once the most precious commodity in the ancient world. It played a prominent role in the Temple and the Torah commands each Jew to affix a thread of Tekhelet to the tzitzit, representing the aspiration to be a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation."

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Tying Tzizit with Tekhelet

The halachic issues involved in tying Tzitzit with Tekhelet are complex, and the guidance given by the Talmud is sparse and somewhat confusing. This situation leads to the many opinions and arguments relating to virtually every aspect of the strings, twists, and knots that make up the Tzitzit with Tekhelet. The first question is, what is the ratio of Tekhelet to white in the 8 strings hanging on each corner. The Rambam says 1 of 8 should be Tekhelet, the Raavad says 2, while Rashi and Tosafot say 4. Then there is the question of groups - what the Talmud calls chulyot or links. Are they composed of 3 twists or perhaps 7 or even 13. How many chulyot are required and what color should they be, white or Tekhelet?...

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