Tetzaveh - Shatnez - Assey Docheh Lo Sa'asey

In this week’s parsha we learn about the vestments of the Kohanim. Interestingly, several
of the vestments are comprised of wool and linen materials. Although normally a garment
containing wool and linen is forbidden to wear for it is shatnez, obviously with regard
to the garments of the Kohanim the Torah has permitted this prohibition. We must try
to understand which method the Torah applied in permitting the issur of shatnez in the
Kohanim’s garments in order to properly apply this to other aspects of the torah. One
possible method the Torah could have applied is known as asay docheh Lo Sa'asey,
which means that in order to perform an Assey (positive commandment) one may
transgress a Lo Sa'asey (negative commandment) that would otherwise have prevented
him from performing the Assey. In this understanding the prohibition to wear shatnez
includes the Kohanim’s clothing however they may transgress the Lo Sa'asey in order to
perform the mitzvah of the avodah. Tosafos in Yivamos 5b asks why is it that we do not
learn from the bigday Kihunah to the rest of the torah that Assey is docheh Lo Sa'asey.
This is a clear indication that Tosafos has this view of how the Kohanim may wear
shatnez in their vestments.
The other option is that the torah did not extend the prohibition of shatnez to the
garments of the Kohanim to begin with, this is called hutrah. When the Torah applies
hutrah, there is no prohibition for one to transgress therefore one may do the avairah
even though it is not in order to perform the mitzvah.
The Rambam (hilchos kilaim 10:32) writes, Kohanim that wear their special garments
not while performing the avodah are punished by lashes for having transgressed the
prohibition of shatnez, for they were only allowed to wear shatnez during the avodah as
it is a mitzvah. The Raivad argues with the Rambam, that the Kohanim may wear their
special garments even while they are not performing the avodah.
It seems that the basis for the machlokes between the Rambam and the Raivad is
dependent on the two aforementioned options. The Rambam who holds one can only
wear the garments during the avodah holds that the method used by the torah to permit
the Kohanim to wear shatnez is Assey docheh Lo Sa'asey. As mentioned earlier Assey
docheh Lo Sa'asey can only be applied in order to perform a mitzvah, therefore while a
kohain is not performing the avodah he may not don the garments containing shatnez.
The Raivad however is of the opinion that the method used in the Kohanim’s vestments
is hutrah. That is why he permits wearing the garments even while not performing the
avodah, for with regard to the Kohanim’s garments the Torah never prohibited shatnez.

The gimorah in yivamos (4a) says one may wear shatnez in tzitzis, and similarly it is
unclear if it is permitted by means of hutrah or dichuya. The Shagas Aryeh (siman 30)
asks the following contradiction in the Raivad. In hilchos tzitzis (3:9) the Raivad says
that women and slaves who are not obligated in the mitzvah of tzitzis may not wear tzitzis
containing shatnez. The implication of the Raivad is that the method in which one may
wear shatnez in tzitzis is deychuyah -only in order to perform the mitzvah. This seems
to contradict his opinion expressed by his p’sak regarding the garments of the Kohanim
in which he permitted even not in order to perform a mitzvah, implying he holds that it
works through hutrah.

Reb Elchonan Wasserman zt”l Hy”d (kovaitz haurus 9:1) explains that the Raivad holds



Rabbi Raphael Fuchs



that the Torah uses both hutrah and dichuya depending on the situation. In a situation

where a mitzvah is never able to be performed without violating a prohibition, the

Torah uses hutrah. For example the mitzvah of yiebum can only be performed on a dead

brother’s wife whom is prohibited to the live brother. There will never be a mitzvah of

yiebum that does not entail violating this prohibition therefore it is permitted by means

of hutrah. Similarly with regard to the bigdai kehuna the Torah commands us of which

materials the garments must be made. Since two of the materials are wool and linen,

the mitzvah of the Kohen’s garments will always be in violation of shatnez. Therefore

the Raivad says that it is permitted by means of hutrah, even not for the purpose of the

mitzvah. Whereas in a situation where there is a way to perform the mitzvah without

violating any prohibition, the torah in telling us we can violate a prohibition uses dichuy.

The aforementioned gimorah extrapolates from the Torah that we may use shatnez in

tzitzis. However not every pair of tzitzis will be in violation of the prohibition, for not

every pair will have shatnez, therefore the Raivad understands that the torah with regard

to shatnez in tzitzis is using diechuy.

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