Some recent additions to the techeiles debate

Posted by Ben G. on 14th Aug 2020

If you're one of those people who continues to keep up-to-date on the never-ending techeiles debate, you might be interested in two sources posted on the Techeiles Chabura website.

One is a short audio clip from a shiur by Rabbi Asher Weiss. Here's the transcript:

Participant: I know the Rav's stance on techeiles is we shouldn't wear techeiles. The Rav is going into more of an explanation --

Rabbi Weiss: I never wrote we shouldn't wear. I wrote we don't have to wear. There's no down side to wear techeiles. But I don't wear techeiles. Because to me, to do something it's not enough that there's no down side, the question is do we need to wear techeiles or not. In my opinion we have not found techeiles, and I doubt we will find it until Moshiach comes. So I made my opinion very clear in Sheilos v'Tshuvos Minchas Asher, that I don't believe in what is considered present-day techeiles, but anyone that wears techeiles and he asks me should I stop, no reason to stop. There's no down side.

Participant: [Inaudible]...Bal Tosif.

Rabbi Weiss: It has nothing to do with Bal Tosif. Any mitzvah or chumrah that you perform, based on a chumrah -- maybe this is what we should be doing -- would never be considered Bal Tosif.

The second new source is an article published in Hamishpacha Magazine. The article presents a list of arguments against Murex trunculus written by Rabbi Yisrael Reisman, who has written and spoken against Murex trunculus on many occasions over the years. You could say he's something of an anti-Murex spokesman.

The article then presents a list of pro-Murex arguments by Rabbi Chaim Klein.

And finally, Techeiles Chabura presents Rabbi Klein's point-by-point rebuttal to Rabbi Reisman.

To see the above give and take, click here.