What is the minimum size Tzitzis for children under Bar Mitzvah?
Regarding after Bar Mitzvah:
Can the garment of the 2 shoulders on the sides of the hole count towards the front/back Amos?
I vaguely recall Reb Chaim Naeh writing that if the shoulder parts are a certain width, then they can count towards the length of the front/back.
Answer:
Under Bar Mitzvah:
The Alter Rebbe rules in the Siddur that the age of Chinuch begins at six. Nevertheless, Minhag Chabad is to begin at the age of three, based on directives of the Frierdiker Rebbe and the Rebbe.
See here regarding a child under the age of 3:
Is it encouraged or discouraged for a child under 3, and not toilet trained to put on Tzitzis?
According to many Poskim, the Mitzvah of Chinuch does not just mean that the child thinks that he is doing the Mitzvah, but he has to actually be doing it for real. Therefore, the child has to be given Tzitzis which are Kosher. [If this is difficult, (e.g. it is very normal for young children to constantly rip their Tzitzis,) perhaps there is room to rely on the lenient opinions (as discussed below) between the ages of three and six, given that Chinuch does not Halachically begin until the age of six anyway.]
When a child is six years of age and older, the tallis katan should be an amah wide and an amah long. The measurement of the amah may include the front and back together but not the hole. For Children – If each shoulder section is at least 3 etzbaos wide (total of 6 etzbaos), one may include the hole too. Another leniency for children is, that one may rely on the lenient measurement of amah, which is 46cm. For the three etzbaos, one may follow the measurement of 5.76cm.
Once a child reaches Bar Mitzvah:
There needs to be an amah width, an amah length in front, and another amah length in back. One should ensure it’s at least 48cm. Best to add extra as often the tallis katan folds and the folds are not included in the shiur.
I haven’t found a reasonable explanation why people are not careful in this matter for children, at least from six and up. Some suggest a leniency that the amah width may also be comprised of both front and back together. This is unlikely.
The commercially available tzitzis are also not produced this way, making it difficult for children. The ones that are of a minimum shiur in the width are much longer than needed and the hole is usually too large causing it to fall and not sit properly. Of course, these can be made at home or one can shorten the size of the commercially available taleisim ktanim by sewing up the extra material.
An alternative option is to put on size 20 tzitzis on the child to make the Brocho and the rest of the day to wear kids size. The child should wear it for at least three seconds.
Counting the hole:
The Alter Rebbe writes in the Siddur that the hole of the neck does not count for the required size. Based on this – the “shoulders” can not count, because the hole separates them (by children we can be lenient if the shoulder is 3 etzbaos as explained earlier).
Sources:
סידור אדה״ז הלכות ציצית בתחילתו. לענין הנקב – ראה שיעורי תורה ג, לג ובהערה עג.
השיעור – לפי מדידות הדרהם שנתגלו. ואכ״מ.
ואולי יש מקום להקל גם בפחות מג׳ אצבעות אם נאמר דאין הכוונה לשיעור בגד – ראה עומקא דפרשה שלח תשע״ב.
לבישה לג׳ שניות – ראה בארוכה כאן:
ובמק״א הערנו בהשקו״ט בזה מחמת איסור ספי׳ – ראה מ״מ כאן:
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