Chazal teach us a profound yesod in Avos 2:1: "Be as careful with a light mitzvah as with a severe one, because you do not know the reward of mitzvos."
Still, we find that some mitzvos are highlighted by the Torah in a unique way, expressing their exceptional significance. One such mitzvah is tzitzis, which carries a special chashivus and spiritual power. The Gemara in Menachos 43b tells us that “the mitzvah of tzitzis is equivalent to all the other mitzvos combined.”
The pasuk in Mishlei 10:8 says: "A wise-hearted person seizes mitzvos."
Rav Shimshon Dovid Pincus zt”l, in Tiferes Shimshon (Parshas Shelach), explains this with a powerful mashal: Imagine a merchant walking into a store where expensive merchandise is being sold at an incredibly cheap price. A smart businessman doesn’t hesitate – he grabs the opportunity because he understands the value. So too, says Rav Pincus, is the mitzvah of tzitzis. It doesn’t cost much – it requires no exertion – and yet the profit is endless. Every single second a person wears tzitzis, he earns another mitzvah. That’s millions of mitzvos over a lifetime – for just a few dollars and a bit of commitment.
The Yetzer Hara, however, knows the secret of this mitzvah’s power. He uses clever tactics to keep people from doing it. In the summer, he whispers: “It’s too hot. You don’t need that extra layer.” But in reality, we all wear undershirts anyway – adding a lightweight pair of tzitzis is barely noticeable. And yet, with that, a person becomes enveloped in mitzvos.
Even those who do wear tzitzis must be vigilant. Rav Pincus warns that some wear tzitzis that are not kosher – strings that are torn, untied, or not made according to halacha – and in that case, not only is the opportunity missed, but a person is left thinking he's fulfilling a mitzvah when he's not. The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 8:9) is clear that one must ensure his tzitzis are kosher.
The Torah tells us, “And you shall see it and remember all the commandments of Hashem and perform them” (Bamidbar 15:39).
Why is tzitzis so powerful that simply looking at it can remind us of all 613 mitzvos? The answer lies in its very design. The word tzitzis is gematria 600, and when you add the 8 threads and 5 knots, you arrive at 613 – the total number of mitzvos in the Torah.
As the Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 386) explains, the purpose of tzitzis is to constantly remind us of our mission as Jews — to fulfill the will of Hashem in all aspects of life.
There is nothing more powerful to keep a Jew focused on this purpose than to wear the “seal of the Master,” a symbol that he carries the commandments of Hashem on his very clothing.
