It’s very common, especially in the summer that one wants to play sports or partake of a strenuous activity, or go to the beach and wearing tzitzis gets in the way, is it ok in such a case to simply not wear them?
A number of poskim (Mahri Elgazi, quoted in Tzitz Eliezer 14:49-2; Rav Zilber, Yagel Yaakov, pg. 165) write that it is not appropriate to do so. While it is true that neither Biblical nor Rabbinic law obligates one to wear a tallis katan at all times, it has become the accepted custom that every male wears a tallis katan all day long. Rav Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe, O.C. 4:4; O.C. 5:20-25) rules that since it has become customary to wear a tallis katan all day long, one may no longer deviate from this practice, and one who does so transgresses the dictum of “al titosh Toras imecha”.
What Are the Origins of This Custom?
Why did men choose to be meticulous about donning a tallis katan even when they were not required to do so? The poskim mention two basic reasons: 1) Wearing tzitzis gives us the opportunity to be constantly reminded of our obligations as a Jew, as it is written in Bamidbar (15:39), “That you may see it and remember all the commandments of Hashem and perform them.” 2) The Gemara (Menachos 41a) tells us that wearing a tallis katan serves as protection from “Hashem’s wrath”; when He observes His children performing mitzvos — such as tzitzis — that they are not even obligated to perform, His anger is contained and He views us more favorably.
It follows, therefore, that no matter the heat or discomfort, one should still be particular not to remove his tallis katan: One constantly needs a reminder of his status as a servant of Hashem, and one should always take advantage of the protection that the tallis katan offers to those who wear it.
There are, however, contemporary poskim who question this ruling. They argue that the mitzvah of tzitzis is only properly fulfilled when one is wearing a garment which benefits him in some way, e.g., it protects or warms him (see Koveitz Shiurim, Vol. 2, 23:8). If, however, the garment does not benefit its wearer in any way, and on the contrary — it makes him uncomfortable or bothers him, then it is possible that the tallis katan no longer falls under the category of a “beged” (a useful garment), and one who wears a useless beged does not fulfill the mitzvah of tzitzis by wearing it.
