Rabbi Details 40-Year Quest to Identify Biblical Tekhelet Dye
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
Rabbi Tzadok Elias shared his 40-year quest to identify the spiny dye-murex as the source of biblical tekhelet dye. He hesitated for 15 years to use it on tzitzit but eventually did, with others joining him. Elias noted its growing acceptance beyond the national-religious community, comparing its spread to the gradual redemption of Israel and seeing it as a symbol of God's sovereignty.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Rabbi Tzadok Elias became convinced 40 years ago that the spiny dye-murex is the source of biblical tekhelet.
- He personally refrained from using the dye on tzitzit for about 15 years before adopting it.
- Elias resolved a 12-year query about ancient snail-catching methods described in the Talmud.
- He observes a growing adoption of tekhelet, even in Haredi and Sephardic communities.
- The rabbi compares the spread of tekhelet to the gradual process of national redemption.
Rabbi Tzadok Elias has revealed his decades-long journey to identify the source of the biblical tekhelet dye, a vibrant blue used in ritual fringes. Elias became convinced about 40 years ago that the spiny dye-murex snail was the correct source, but he hesitated for approximately 15 years before personally using the dye on his own tzitzit (ritual fringes).
Speaking on the "Nekudot Chibur" podcast, Elias explained that his conviction stemmed from his work on a revised edition of the Sefer Mitzvot Gadol (SMAG). Despite his certainty, he initially kept his use of the tekhelet private, with students and eventually the Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Shabtai Savto, joining him. A significant personal hurdle was overcome after 12 years when he discovered an ancient method of catching the snails using baited nets placed on the seabed, resolving a discrepancy with Talmudic descriptions.
Elias addressed why tekhelet is not widely adopted, noting that many prominent rabbinic authorities have not endorsed its use. He suggested this might be due to the dye's absence for about 1,500 years. However, he observes a growing trend, even among some in the Lithuanian Haredi and Sephardic communities, to adopt the spiny dye-murex tekhelet.
He shared an anecdote about a Sephardic Haredi rabbi who, upon seeing Elias's tzitzit, declared, "You are people of redemption. You wear tekhelet, you draw towards redemption." This rabbi later adopted tekhelet himself. Elias likened the spread of tekhelet to the gradual process of the redemption of Israel, seeing it as a symbol of God's sovereignty and its increasing acceptance as a sign of divine providence.