Cutting 3yr old tzitzis strings

amother

OP ↓

Wed, Nov 27 2024, 1:31 pm

He has a pair that fit but the strings are to the floor, what is the permissible way to cut them. Don’t want to do it with my teeth. Also what’s the length they need to be?

amother

Natural

Wed, Nov 27 2024, 1:33 pm

It has to be cut with ceramic scissors. I usually get them cut in the store, they know the lengths requirment.

surviving

Wed, Nov 27 2024, 1:34 pm

Either with your teeth or you can buy special stone scissors. We did this for my son's strings as well cuz he'd rip it when he stood on them by mistake. The strings only have to be double the length of the knotted part. Technically there only has to be one knot so if you wanted to retie it you can make it really short. Just looks a bit funny that way

amother

Lightblue

Wed, Nov 27 2024, 1:36 pm

I would get mine cut at the seforim store but once I had a few boys, I just bought my own pair of ceramic scissors from them.

amother

Maize

Wed, Nov 27 2024, 1:57 pm

Amazon sells ceramic scissors for cheap.

amother

Darkblue ↓

Wed, Nov 27 2024, 1:59 pm

amother Natural wrote:

It has to be cut with ceramic scissors. I usually get them cut in the store, they know the lengths requirment.

Ceramic yes. But can only cut with or without ceramic before wear. Once make a bracha on it and wear can no longer cut

amother

Dandelion

Wed, Nov 27 2024, 2:02 pm

amother Darkblue wrote:

Ceramic yes. But can only cut with or without ceramic before wear. Once make a bracha on it and wear can no longer cut

I don't think that's true. You can untie the stings and retie them on another pair. You can make the brachah again

Brit in Israel

Wed, Nov 27 2024, 2:19 pm

I bought on Aliexpress the ceramic scissors, same as they were selling in the stores here.

afaik you can use anything not metal so wood or stone if you find a sharp place you can use it

Last edited by Brit in Israel on Wed, Nov 27 2024, 2:20 pm; edited 1 time in total

amother

↑ OP

Wed, Nov 27 2024, 2:20 pm

amother Darkblue wrote:

Ceramic yes. But can only cut with or without ceramic before wear. Once make a bracha on it and wear can no longer cut

He’s 3…not sure his bracha counts for anything

amother

Pansy

Wed, Nov 27 2024, 2:32 pm

Are you buying size 2 tzitzis? I always buy size 2 for the 3-4 yr olds so the strings won't hang too low.

amother

Kiwi

Wed, Nov 27 2024, 2:38 pm

Also buy the tzitzis a very small size.

amother

Currant

Wed, Nov 27 2024, 2:47 pm

Also ask a Shayla. We hold that women are never allowed to tie or retie the knots. (Because we're not required to wear tzitzis)

amother

↑ Darkblue ↓

Wed, Nov 27 2024, 2:49 pm

amother Dandelion wrote:

I don't think that's true. You can untie the stings and retie them on another pair. You can make the brachah again

Yes you can retie. Can't cut.
...Definitely one psak I'm sure you can hold differently

amother

Cyclamen

Wed, Nov 27 2024, 3:01 pm

My Rav said we can cut with regular scissors.

mommyhood ↓

Wed, Nov 27 2024, 3:05 pm

They’re not kosher tzitzis because of the size of the begged so I cut with regular scissors.

amother

↑ Darkblue

Wed, Nov 27 2024, 3:22 pm

mommyhood wrote:

They’re not kosher tzitzis because of the size of the begged so I cut with regular scissors.

If you kids are very short do they wear 18 or above at bar mitzva???

↑ mommyhood

Wed, Nov 27 2024, 3:28 pm

amother Darkblue wrote:

If you kids are very short do they wear 18 or above at bar mitzva???

I haven’t had a super short boy that age for it to be an issue but I asked ds to confirm and he said yes even his very short friends wore that size from bar mitzvah.