Tzitzit are among the most ubiquitous symbols in the Jewish tradition, and the Torah intended them to serve as one of its most powerful means of fostering an ongoing relationship between humanity and the Divine. One verse in particular stands out in this regard:

“And it shall be for you as a fringe (tzitzit); you shall see it (oto) and be mindful of all the Lord’s commandments and do them.” (Numbers 15:39)

Without going into too much technical detail, tzitzit are ritual fringes attached to the corners of a four-cornered garment. Originally, they consisted of white threads together with a specially dyed blue thread (tekhelet) wound among them. For much of the past two thousand years, the method of producing the blue dye was lost, and only white threads were worn. In recent times, however, the process for producing tekhelet has been rediscovered, making it possible to revive this ancient practice.

The verse above, while seemingly straightforward, raises an interesting grammatical question. Since the word tzitzit is feminine, to what does the phrase “you shall see it” refer, given that oto is a masculine pronoun?

The earliest extant........

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