Tzitzis before aged 3?

Seraph

Sat, Nov 28 2009, 2:35 pm

If my son is already potty trained (so no need to worry about soiling tzitzis) and he has been asking me to wear tzitzis like a big boy, and he already wears a yarmulka here and there... is there a problem with putting tzitzis on a kid under 3? I know you start with yarmulka and tzitzis at aged 3, but is that aged 3 latest, or age 3 earliest?

Anyone start with tzitzis with their sons before aged 3?

BeershevaBubby

Sat, Nov 28 2009, 2:53 pm

Why can't you simply explain to your son that just like there are some Mitzvot that only men do and some Mitzvot that women do there are some Mitzvot you nned to be a certain age for?

Wearing a Kippah I've seen as early as 1 1/2. But Tzitzit is I think universally at 3 years old.

Seraph

Sat, Nov 28 2009, 3:06 pm

Thats what I was asking- if there WAS a problem before aged three, or people just don't insist before three because they don't want to fight with their kid over tzitzis if they're before gil chinuch...

Its hard for him that most of his friends are over 3 and all got tzitzis and he wants to be just like them so he can wear tzitzis and kiss them. But I won't do it if its not allowed or just not done for specific reasons.

Seraph

Sat, Nov 28 2009, 3:12 pm

Isramom8 wrote:

It may be more exciting if he has to wait for it. I've never seen a boy younger than 3 with tzitzis.

Upsherin and getting peyos like Abba not exciting enough?

And it'll be an awful long time to wait. He's asking for tzitzis already now... Its kislev, and his upsherin won't be till next elul. Almost a whole year of telling him "Sorry Uriel, you're not old enough to do that mitzva yet"? I don't know of any mitzvos we don't allow our kids to do because they're not "old enough"... I don't like the idea of forbidding a kid from doing a mitzva. Can't be a good thing...

Besiyata Dishmaya

Sat, Nov 28 2009, 3:18 pm

I would assume that if there is no problem for a child under 3 to wear tzitzis, he would be required to make the brocho for it.

I think the Skverer chassidim cut their child's hair at 2 but I don't know if they put on tzitzis at 2 or wait till 3. Maybe you should post this question in the Chassidishe Velt.

Did you ask your Rov?

Seraph

Sat, Nov 28 2009, 3:23 pm

Besiyata Dishmaya wrote:

I would assume that if there is no problem for a child under 3 to wear tzitzis, he would be required to make the brocho for it.

Not sure what you're saying. That he'd make a bracha on the tzitzis? Ok, fine. But I don't think any mitzvas aseh is required for a child under three aside for bris milah. A child under three isnt mechuyav to make any brachos, not on food, etc... If he can, he could, but no requirement, as far as I know.

Quote:

I think the Skverer chassidim cut their child's hair at 2 but I don't know if they put on tzitzis at 2 or wait till 3. Maybe you should post this question in the Chassidishe Velt.

We're not skver. If anything, a cross between breslov and ashlag.

Quote:

Did you ask your Rov?

Not yet, but was planning on it.

Seraph

Sat, Nov 28 2009, 3:31 pm

Isramom8 wrote:

Well, my 12 year old son bakes, and asks me to check every egg because he's not allowed to do that for people over bar/bat mitzvah. He is really looking forward to checking eggs for his cakes!

But I think the difference here is that you have to be mechuyav in a certain mitzva in order to be yotzi other people, and checking eggs is being yotzi other people so that they don't eat eggs with blood spots. Quite different than a kid wanting to shake lulav and esrog or wear tzitzis or make a bracha on talmud torah, no?

Seraph

Sat, Nov 28 2009, 3:37 pm

merelyme wrote:

I was told that my sons should start wearing tzitzis when they are reliably trained. No mention of them requesting it.

Well, that would be from before aged 2 for him. Wink

I'll ask my rav for sure, but just wanted to know if others have seen it done.

Besiyata Dishmaya

Sat, Nov 28 2009, 3:41 pm

Seraph wrote:

Besiyata Dishmaya wrote:

I would assume that if there is no problem for a child under 3 to wear tzitzis, he would be required to make the brocho for it.

If he will not make a brocho for the tzitzis, I would say he should not put it on. I think if he cannot make a brocho, it takes away from the chashivus. It's like a boy before 13 putting on tefillin when he's not mechuyev yet. All boys who do a month or so before their bar mitzvah, do so with a brocho.

BeershevaBubby

Sat, Nov 28 2009, 3:42 pm

Would he be Mechuyev to commit to wearing Tzitzit from now on once he starts wearing them (especially with a Bracha) and can a child under 3 really understand the scope of the Mitzvah? And yes, I realize that there are plenty of 3 year old that wouldn't ...

Besiyata Dishmaya

Sat, Nov 28 2009, 3:45 pm

YESHASettler wrote:

Commitment is a good question.

shalhevet

Sat, Nov 28 2009, 3:47 pm

The only problem I could see is the one Isramom mentioned - increasing his excitement by waiting till 3.

There is a mitzva that you are not "allowed" to do until you are old enough - tefillin - but I don't think the reasons have any relevance to tzitzis.

The only thing I would worry about (apart from the excitement) is what will people say. Don't laugh it off - to me it's very important for a child's chinuch not to make them into the center of attention, as in 'wow, he's so cute. What? He wanted himself - what a tzaddik!'

Seraph

Sat, Nov 28 2009, 3:48 pm

Besiyata Dishmaya wrote:

Seraph wrote:

Besiyata Dishmaya wrote:

I would assume that if there is no problem for a child under 3 to wear tzitzis, he would be required to make the brocho for it.

My son makes brachos beautifully and likes to say them all the time. Now he doesnt need any prompting anymore- he says it from baruch to haolam by himself and just needs help with the variations at the end. He'd definitely not have an issue saying a bracha on tzitzis.

I'm not sure where commitment comes into play here. When a 3 year old starts wearing tzitzis, they often don't want to wear it all the time, and people dont say "don't have them wear them at all until they'll wear them all the time".

Seraph

Sat, Nov 28 2009, 3:49 pm

shalhevet wrote:

If we would give him tzitzis, I'd probably make sure they're tucked in, unlike abba's which are tucked out, specifically because of the attention reason.

Seraph

Sat, Nov 28 2009, 3:50 pm

YESHASettler wrote:

I don't know why understanding the scope of a mitzva has any bearing on whether a kid should do the mitzva or not.