A famous answer to the juxtaposition: the word “taturu” (scout) recalls the sin of the spies, whom Moshe sent “to scout the land” — and they scouted after their heart and eyes and brought disaster. The tzitzit comes to remind us: do not scout after them.

Rashi notes the juxtaposition is tighter than it seems — even though between the spies and tzitzit there are two passages: the law of “if the whole congregation sins,” and the account of the man gathering wood on Shabbat. The question arises: what is the link between the wood-gatherer on Shabbat and the passage of tzitzit?

The Holy One asked Moshe: why did this man desecrate Shabbat? Moshe answered: I do not know. Said the Holy One: on the six weekdays Israel has tefillin on head and arm, he sees them and turns back from wrongdoing; but on Shabbat — with no tefillin — he stumbled.

He said: “Go and select for them a mitzvah they will keep also on Shabbatot and festivals” — this is the mitzvah of tzitzit. Therefore tzitzit is bound to Shabbat, and it reminds us not to desecrate it.

A person’s mouth has 32 teeth: 16 above and 16 below, divided 8 on the right and 8 on the left. Corresponding to them, the tzitzit has 32 threads — 8 on each of the four corners.

Shir HaShirim has two similar verses: “Your teeth are like a flock of counted ones” and “like a flock of ewes.” Our Sages expound: one corresponds to the fixed number of aliyot to the Torah in a week, the other to the daily offerings (temidim) brought in the Temple.

Aliyot to the Torah in a week: Monday and Thursday three and three (six), Shabbat seven, and three at Mincha — sixteen in all.

Temidim: two lambs each day, fourteen in a week, plus two for the Shabbat Musaf — sixteen in all. Thus sixteen correspond to the pillar of Torah, and sixteen to the pillar of Avodah (service).

The world stands on three: Torah, Avodah, and acts of loving-kindness (gemilut chasadim). The upper teeth — Torah; the lower teeth — Avodah (the offerings, and in their place the prayers).

And gemilut chasadim? It is the smile. As Yaakov blessed Yehuda, “and white of teeth from milk” — one who shows his teeth to his fellow (smiles at him) does him a kindness greater than giving him milk to drink.

Sixteen threads in front (Torah) and sixteen behind (Avodah). In the passage of tzitzit we gather the four threads, press them to the heart, and kiss them: eight times four — thirty-two, the gematria of “lev” (heart). This is the good heart — the smile, gemilut chasadim. And on Shabbat we say “Purify our heart to serve You in truth.”

And the gematria: tzitzit is six hundred, plus eight threads and five knots — 613. “And you shall remember all the commandments of Hashem.”

Techelet resembles the sea, the sea the sky, and the sky the sapphire brick beneath the Throne of Glory. One who gazes at the techelet rises in thought up to the Throne and is kept from sin.

And today, when we have no thread of techelet — this strengthens us all the more: everything is held within the providence of the Holy One. One who lives with this awareness lessens his follies, refines himself, and hastens the redemption, speedily in our days, amen.