A question was once asked regarding a Tallis, why is there a crown on the bit where our head goes??
So people answer, so that we know which is the top and which is the bottom. So, then we can ask the question; “why do we need to know which is the top and which is the bottom?”
There is a machlokes (i can’t remember between whome) but one Rabbi says we need to know the top from the bottom so that the top tzitzis will always be the top tzitzis and the bottom will always be the bottom. The reason for this He says is that the ones at the top are nearer to the head and are in a ‘better’ position and should not be swapped and changed, this is why we have this crown so that everyone will know which are the top two tzitzis.
The other Rabbi says that it doesn’t matter which way we wear our tallis because the it is all one garment and all the tzitzis are of the same importance! This Rabbi brings a proof from this weeks parsha regarding the time when Yaakov stops to rest at Mount Moriah: Yaakov sets out stones around himself which according to Rashi are to protect him from wild animals and one to rest his head upon. The stones start quarrelling and eventually Hashem perfoms a miracle that all the stones merge together to make one large stone! why were the stones quarrelling? they were quarrelling about which stone would Yaakov rest his head on; “i want Yaakov’s head on me…” “no i want his head on me…” etc. So now that Hashem has made all the stones into on larger stone why don’t we see each part of the stone fighting with other parts because Yaakov’s head won’t be touching all the parts all at once will it?? Now that the stones are as 1 they all have the honour of resting Yaakov’s Head. This is where the second Rabbi gets his Pshat from. The tallis is all one garment it doesn’t matter which tzitzis we kiss more or have nearer to our head!
In the same way we as Klal Yisroel are as one! When a matter comes along to do something that anyone can, For instance davening from the Omed, as long as someone does it, it doesn’t matter. Why should we be like those stones looking for Kavod and hang around near the Gabbai of a shul hoping to be asked to do the job, when in reality anyone in the shul can do it.
Klal Yisroel is one! We have enough enemies lets not fight amongst ourselves about matters of Kavod!!
