נוהגים לכרוך באויר ראשון ז’ כריכות ובשני ט’ ובשלישי י”א וברביעי י”ג שעולים כלם ארבעים כמנין ה’ אחד שעולים ל”ט ועם השם הם ארבעים נהגו לעשות בסוף כל חוט קשר כדי שיעמוד בשזירתו:
ובשני ט’. ובשל”ה כתב לעשות בשני ח’ ואז הוא מכוון כמנין ה’ אחד וכ”כ הלבוש וכ”כ בכוונות ובלחם חמודות סי’ מ”ח כתב שבציצית של ר”ש מלכו היה באויר ראשון י’ כריכות ואח”כ ה’ וכו’ כשם ההוי”ה וכתוב בכתבים שצריך לעשות הגדיל חוליות ובכל חוליות ג’ כריכות כלומר שלאחר שעשה ג’ כריכות ירחיק מעט וכמ”ש הרמב”ם:
(ע) ובשני ט’ – ובכוונות כתוב בשני ח’ וכן הסכימו האחרונים דז’ וח’ הוא שם של י”ה ואח”כ י”א ובצירוף הוא שם של הוי”ה ואח”כ י”ג גימטריא אחד וזהו ה’ אחד. ובציצית של ר’ שלמה מלכו היה באויר ראשון יו”ד כריכות ואח”כ ה’ וכו’ כשם הוי”ה [מ”א] ועיין בלבוש ובא”ר עוד בענין הכריכות:
צִיצִית, שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת. שְׁמוֹנָה חוּטִין וַחֲמִשָּׁה קְשָׁרִים, הֲרֵי שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת וּשְׁלֹש עֶשְׂרֵה.
The custom is to make seven wraps in the first space, nine in the second, eleven in the third, and thirteen in the fourth. Together they total forty, corresponding to Hashem Echad: the numerical value is thirty-nine, and together with the Name itself it is forty. The custom is also to make a knot at the end of each string so that its twist will remain intact.
“And in the second, nine.” The Shelah writes that one should make eight in the second section, in which case the number corresponds precisely to Hashem Echad. The Levush writes the same, and so is it written in the Kavanot. The Lechem Chamudot, siman 48, writes that on the tzitzit of Rabbi Shlomo Molcho there were ten wraps in the first space, followed by five, etc., corresponding to the letters of the Name of Hashem. It is also written in the Kabbalistic writings that the gedil should be made in chulyot, with three wraps in each chulya. That is, after making three wraps, one should leave a small space, as the Rambam writes.
(70) “And in the second, nine” — In the Kavanot it is written that the second section should contain eight wraps, and the later authorities agree with this. Seven and eight correspond to the Divine Name Yud-Kei; the following eleven, when added to them, complete the numerical value of the Name Havayah; and the final thirteen have the numerical value of Echad. Together, this represents Hashem Echad. On the tzitzit of Rabbi Shlomo Molcho there were ten wraps in the first space, followed by five, etc., corresponding to the Name Havayah [Magen Avraham]. See also the Levush and Eliyah Rabbah for further discussion of the wraps.
“Tzitzit has the numerical value of six hundred. Add the eight strings and five knots, and the total is six hundred and thirteen.”
The first knot is made by taking the four strings on one side of the garment and the four strings on the other side and tying them together with a simple knot.
The first section of seven wraps is made by taking one white string from among the eight hanging strings and wrapping it once around the other seven. This wrapping string is referred to as the white shamash, and it is also used for the final white wrap, although there is no halachic requirement to use the same shamash. The remaining six wraps are made using one Tekhelet string, which is wrapped six times around the other seven strings. This wrapping string is called the Tekhelet shamash, and it is used for all of the subsequent Tekhelet wraps, although here too there is no halachic requirement to continue using the same shamash.
The section of eight wraps is made by wrapping the Tekhelet shamash eight times around the other strings. The section of eleven wraps is made by wrapping the Tekhelet shamash eleven times around the other strings.
The section of thirteen wraps is made by wrapping the Tekhelet shamash twelve times, followed by one final wrap with the white shamash.
