Tekhelet is a special blue or blue-ish dye that the Torah designates for use in ritual fringes, tapestries in the Tabernacle, and clothing of the high priest. Rabbinic literature explains that tekhelet is derived from a sea creature called the chilazon and delves into the spiritual significance of the dye. At some point in history, tekhelet disappeared from ritual practice, likely because the traditions of how to identify the chilazon or how to produce tekhelet were lost — yet acknowledgement of its spiritual relevance endured, such as the recitation of the commandment to wear tekhelet as part of the daily Shema prayer. Since the 19th century, there has been renewed discussion among scholars about the identification and usage of tekhelet in ritual fringes.
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