Question: We are commanded to wear Tzitzit on the four corner of our garmets. However today our garments mostly have no corners. I realize that we can find something to wear with four corners such as the tallit katan but the commandment seems to say that the Tzitzit should be on what we would normally wear. In the days of Moshe garments had four corners so one didn’t have to artificially derive a garment with four corners. As the purpose for wearing the tzitzit is to remember all the commandments HaShem has given us wouldn’t the mitzvot be satisfied by putting tzitzit on something like the belt loops of our pants.

Answer: Thanks for your question. The reason that it is not a mitzvah to put tzitzit on belt loops or anything besides a 4-cornered garment is because the mitzvot are not merely symbolic. When the Torah says to give 10% of your income to tzedaka, it does not mean that you may give less than that as a symbolic gesture. When we are to eat matzah on Passover and shun leavening, a person who eats non-kosher matzah has not fulfilled the mitzvah. If you want to perform in this grand symphony called “Judaism” there is a musical score to follow. The flute player can’t say, “Well, what if I just play a few staccato notes to symbolize that trill, since no one really does trills anymore” – because the score calls for a trill, not stacatto. If he doesn’t play a trill, a trill wasn’t played.

Hence, your question: if we do not put tzitzis on true 4-cornered garments, then tzitzis were not used. That is why there is a universal minhag (custom) among Torah-observant Jewish men to wear a tallis katan, in order that this mitzvah – i.e., this aspect of Torah – should be fulfilled.

The Torah is the primordial blueprint of creation that must be fulfilled 100% for the Tikkun Olam (perfection of the world) to be 100%. Woe to us who cannot fulfill the entire Torah, but know that every mitzvah that you do takes us a step closer to that goal. May we merit to see the day when all 613 mitzvas may again be fulfilled.

Thanks again for your interesting question,

Rabbi Seinfeld
http://rabbiseinfeld.blogspot.com