והיה לכם לציצית וראיתם אותם…(שלח טו:לט)

The holy tzaddik, Reb Mordechai of Neshchiz zt”l, wished to obtain a woolen tallis katan made from wool originating in Eretz Yisroel. In those days, such wool was extremely difficult to acquire. After much effort and expense, he finally succeeded in obtaining a piece of wool from Eretz Yisroel.

The tzaddik entrusted the task of making the tallis katan to one of his chassidim, a true yerei Shamayim. Approaching the task with awe and holiness, the chassid first immersed himself in the mikveh and davened to Hashem for success before beginning his work.

After carefully preparing the garment, only one step remained: cutting the opening through which the head would pass. To create the opening properly, the fabric should be folded once and cut along the fold so that, when opened, the hole appears in the center. However, the chassid mistakenly folded the fabric incorrectly and cut the opening near the side. When he unfolded the garment, he was horrified to discover that he had created two openings instead of one.

The chassid was devastated. He knew how much effort and money his Rebbe had invested in obtaining this precious wool, and now, through his mistake, the garment seemed ruined. Embarrassed and afraid, he could not bring himself to face his Rebbe.

When Reb Mordechai noticed that the chassid had not come to deliver the tallis katan, he summoned him and asked, “Where is the garment?”

The chassid burst into tears and could barely speak. The Rebbe gently calmed him and asked, “What happened?”

The chassid explained how he had accidentally cut two openings in the tallis katan.

To his surprise, the tzaddik replied, “What is the problem? A tallis katan needs two openings!”

The chassid stared at his Rebbe in disbelief, unable to understand what he meant.

The Rebbe smiled and explained, “One opening is for the head, as every tallis katan requires. The second opening is there to ensure that Reb Mordechai does not become angry.”

Years later, the tzaddik would point to that very tallis katan, which he had preserved, and say that he kept it as a constant reminder that one must never embarrass or shame another Yid.