Siman 351

The shrouds of a deceased person – it is permitted to make them from shaatnez, as it is written: "Among the dead, free" – once a person dies, he becomes free from the mitzvot. This has already been explained in siman 301, see there. Nevertheless, regarding the matter of tzitzit on the tallit of a deceased person – there is a dispute among the authorities. For there are some of our teachers who require tzitzit on the tallit of a deceased person. And it is not comparable to shaatnez, for even though when he dies he is exempt from the mitzvot, nevertheless tzitzit is different because they are equivalent to all the mitzvot. Furthermore: the Torah only prohibited shaatnez by way of providing warmth, and regarding a deceased person, warmth is not applicable (Derisha). And the Gemara that stated the reason is because of "Among the dead, free" – it was for the sake of further strengthening the matter, and the truth is so. Nevertheless, for this reason alone perhaps we would not have permitted this, except because the prohibition of shaatnez is not applicable at all in such a case, which is not so regarding tzitzit. (So it appears to me according to the words of the Derisha. And in truth, even this is not necessary according to the words of the Tosafot in Niddah 61b, s.v. "Avel," for even though by the letter of the law it is permitted – nevertheless it would be "mocking the poor." However, regarding shaatnez there is no "mocking the poor," because even for a living person he is exempt when he does not benefit from its warmth. And tzitzit is different because it is equivalent etc., see there.)

This is the wording of the Tur: Regarding the matter of tzitzit, there is a dispute among the authorities. Some say to attach them, and some say not to attach them. And Rabbi Zerachiah HaLevi wrote in the name of the Ri ben Malki Tzedek: When they carry him to bury him – they attach tzitzit to it, so that the pallbearers will not be wrapped in tzitzit while he is without tzitzit. And when they bury him – they remove it from him. And at the time of the passing of our teacher Gershom, he said: "Tzitzit outside." And they were in doubt regarding his words, whether he meant to say they should remove them from the talit, or that they should put them outside the coffin. And there are places where they tie it to the corner of the garment. And the Ramban wrote: There is no doubt in this, but rather one only buries the dead in a talit that has tzitzit in it. Thus far the wording of the Tur. And the Mordechai and the Or Zarua wrote that Rabbeinu Tam and the Ri would say as a practical ruling that one must remove the tzitzit from the talit in which the dead is buried. And the Raviah would say as a practical ruling: whoever conducted himself with tzitzit in his life – shall be buried with tzitzit in his death. And whoever did not conduct himself etc. Thus far his words. And so wrote the Tosafot in Niddah there, that certainly in Menachot (Menachot 41) it is explicitly stated that one must make tzitzit for the talit of a dead person. And as for why we do not practice so, it is because in the time of the Shas everyone was careful in this mitzvah – it would be "mocking the poor" if they did not make tzitzit for them. This is not the case now, as it would be the opposite "mocking the poor," see there. And they cited from Semachot (chapter twelve), that Abba Shaul commanded to untie his tzitzit from his talit, see there.

And now the simple custom in all the dispersions of Israel is that they carry the deceased in tzitzit, and before they place him in the grave, they detach one tzitzit from his four tzitzit. And there are those who were accustomed to detach it in the house before his removal for burial, but it is better to detach it before the burial. And I heard clearly regarding two giants of the generation: one commanded one of his students that they should bury him with all his tzitzit, and that student, when they arrived at the dressing of his shrouds, felt a pain in his bowels and went outside, and those who dressed him did not know of this and detached one of the tzitzit as is the custom. And immediately that student entered and began to cry out, and the greats who were there said that this is a sign from Heaven not to change. And the second, when they placed him in the grave with all the tzitzit – one of the tzitzit became entangled in a peg that was inside the grave, and it was detached on its own, and they saw tangibly that from Heaven they decreed so. (The first was the Gra, of blessed memory, and the second was the pious our teacher, the Rav Zalman, of blessed memory, from Grodno, author of "Yesod VeShoresh HaAvodah," who also commanded to place him with all the tzitzit.)