Mystery of Shaatnez

The Mitzva of Shaatnez which prohibits wearing a garment mixed with wool and linen, is a very mysterious one. It is classified as a חוק, which means that it is not intended that we understand its reason.

It appears that there is emphasis in the Torah to separate various species. Wool represents the animal, and linen grows from the ground. This is somewhat of a superficial explanation.

There are strange stories connected with Shaatnez. One such story told of a plague in a certain town that only killed the non-Jews, but not the Jews. Upon investigation, deaths from the plague was connected with the heavy mixture of wool and linen in the non-Jews’ clothing. The non Shaatnez of the Jews, created an immunity to the plague.

There are also names of negative spiritual forces that could harm with the names גץ or עז. This makes the name שעטנז, a combination of שטן עז, which adds the additional force of Satan.

This explains why Shaatnez free clothes are a protection from evil. It also explains why there is a tradition that the letters שעטנז גץ, are the seven letters in the Torah that have תגין, or crowns.

So we see that Shaatnez is indeed a mysterious Mitzva.