Halakha Ulangan 22:11: Mishneh Torah, Fringes, Mishneh Torah, Repentance, Mishneh Torah, Diverse Species & Gray Matter II

May woolen threads be used as fringes in a garment of flaxen material, or flaxen threads in a woolen garment, even when only white fringes are inserted? According to the strict rule, this should be permissible, since the prohibition of a mixture of wool and flax is suspended in the case of fringes, the blue thread which is of wool being inserted in a garment of flax (linen). Why then is this not done? Because threads of the same material as the garment can be used as fringes. And wherever there are a positive precept and a negative precept, both of which can be observed, this should be done. Where they conflict, the affirmative overrides the negative commandment. In this case, however, both precepts can be observed.

There are two categories of apostates in Israel: (1) an apostate against one commandment; (2) an apostate against the whole Torah. The apostate against one commandment is; one who emboldens himself to transgress a given commandment consciously so that it becomes his habit of doing it publicly, even it be of the minor commandments, for instance, he persistently wears garment mixed of wool and flax, or rounds the corners of his head, as a consequence whereof it appears that such commandment no longer exists in his world, such one is, indeed, an apostate in this matter, if he does such spitefully. An apostate against the whole Torah is, a convert to the religion of the idolaters, for instance, at a time when they issue arbitrary edicts and he cleaves to them, saying: "Of what profit is there for me to cleave to Israel who are down-trodden and persecuted; it is rather best for me to cleave to these in whose hand lies the power", he, assuredly, is apostate against the whole Torah.¹⁷Hullin, 5; Sanhedrin, 26b. C.

The only prohibition regarding diverse species of clothing is solely [the combination of] wool and linen, as it is written, (Deuteronomy 22:11) "Do not wear shatnez, wool and linen together." There are seaside cities which have something similar to wool, which grows on the rocks in the Mediterranean Sea with the form of gold, and it is very soft, called "Kalalakh" (cissaros-blossoms). [This is] forbidden together with linen for the reason of bad appearances, since it looks similar to sheep's wool. Likewise, silk and cissaros-blossoms are prohibited because of bad appearances.