Are Aprons, Shirts, Jackets, Capes which contain four corners obligated in Tzitzis or having a rounded corner

Garments worn with all four corners in front or in back of the body- Aprons; Button down Shirts; Jackets; Capes?[1]

All four cornered garments that are made to be worn in a way that all the four corners are positioned either in front or in back of one’s body, and not in a way that there are two corners in front and two corners in back[2], is exempt from Tzitzis, and so is the custom.[3] [Thus, four cornered aprons[4], button down shirts[5] and jackets[6] are exempt from Tzitzis.] Nevertheless, every G-d fearing Jew is to be stringent upon himself to round off one corner [as explained in Halacha 11D] in order so it not contain four square corners.[7]

Ruling of Admur in Siddur-One must round the corner:

By those clothing which have two corners on the bottom and two corners on the top, near the neck, one must beware to round off the upper corners[8], as has become the more recent custom, and not to leave them square as was customary of previous times. This is to be done in order to exempt the Tallis from Tzitzis according to all.

Custom today:[9]

Practically, despite the above ruling of Admur in the Shulchan Aruch and Siddur, the widespread Chabad custom as well as the custom of all Jewry, is not to be careful in this matter.[10]

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[1] Admur 10:22; Siddur; Rama 10:12; Darkei Moshe 10:6; Rokeiach in name of Midrash

[2] Such as the clothing found in these provinces of Germany and Spain which have two corners on bottom and two corners on top, near the neck. [Admur ibid]

[3] The reason: This is because the main Mitzvah of Tzitzis is to have two sets of Tzitzis by ones front and two sets of Tzitzis by ones back [see 8:10]. Thus, by these garments which have all the four corners in the front and it is not possible to wear them a different way, one can say that the Torah did not obligate it to have Tzitzis placed on it at all, and therefore the custom is to be lenient. [Admur ibid]

The law if it is possible to wear the Tzitzis with two corners on each side: The Darkei Moshe and Admur ibid emphasize that the garment is exempt if “it is not possible to wear them a different way”. It is discussed amongst Poskim whether the garment is obligated in Tzitzis if it is possible to wear it with two corners on each side, despite this not being the norm. See Shoel Umeishiv Gimel 197; Nachalas Binyamin 9; Maharsham 3:272

[4] In truth, aprons are exempt for an additional reason, as they are worn to protect from getting dirty, and hence even a G-d fearing Jew does not need to be stringent to round the corner of an apron.

[5] A shirt is exempt from Tzitzis as it does not have two corners on its back and front. Now, although a G-d fearing Jew is to round one of the corners, as rules Admur ibid and in the Siddur. Practically the custom today is to be lenient, as brought in Piskeiy Teshuvos 10:4

[6] To note that most jackets, whether suit jackets or winter jackets, have rounded corners and hence are exempt from Tzitzis irrelevant of this Halacha, and hence the ruling that a G-d fearing Jew is required to be stringent is not relevant.

[7] Admur ibid; M”A 10:13; M”B 10:36

[8] It seems from here that Admur is saying one is to round off two corners, and not just one as stated in 10:22. So writes also Beis Yosef 10 that some elders would round off two corners.

[9] See Hiskashrus 461:17; Piskeiy Teshuvos 10:14

[10] Some suggest the reason for this is because the folded corners of the collar are not viewed as Halachicly obligating corners, being that they are not the natural end of the garment. [See Admur 10:23 brought in next Halacha; Chazon Ish 3:37 and Piskeiy Teshuvos ibid footnote 91]

[11] See Piskeiy Teshuvos 10 footnote 63; See wording of Admur ibid “and it is not possible to wear them a different way”