Version #2: Ravina immediately told Mar bar Rav Ashi that a corner of his garment had snapped off.

Mar bar Rav Ashi: Do you think I must take off my garment right away? Kavod ha'Briyos overrides a Lav!

Question: Rav bar Sheva explained that it overrides only the Lav of Lo Sasur!

Answer: Mar bar Rav Ashi was not walking in Reshus ha'Rabim, rather, in a Karmelis, where the Isur to carry is only mid'Rabanan.

(Mishnah): (The Torah commands to put woolen strings dyed Techeles on each of the four corners of a garment, in addition to Lavan, i.e. strings that are the same color as the garment, which is usually white.) Techeles is not Me'akev the Lavan, and Lavan is not Me'akev the Techeles;

The Tefilin Shel Yad is not Me'akev the Shel Rosh, nor vice-versa.

(Gemara) Suggestion: Our Mishnah is unlike Rebbi!

(Beraisa - Rebbi): "U'Re'isim Oso" - Techeles and Lavan are Me'akev each other;

Chachamim say, they are not Me'akev each other.

Question: What is Rebbi's reason?

Answer: It says "ha'Kanaf" - strings like the corner (i.e. Lavan), and "Pesil Techeles", and it says "u'Re'isim Oso" (singular), to teach that both must both be in one parcel;

Chachamim explain that the singular teaches that you see each of them by itself.

Rejection (Rav Yehudah): The Mishnah can even be like Rebbi. It teaches that the order is not Me'akev.

(Beraisa): The Mitzvah is to put the Lavan first (Rashi - in each corner; Shitah Mekubetzes - the first windings of one string around the others should be Lavan). If one put Techeles first, he was Yotzei, but he missed a Mitzvah.

Question: What Mitzvah did he miss?

Suggestion: He missed the Mitzvah of Lavan, but fulfilled the Mitzvah of Techeles.

Rejection: This is unlike Rebbi. He says that each is Me'akev the other!

Answer (Rav Yehudah): He lacks a Mitzvah, and fulfilled a Mitzvah.

Question: What Mitzvah does he lack?

Answer: He did not do the Mitzvah in the best way.

Question: This explains 'Lavan is not Me'akev Techeles.' How do we explain 'Techeles is not Me'akev Lavan'? (Shitah Mekubetzes deletes Rami bar Chama's answer from the text here; it appears later.)

Levi asked similarly:

Question (Levi): How do you explain 'Techeles is not Me'akev Lavan, and Lavan is not Me'akev Techeles'?

Answer (Shmuel): This (the latter clause) teaches about a white garment. The Mitzvah is to put the Lavan first;

Question: What is the reason?

Answer: It says "ha'Kanaf" - strings like the corner. (Afterwards, it says "Pesil Techeles");

If Techeles was put first, this is not Me'akev.

Question (Levi): This explains ' Lavan is not Me'akev Techeles.' How do you explain ' Techeles is not Me'akev Lavan '?

Answer #1 (Rami bar Chama): This teaches about a garment that is entirely Techeles. The Mitzvah is to put Techeles first, for this is like "ha'Kanaf";

If Lavan was put first, this is not Me'akev.

Objection (Rava): It does not depend on the color of the garment! (We always put Lavan first.)

Answer #2 (Rava): It teaches about remnants (if strings snapped. The Reisha teaches that) if the Techeles strings snapped and the Lavan remains, it is Kosher. (The Seifa teaches that) if the Lavan snapped and the Techeles remains, it is Kosher.

(Bnei R. Chiya): Remnants of Techeles (or Lavan strings) are Kosher. Remnants of Ezov branches are Kosher (for Parah Adumah or Metzora).

Question: How much must remain?

Answer (Bar Hameduri): Enough must remain in order that one could make a bow.

Question: Must one be able to make a bow (one string around) all the strings, or each by itself?

This question is not resolved.

Question (Rav Ashi): If one could not make a bow because the strings were thick, but if they were thinner one could, what is the law?

Answer (Rav Acha brei d'Rava): If they were thin, it would be Kosher. All the more so it is Kosher if the strings are thicker, for the Mitzvah is more recognizable! (Rema - we estimate with average strings.)

Question: Who are the Chachamim who argue with Rebbi?

Answer: They hold like R. Yitzchak;

(Beraisa - R. Yitzchak): If one does not have Techeles, he puts Lavan.

(Rava): We learn from Bnei R. Chiya that one must tie the strings together after each Chulya (winding. Shitah Mekubetzes - really, we show only that it is not enough to tie after the last Chulya. Tosfos - presumably, they must be tied between each Chulya and the next);

If this were not necessary, if only a small remnant remained, the last knot would become undone, and the whole Gedil (windings) would become undone!

Rejection: Perhaps it is not necessary. Bnei R. Chiya taught that remnants are Kosher only in a case in which the strings happened to be tied!