Mitzvat Aseh 14 - To make tzitzit on our garments

Source: "V'Asu Lahem Tzitzit - they shall make themselves tzitzit etc." (Devarim 15:38)

The Rambam begins his explanation of this commandment by posing a question that can be raised based on the previous two mitzvot, that it is possible to make this mitzvah into two distinct ones: the one to have white strings and the additional mitzvah to have a special blue string as part of the white strngs (techeilet).

Rambam continues:

Do not count this as two mitzvot because the techeilet does not prevent the white ones from achieving their purpose and vice versa (a more in depth explanation of this confusing statement will come in a later post, it is based on the discussion in Tractate Menachot 38a and is interesting because one can not have an "all-techeilet" tzitzit). Again the Midrash supports this conclusion because at the end of the parsha discussing tzitzit, it says "V'Haya Lachem L'Tzitzit - And it will be for them tzitzit" grouping it once again into one mitzvah and not two.

Women are not obligated in this mitzvah (it is required only during the daytime, and is therefore time-based) as explained at the beginning of Tractate Kiddushin (33a) and all of the laws of tzitzit are iterated in the fourth chapter of Tractate Menachot (Folios 38-44a.).

Commentary on Mitzvot 12, 13 and 14:

The Zohar HaRakia raises an interesting, and fairly obvious argument on the mitzvot we have just seen. The "11th Mitzvah Determining Principal" is that any mitzvah, that is part of another one, but doesn't prevent the whole mitzvah from occurring, is considered its own mitzvah. As such, the way Rambam counts tefillin (two separate parts of the same mitzvah - shel rosh and shel yad, two separate mitzvot), is not the same way he counts tzitzit (two separate commandments - the white strings themselves and the special blue string, one mitzvah) and Rambam comes to this conclusion based only on the advice of the Midrash, which can't possibly be a valid proof! A similar argument is also found within the topic of tzitzit, as to whether if one of the four corners is not kosher or missing, if that prevents one from fulfilling the whole of the mitzvah of tzitzit. One opinion says yes (all four are one large mitzvah) the other says no (each corner fulfills its own obligation). Not surprisingly, the opinion that holds in each case that missing one part of tzitzit prevents the whole mitzvah from occurring is the same person, Rabi.

One reason why they may be counted differently is because of the way we do each of the mitzvot. Putting on tefillin requires two separate actions: one for the shel rosh, and one for the shel yad. With tzitzit, the mitzvah requires only one process. This is the opinion of Ramban, Nachmonides. It is impossible to make this distinction on a theoretical level (based on the identical parshiyot contained in the tefillin and the separate justifications for the mitzvot given in the Torah, since it would just revert to the original argument regarding tefillin and tzitzit).

The Zohar HaRakia continues:

The root of this answer may come from the Rambam's "9th Mitzvah Determining Principal", which says that any mitzvah which is includes in it many other mitzvot (tefillin has eight, tzitzit has five, birkat kohanim has three and mezuzah has two) only the primary of them is counted. The crux here is that with tefillin there are mitzvot that are fulfilled only when they are placed on the arm or on the head, but with tzitzit, nothing more occurs after they are donned, even if techeilet is included. For a detailed account of the five mitzvot of tzitzit, please see the Zohar HaRakia inside.

However, from the count of the mitzvot included in tzitzit, it would seem that one is missing, the one "to look at them", which doesn't get its own mitzvah yet is done after the wearing, and is clearly a separate mitzvah since it brings you to remember all of the other mitzvot. -?-

The Zohar HaRakia warns us against answering this issue by taking the section of the Talmud which argues that the commandment to look at them is there to make a distinction between those who say the obligation is to wear them only during the day (Rabi Shimon) and those who say the mitzvah is constant (Rabanan).

Even without this, the answer is simple:

The point of the commandment to look at the tzitzit is to get us to remember the commandments of Hashem. However, the commandment "to remember [the mitzvot of Hashem]" is not part of the count of mitzvot because it is a general principal of Jewish faith, and those are not counted (as we have seen in other places thus far), therefore, no need exists to count a mitzvah that directs us to perform a principal mitzvah.