To Snail or Not To Snail

1 day ago
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Has the Biblical snail responsible for that commanded techelet (blue) for the tzitzit been found? We're jumping head-first into the weeds of Rabbinic debate for this one.

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For more insight into the teachings of Talmud on this subject here are some references:
Mishnah Menachot 3:6

Hebrew:
הַצִּיצִית — אֵינָהּ נוֹהֶגֶת אֶלָּא בְּיוֹם, וְאֵינָהּ נוֹהֶגֶת אֶלָּא בַּכְּסוּת הַחַיָּב בָּהּ. הַצִּיצִית אֵינָהּ נוֹהֶגֶת אֶלָּא בִּכְסוּת לְבוֹן וְלֹא בִּכְסוּת צֶבַע. רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר: בְּתְּכֵלֶת אֵין בֵּין לְבוֹן לְצֶבַע.

English:
Tzitzit applies only by day, and only to garments obligated in it. Tzitzit applies only to white garments and not to colored garments. Rabbi Yishmael says: In the case of techelet, there is no difference between white and colored garments.

Talmud Bavli Menachot 43b–44a
Hebrew (excerpt 44a):
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: חִילָזוֹן זֶה גּוּפוֹ דּוֹמֶה לַיָּם, וּבְרִיָּתוֹ דּוֹמָה לְדָג, וְעוֹלֶה אַחַת לְשִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה, וּבְדָמוֹ צוֹבְעִין תְּכֵלֶת, וְלָפִיכָךְ דָּמָהּ יָקָר.

English:
Our Rabbis taught: The chilazon; its body resembles the sea, its form resembles a fish, it rises once in seventy years, and with its blood they dye techelet; therefore, its blood is precious.

Nazir 66b
Hebrew:
... וּמִפְּנֵי מָה אָמְרוּ תְּכֵלֶת אֵינָהּ מְעַכֶּבֶת אֶת הַלָּבָן? שֶׁאִם לָבָן מְעַכֵּב אֶת הַתְּכֵלֶת, יֹאמְרוּ לֹא הִנִּיחַ תְּכֵלֶת בְּצִיצִיתוֹ, פָּטוּר.

English:
... And why did they say that techelet does not prevent [the fulfillment of the mitzvah of] the white [threads]? So that if someone does not place techelet in his tzitzit, he is still obligated [in the white], and is not exempt.

Keritot 9a
Hebrew (context of mitzvot):
... לִפְרוֹשׁ מִן הַצִּיצִית וּמִן הַתְּכֵלֶת.

English:
... To refrain from [wearing] tzitzit and techelet.

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