Tallit
A tallit[a] is a fringed garment worn as a prayer shawl by religious Jews. The tallit has special twined and knotted fringes known as tzitzit attached to its four corners. The cloth part is known as the beged ("garment") and is usually made from wool or cotton, although silk is sometimes used for a tallit gadol.
The term is, to an extent, ambiguous. It can refer either to the tallit katan ("small tallit") item that can be worn over or under clothing and commonly referred to as "tzitzit", or to the tallit gadol ("big tallit") Jewish prayer shawl worn over the outer clothes during the morning prayers (Shacharit) and worn during all prayers on Yom Kippur.[4] The term "tallit" alone, usually refers to the tallit gadol.
There are different traditions regarding the age from which a tallit gadol is used, even within
Biblical commandment
The
Encyclopaedia Judaica describes the prayer shawl as "a rectangular mantle that looked like a blanket and was worn by men in ancient times". Also, it "is usually white and made either of wool, cotton, or silk".[7]
Traditionally the tallit is made of wool or linen, based on an understanding that reference to a "garment" in the Bible in connection with a mitzvah refers specifically to wool and linen garments.
According to the biblical commandment,[12] a blue thread (petil tekhelet) is included in the tzitzit.[13] However, for many centuries since the exile of the Jewish people from the Land of Israel, tzitzit have been worn without a techelet fringe, though in the last hundred years there has been something of a comeback.[14][15]
Pronunciation
In Modern Hebrew the word is pronounced [taˈlit], with the stress on the final syllable. In Yiddish it is [ˈtaləs], with the stress on the first syllable. The plural of tallit in Hebrew is tallitot, pronounced [taliˈtot]. The Yiddish plural is taleisim, pronounced [taˈlejsɪm].
Etymology
Tallit is an Aramaic word from the root T-L-L טלל meaning cover.[16] Tallit literally means "cloak" or "sheet", but in Talmudic times already referred to the Jewish prayer shawl.
Idiom
In modern Hebrew idiom, the expression "a completely blue tallit" (טלית שכולה תכלת) means something which is completely perfect, and is typically used sarcastically to refer to a person who is imperfect and hypocritical.[17] The expression stems from a rabbinic story about the biblical figure Korah who led a revolt against the leadership of Moses and Aaron. Koraḥ was said to have asked Moses a number of vexatious questions, one of which was, "Does a tallit made entirely of blue yarn require tzitzit?" To Moses's affirmative answer, Koraḥ argued that the tzitzit commandment is absurd, in that if a single string of blue makes a garment acceptable (Numbers 15:38) then a completely blue garment should be acceptable even without that string.[18] Korach's argument in this story is a metaphor for the argument justifying his rebellion. Just as he argued that a blue fringe is superfluous for an entirely blue garment, in the text of the Torah he argued that a holy leader like Moses was unnecessary for a nation which was entirely holy (Numbers 16:3).[19]
The phrase "more kosher than tzitzit" is a Yiddish metaphoric expression (כשר'ער ווי ציצית) with similar connotations but is not necessarily used in a sarcastic sense. It can refer, in the superlative, to something that is really so perfect and flawless as to be beyond all reproach or criticism.[citation needed]
Customs
In some Jewish communities a tallit gadol is given as a gift by a father to a son, a father-in-law to a son-in-law, or a teacher to a student. It might be purchased to mark a special occasion, such as a wedding or a
At Jewish wedding ceremonies, a tallit gadol is often used as a chuppah or wedding canopy. Similarly, a tallit gadol is traditionally spread out as a canopy over the children during the Torah-reading ceremony during the holiday of Simchat Torah, or in any procession with Torah scrolls, such as when parading a newly completed scroll through the streets.
The tallit gadol is traditionally draped over the shoulders, but during prayer, some cover their head with it, notably during specific parts of the service such as the Amidah and when called to the Torah for an aliyah.
In the
On the fast day of
The Kabbalists considered the tallit as a special garment for the service of God, intended, in connection with the tefillin, to inspire awe and reverence for God at prayer.[22]
The tallit gadol is worn by worshipers at the
History
The literal commandment in the Bible was not to wear a tallit but to attach tzitzit to the corners of one's four-cornered garments every day to serve as a reminder of God commandments; this implies that such clothes were typically worn by Jews during biblical times. Such garments were large, white and rectangular and used as a garment, shawl and burial shroud. These four-cornered garments are suitable for the climate of West Asia. On hot days the garment could be draped around the body and head to provide cover from the sun or just bunched up on the shoulders for later evening use; the evenings can be dramatically cool and the garment could be draped around the neck and shoulders like a scarf to provide warmth.
Jews became at risk of losing this mitzvah when four cornered garments went out of fashion and became impractical for everyday wear. And so, a poncho-like vest undergarment was developed as a practical solution to continue following the Torah commandment. This garment is most commonly known as tzitzit, but is also referred to as arba kanfot ("four corners"), or tallit katan ("small tallit").[23] Jewish men wear the talit katan every day, most commonly worn under their clothing with the tzitzit knots hanging out. Some Jewish men prefer to tuck in their tzitzit to avoid drawing unwanted attention and/or for practical reasons. The tallit gadol became almost exclusively worn only for morning prayers and rarely outside.
Weddings
In many Sephardic and German Jewish communities, the groom traditionally wears a tallit gadol under the chuppah (wedding canopy); in many cases, he will wrap it around the bride as well during the ceremony. In non-German Ashkenazi communities, a more widespread custom is that the groom wears a kittel. In Hasidic and some non-Hasidic communities, an overcoat is worn over the kittel.
Burials
In the Diaspora, Jews are buried in a plain, wooden casket. The corpse is collected from the place of death (home, hospital, etc.) by the chevra kadisha (burial committee). In Ashkenazi custom, after a ritual washing of the body, the body of men is dressed in a kittel and then a tallit gadol. One of the tzitzit is then cut off. In the Land of Israel, burial is without a casket, and the kittel and tallit are the only coverings for the corpse. Women are buried in white shrouds only.
Additional occasions
In addition to the morning prayers of weekdays, Shabbat and holidays, a tallit gadol is also worn for
Types of tallitot
Tallit katan
The tallit katan (
Although
While all four cornered garments are required to have tzitzit, the custom of specially wearing a tallit katan is based on a verse in Numbers 15:38-39 which tells
The tallit katan is also known as arba kanfot (Yiddish/Ashkenazic Hebrew: arbe kanfes), literally "four corners", and may be referred to simply as tzitzit.
Tallit gadol
The tallit gadol (
The tallit gadol is typically either all white, white with black stripes, or white with blue stripes. The all-white and black-and-white varieties have traditionally been the most common, along with a blue-and-white variety, said to be in remembrance of the blue thread or tekhelet, which served as the visual inspiration for the flag of modern Israel.[32][33] The all-white variety is customary among Sepharadic communities, whereas among Ashkenazic communities the tendency is toward white tallitot with black stripes.[34] The stripes on the tallit may have their origin in the clavia, purple stripes which were worn on the tunics of distinguished Romans.[35] One explanation for the significance of the black stripes is that their black color symbolizes the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and the exile of the Jews from the land of Israel.[36][37]
In many Jewish communities, the tallit is worn in the synagogue by all men and boys over
Women
In rabbinic law, women are not required to wear a tallit or other forms of tzitzit. The vast majority of contemporary Orthodox authorities forbid the donning of a tallit by women,
Women in non-Orthodox (Reform, Conservative, Karaite, Reconstructionist and others) are not prohibited from wearing a tallit, and usually encouraged to do so, especially when called to the Torah or leading services from the bimah. Women in Conservative Judaism began to revive the wearing of the tallit in the 1970s, usually using colors and fabrics distinct from the traditional garment worn by men, in the spirit of (but not necessarily out of adherence to) the contemporary Orthodox rulings regarding women not wearing "male-style" garments.[46] It has become common in Reform and other non-Orthodox streams for girls to receive a tallit at their bat mitzvah,[47][48] although some do not subsequently wear it on a regular basis.[49][50] Other women have adopted the tallit later in life, including the larger, traditional style, to connect with their communities, embody egalitarian values, or create a personalized connection to Judaism.[49][51] It is rare for women to wear a tallit katan.[52]
See also
References
- ISBN 0-87668-782-6.
- ISBN 978-0-520-25040-6.
- ISBN 978-0-8032-2449-0.
- ^ Rabbi Daniel Kohn. "My Jewish Learning — Prayer Services". Archived from the original on September 22, 2008. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
- ^ Rabbi Shraga Simmons. "Tzitzit". aish.com.
- ^ Numbers 15:39–40
- ^ Second Ed., Vol. 19, Som–Tn, 2007
- ^ "What's Wrong With a Silk Tallit Prayer Shawl?". Chabad.
- ^ "Discussion on Mishnah Menachot 39b".
- ^ "Tzitzit made of kilayim?". Kehuna.org. 23 April 2014.
- (in Hebrew)
- ^ Numbers 15:38
- ^ Numbers 15:38
- ^ "Ptil Tekhelet - The common thread uniting our Jewish past, present and future". Ptil Tekhelet.
- ^ "Techelet (Blue Thread)". Chabad.
- ISBN 978-1-56563-860-0., page 537
- ^ פרשת קורח – טלית שכולה תכלת
- ^ Numbers Rabbah 1:3; Jerusalem Talmud, Sanhedrin 10:1 (27d)
- ^ Alex Israel, Korach | Ideologue or Provocateur
- ^ "Akhlah: Tisha B'Av - Traditions". Archived from the original on 2013-01-25. Retrieved 2012-12-23.
- ^ Rabbi Yirmiyahu Ullman. "The Laws of Tisha B'Av". Ohr Somayach.
- ^ Zohar, Exodus Toledot, p. 141a
- ^ "Tallit: The Jewish Prayer Shawl". Chabbad.ORG.
- ISBN 9780873067638.
- ISBN 9780874416459.
- ^ a b Neustadt, Doniel (2004). "Tallis Katan: Questions and Answers". Archived from the original on 2012-01-19.
- ^ Enkin, Ari (February 19, 2008). "Tzitzit - Cotton or Wool?". Hirhurim.
- ^ "Halacha of the Week, parshat Ki Tisa". Torah Academy of Bergen County. February 26, 2005.
- ^ Wein, Berel (2002). Living Jewish: Values, Practices and Traditions. p. 72.
- ^ Rabbi Monique Susskind Goldberg, Tallit Kattan Archived 2010-12-18 at the Wayback Machine, Ask the Rabbi, The Schechter Institutes, June 2005.
- ^ Aryeh Citron, Laws of Tzitzit, chabad.org
- ISBN 978-0-313-38450-9. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
The tallit is usually white, based on the Talmudic description that God wraps Himself in a tallit (RH 17b), and "His garment was as white as snow" (Dan. 7:9).
- ISBN 1-58023-247-7. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
The tallit may be any combination of colors, but until recently it was most commonly white with black stripes. In modern times blue stripes have become more common. Blue and white, the colors associated with the State of Israel and its flag, actually originated as the 'Jewish colors' because of the tallit.
- ISBN 1-58330-292-1. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
- ^ Tekhelet: Color Perception or Apprehension?
- ISBN 978-0-06-062119-3. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
The tallit is sometimes decorated with black stripes, which some say is a remembrance or memorial to the destruction of the Holy Temple and the exile.
- ISBN 1-898723-49-4. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
- ^ Mishnah Berurah 17:10 cites the custom of Eastern European Jewry to refrain from wearing a Tallis before marriage and is unhappy about it.
- ^ "Tallis/Tzitzis". www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
- ^ Shlomo Brody (October 15, 2010). "Why do Orthodox women not wear tefillin or tallit?". The Jerusalem Post. Jpost Inc. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
- Orah Hayyim4:49, s.v. ibra d'ika
- ^ Eliezer Melamed. "Women and Tzitzit". Peninei Halakha.
- ^ "Is it appropriate for a woman to wear a tallit?". Chabad-Lubavitch Media Center.
- ^ "Tallit - Women". Aish.com. Ask the Rabbi.
- ^ Sharon, Jeremy; Lidman, Melanie (June 21, 2012). "Woman Detained at Kotel for Wearing Tallit". The Jerusalem Post.
- ^ Rebecca Shulman Herz (2003). "The Transformation of Tallitot: How Jewish Prayer Shawls Have Changed Since Women Began Wearing Them". Women in Judaism: Contemporary Writings. 3 (2). University of Toronto. Archived from the original on 2012-03-17.
- ISBN 978-0-7624-4041-2.
- ISBN 978-1-58023-090-2.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-55753-657-0.
- ^ "A Travelling Tallit: Interview with Rabbi Bea Wyler". 27 June 2022. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
- ^ See Women of the Wall for other political and/or feminist motivations
- ^ Davidson, Lauren (April 9, 2014). "Observant Women Make Tzitzit — and Stir Controversy". The Forward.
- Yiddish. Mish. pl. טליות telayot; Heb. pl. טליתות tallitot [taliˈtot], Yidd. pl. טליתים talleisim.[3]