Ask the Rabbi: Tallis – Tallit (Tzitzis) Part Two
Dear Rabbi Fried,
Thank you for your explanation of the “necktie Tallis”. As I mentioned in my first email, once we’re discussing the particulars of the Tallis could you please offer some insight about what a Tallis is all about? If it’s meant to be a prayer shawl, wouldn’t it be sufficient to just be a particular, set-aside garment for prayer? Why the strings? (I got the strings-attached joke, but really?!)
Mark K.
Dear Mark,
Although a Tallis is used primarily as a prayer garment, the mitzvah of tzitzis, or wearing special strings on the corners of a 4-cornered garment, goes far beyond just the time of prayer. This is implicit in the mitzvah to wear tzitzis throughout the entire day – as observant Jewish males perform by wearing the “Talllis Katan” or “small Tallis” all day, (usually under one’s shirt).
We can understand this on multiple levels. Let us begin by studying the portion of the Torah which presents this mitzvah – the 3rd paragraph of the daily recitation of the Shema.
“G-d spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them that they shall make for themselves tzitzis on the corners of their garments, throughout their generations. And they shall place upon the tzitzis of each corner a thread of turquoise wool. It shall constitute tzitzis for you, that you may see and remember all the commandments of G-d and perform them; and not sway after your heart and after your eyes after which you stray. So that you may remember and perform all My commandments and be holy unto your G-d. I am Ha-Shem your G-d, Who has redeemed you from the land of Egypt to be a G-d unto you, I am Ha-shem your G-d”. (Numbers, 15:37-41)
From this portion we see that the tzitzis are intended to serve as a constant reminder of the mizvos, in order not to sway away from them.
The classical commentator Rashi explains the above verse – that by seeing the tzitzis one remembers all of the mitzvos – by way of a calculation of the numerical value of the word tzitzis, plus the number of strings and knots, which add up to the number 613; the number of the mitzvos in the Torah. This doesn’t mean that one is expected to constantly have that calculation in mind. Rather, since one knows there is such a calculation, which qualifies the intent of tzitzis to remember all the mitzvos, one indeed can use the tzitzis as a vehicle to keep the mitzvos in mind all day while wearing them.
The Talmud cites an extreme example of a Jew who was on his way to committing a very low moral crime with a harlot, and his tzitzis hit him in the face, “waking him up” and reminding him of who he is and what he’s about to do. The harlot was so impressed that she converted to Judaism. (Talmud Menachos 44a)
The Talmud further comments on the requirement to add a string of turquoise that the turquoise looks like the sea, which looks like the sky, which reminds us of G-d’s throne in heaven. This constant thought elevates the Jewish people to a higher plane, propelling us above sin as we remain deeply connected to heavenly thoughts. (Talmud ibid 43b).
(Today, as I am sure you noticed, most do not wear the blue string today. That is because the dye needs to come from a rare species of fish called a chilazon, and most authorities hold that during the exile we lost the knowledge of what that species is. There are some who do wear it, following the opinion of some authorities who hold that we have, indeed, found that fish and produce dye from it).
This is the simple explanation of the mitzvah of tzitzis. Perhaps next time we’ll take a deeper look…
