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THE TALLIT

Unlike the kippah, which is regarded as having no inherent sanctity, the tallit [prayer shawl] is a highly respected object in Judaism. Wearing a tallit is a public declaration of one's love, respect, and devotion to Judaism.

The temple has a supply of prayer shawls by the entrance to the sanctuary. Feel free to wear one of them if you don't have your own.

Any male called up to the bimah for an aliyah [saying the blessings before and after a Torah section is read] or other honor is expected to wear a tallit. Women can wear a tallit if they so choose, but are not required to wear one.

One will notice that most women at services do not wear a tallit, while virtually every Jewish male does. Why is this so? Before egalitarianism was introduced into Judaism, a relatively recent event, a woman simply was not allowed to wear a tallit. This is no longer true today, but the old practice lingers on. At Beth El, women are welcome to wear a tallit. (Note: if a woman chooses to wear a tallit, covering the head is in order, to display respect for the tallit.)

It is considered disrespectful to wear a tallit in a restroom. Always take off your tallit before entering the restroom. There is a reminding sign on the men's restroom door. Some even consider it disrespectful just to carry an uncovered tallit into the restroom; if it's yours, put it in its pouch first; if it's the temple's, hang it on the rack outside the sanctuary. Note that none of this applies to the kippah; it is normal to leave it on when in the restroom.

A tallit is (normally) worn only at morning services. It is worn at every morning service, weekdays as well as the Sabbath. According to Jewish tradition, the act of putting on a tallit only has ``religious merit'' if it is done during daylight. It is not (normally) worn at a Friday evening service, or any other evening service. There are three exceptions to these general rules; a tallit is worn at the following evening services:

• Evening Kol Nidre service of Yom Kippur.
• Evening service of Simchat Torah.
• Special Friday evening services that include a Torah reading.

A tallit is traditionally worn at the evening Kol Nidre Yom Kippur service. The Kol Nidre service takes its name from the Kol Nidre prayer that is recited at the very beginning of the service. This prayer asks for the absolution of vows and oaths forced upon us under duress. It pulls at the emotions, evoking images of forced conversions and martyrdom.

The Talmud explicitly forbids asking for the absolution of vows on a Yom Tov [Jewish Holiday] such as Yom Kippur. Therefore according to Jewish tradition, the Kol Nidre prayer that requests the absolution of vows cannot be said on Yom Kippur. The traditional practice is to recite Kol Nidre before Yom Kippur actually starts, during daylight. [Jewish days officially start at sunset.] Over the course of time, It became customary to put on a tallit for Kol Nidre since it was still daylight, and leave it on throughout the entire evening Yom Kippur service. Although our temple does not necessarily start the Kol Nidre service during daylight, the tradition of wearing a tallit is followed.

The second exception is that the tallit can be worn on the eve of Simchat Torah/Shemini Atzeret, since the Torah scrolls are removed from the Ark and there is a Torah reading.

It should be noted that the Rabbi and Cantor normally wear a tallit when conducting services, with the exception of funeral services as a sign of mourning.

Putting on a Tallit

Putting on a tallit is a religious act. The following is a brief ritual for putting on a tallit. (When putting on a tallit at night, go directly to step 4.)

• Cover your head if you have not already done so, to express your respect for the tallit.
• Pick up the tallit and hold it with both hands, one hand at each end of the ``collar,'' the part of the tallit with the Hebrew words. Spread out the tallit. The Hebrew words should be facing you and be right-side up. (Some talitot have only a decoration and no Hebrew words on the collar.)
• The Hebrew words on the tallit are the traditional blessing for putting on a tallit. Say the blessing. (Most people say it quietly or silently.) Baruch Atah Adonai, Elohaynu Melech haOlam, Asher Kiddshanu B'Mitzvotav V'Tzivanu L'Hitatef B'Tzitzit. [Blessed are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who makes us holy with his mitzvot, and told us to enwrap ourselves in Tzitzit [fringes].]
• Put the tallit over your shoulders, in the fashion one would put on a cape. Make sure the ``collar'' is where a collar should be --- around your neck. The Hebrew words on the collar should be on the outside.
• Some people like to kiss the tallit at some point before step 4 to express their affection for it.

What Makes the Tallit Special?

The significant part of the tallit is the Tzitzit (tzee-tzeet) [tassels, also called fringes] attached to the four corners of the rectangular cloth. The design on the cloth, and the cloth itself, have no great significance. Any tassels or strings hanging from the garment other than those at the four corners are also insignificant and are for aesthetics only. The Tzitzit are what makes this garment a religious object.

The Tzitzit consist of eight dangling threads, or more accurately, four threads doubled over. The four threads are attached to the garment by being passed through a small hole near the corner, being doubled over, and then having knots tied in them to secure them. A total of five knots are customarily tied into the threads. Between the knots, one of the threads is wound around the others.

There are a number of symbolisms in the knots and windings. Two will be discussed here.

The five knots tied in each tassel can be viewed as symbolic of the five Books of Moses. In English, these books are known as Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. This is the material written in the Sefer Torah [Torah scroll]. Of course, the Torah is the foundation for all of Judaism.

The knots and windings are also considered symbolic of the Shema (shem-ah): Shema Yisrael Adonai Elohenu Adonai Echad -- Hear Oh Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One [Deuteronomy 6:4]. [In prayers, ``Israel'' refers to the Jewish people. It is shorthand for ``Children of Israel.'' ``Eretz Yisrael'' or the ``Land of Israel'' refers to the country.] The Shema is commonly referred to as the watchword of the Jewish faith. The recitation of this line is a important part of the morning and evening services. The five knots can be viewed as representing the first five (Hebrew) words of the Shema. The last word, Echad, is represented by the windings between the knots. Echad means ``one.'' The windings bind the knots into a single unit.

The Tzitzit can be seen as symbolic of all of Judaism. This is why the Tallit is accorded such respect, and worn by Jews with such great affection.