TZITZIS
"L'shem mitzvos tzitzis"
("for the sake of the commandment of tzitzis").
(In Sephardic pronounciation it is "tsee-tseet", known in English as
"fringe", or "tassel")
Tzitzyos are worn by Orthodox Jews and Torah observant Messianic Jews
today, because HASHEM commanded the Israelites to do so "forever". This word means "always", "neverending", "without ceasing"...ect...ect.
HASHEM said to Moshe Rebbienu.
"Speak to the Israelites and say to them:
'Throughout the generations to come you are to make tzitzis (tassel)
on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord (techelis) on each
tzitzis (tassel). You will look upon these tzitzis (tassel) and
so you will remember all the mitzvos (commandments) of HASHEM,
that you may obey them and not whore yourselves by going after the
lusts of your own hearts and eyes. Then you will remember to obey
all my mitzvos (commandments) and will be consecrated to your G_d.
I am HASHEM your G_d, who brought you out of Egypt to be your G_d.
I am HASHEM your G_d.'" Bamidbar 15:37-41 (Numbers 15:37-41).
During the times of Moshe Rebbienu (Moses, our teacher) people wore four-cornered
garments. In the above Scripture ,and D'var'eem 22:12 (Duet) HASHEM
commands the Jewish people "throughout the generations to come" to
wear tzitzyos on the four corners of their garments so as to remember
HASHEM's mitzvos (commandments). Because this mitzvo(command) was
never rescinded, Jewish men, should wear tzitziyos. Yeshua haMoshiach
did!
A tallis gadol is the large tallis worn during prayers.(not at the Friday evening mincha though, unless you are called up for aliyah to The Torah). Most
communities it is usually the minhog (custom) that they are worn by married men.(A married man recieves a tallis and a set of Talmud from his kallah, his bride)
Later in history when people stopped wearing four-cornered garments,
some Rabbis ruled that the mitzvos only applied to when one is wearing
a four-cornered garment. Those who wished to fulfill HASHEM's mitzvo
(commandment) created a four-cornered garment to be worn under one's
shirt, which is called a "tallis katan" ("katan" means small).
In the modern world men usually no longer wears four-cornered garments,so... Orthodox Jews, Observant Messianic Jews wear a tallis katan (small tallis), which come in cotton or wool, and sometimes even mesh. Some Orthodox authorities however do not accept the mesh as challochaclly
kosher. Because the tallis katan is worn as an undergarment, the
tzitzyios (fringes) are made long enough to extend outside of one's
pants.
The strings which are used to make the tzitzis must be
made especially for the mitzva of tzitzis. The strings must
have rabbinical certification, because there are certain guidelines.
Tzitzyios are made of spun wool. You can purchase tzitzis kits
(tzitzis without the tallis katan garment) at you local Jewish
bookstores and tie them yourself when they need replacing on the
garment, these kits range anywhere in $2.50 - $16.00 for the white
ones, depending on manufacturer, thickness, and if they are hand
spun, or by machine.
Synthetic materials may not bear any mitzvo of tzitzis and should
therefore not be used to make tzitzis or a tallis.
Rebbe Yeshua haMoshiach, The Living Torah, wore tzitziyos, as is
described in Mattityahu 9:20, concerning the woman who had been
hemorrhaging for 12 years. She touched the tzitzis
(Greek "kresperion", fringe or tassel) on His robe, and was healed.
The way in which the tzitzyios are traditionally tied has ancient
Rabbinic origins. Although various versions of "mystical" significance
has been placed on the traditional method of tying the tzitzyios
(fringes), it is unclear where this method originated. Since we have
no reason to think that it is anti-Torah, we as Messianic Jews
comtinue to tie them likewise. There is the
Ashkenazik
way, and the
Sephardic nusach (style) of tying them.
Today you may see some Messianic Jews wearing tzitzis on there
beltloops, but on this matter I'll just quote the words of one
Messianic Leader who has a bit a sechel tov!
"We need not be MESSY-ANTICS". This is not
supposed to be for schtick!
FOR CHALACHOS CONCERNING TIZTZIS CLICK THIS TEXT (Shulchan Aruch and Mishna Berurah)
TECHELIS
(NOTE: Almost nobody but Messianics wear these, I myself do NOT wear them, and probablly will not til Moshiach returns. Oh and did I mention belt-loop tzitzis?, oy vey! what are the beltloop people thinking??? why do they do that? rebellion?) It is better not to wear tzitzis than to put them on your beltloops, pin the to your underwear's waistband, or get exotic news ways. No,The Torah says to wear them on a 4 cornered garment, don't have one?, then buy one.
Another Rabbinic challocha concerning tzitzyos (fringes) is that they
no longer had the correct Techelis (blue thread) it was no longer
required. The Torah (Instruction) commands that tzitzis contain a
thread of
Techelis (blue). According to The Talmud Bavli, the dye for this
color came from a species of the snail family called Chilazone.
Again,
according to the Talmud Bavli, the
Chilazone
appears only once in seventy
years (Menachos 44a).
Visit P'til Tekhelet(Link)
Tradition suggests that the Techelis (blue) was banned in the time of
the Roman rule, because the Romans would not allow anyone but royalty
to wear royal blue. Many historical purists in Israel today are
wearing the blue thread (BEGED IVRI, headed up by Rueven Prager
produces them, he is not a believer in Yeshua as Moshiach, but loves
HASHEM very much).
Maimonides writes that the techelis was the color of
the clear noon sky, while Rashi writes that it was the color of the
evening sky.
Others reject the idea that because the specific blue dye which was
supposedly always used in the past is no longer available, therefore
they believe the tzitzios should be white!
For more info on this subject, I reccomend the book TZITZITH: A Thread
of Light, by the late Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan.(Z"L)
The price of this book is about $7.99 and should be found at any Jewish bookstore.
B"H
Michoel
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