🙋‍♀️The Tallit - Back to Basics

The tallit (Jewish prayer shawl adorned with ritual fringes) has its roots in over 3000 years of Biblical history and has strengthened the covenantal connections between God and the Jewish people throughout history.
Still, there is a lot more to this ancient ritual practice. Bringing the mitzvah of tzitzit to life for a contemporary, gender egalitarian and spiritually curious audience, Rabbi Esther from ‘A Small Sanctuary’ presents the first episode of a three part series on the tallit.
In the next episode, we will do a deep dive in rabbinic sources to argue in favor for a gender inclusive approach to wearing a tallit.
In this introductory episode, we will look at the following topics
what is a tallit? 1:54
the scriptural basis from Numbers and Deuteronomy 2:32
the difference between a tallit gadol (prayer shawl) and tallit katan (sacred undergarment) 8:41
a note on Orthodox Jewish practice 11:36
a note on non-Orthodox (egalitarian) Jewish practice 12:12
the tallit as sacred garb 13:18
a note on tekhelet (the blue fringe) 15:32
the tallit as an identity marker 18:53
the symbolism of radical equality, dignity and sovereignty as represented by the tallit 20:27
the tallit as a prayer item 21:31
a note on the emotional and spiritual resonance of wearing a tallit 22:21
concluding thoughts 23:56
sneak peek to next episode: all-gender access to the tallit 26:00
Resources
MyJewishLearning’s basic article about the tallit (for beginners)
www.myjewishle...
Gabrieli Tallit (source of the silk tallit featured)
gabrielitallit...
Ben’s Tallit Shop (excellent, affordable and reliable online store for a large range of traditional tallitot)
tzitzit.tallit...
Advah Designs (USA-based, ethically sourced, inclusive, all-gender tallit shop)
www.advahdesig...
P’til Tekhelet (organization advocating for, researching, and producing blue fringes from the dye of the Murex trunculus)
www.tekhelet.com
Netzitzot (small business making tallit katan for women)
www.netzitzot.com
The Tzitzit Project (small business making tallit katan for all genders)
www.tzitzitpro...
Any questions, thoughts and comments? Please them in the comment sections below! I look forward to learning with you.
#tallit #tallis #tzitzit #tzitzis #prayershawl #judaism #jewish #jewishprayer

[@SaszaDerRoyt]

Todah rabah! I'm doing research for sewing my own tallit gadol and this helps me understand the Mitzvah better. One day when I have a big enough loom I hope to weave my own from the yarn!

[@asmallsanctuary]

That sounds super cool - I would love to learn to weave too but that isn’t going to happen any time soon. I have a friend who spins her own wool for tzitizit which might be a good place to start. Keep me updated on your weaving project - I have definitely heard of Jewish folks weaving their own tallitot!

[@stevendiner9389]

Excellent video Todah rabba

[@asmallsanctuary]

B’vakashah - you are welcome! Thank you.

[@carlo_cali]

This was quite detailed. I enjoyed it.

[@asmallsanctuary]

Thanks so much - glad you enjoyed it and hope it added to your Jewish knowledge and Jewish joy.

[@yarocdesigns]

Wonderful intro video on the tallit! I'm looking forward to the next in the series!

[@asmallsanctuary]

Thank you so much! I hope this helps fill a much-needed niche in talking about this special mitzvah and open it up to all Jews!❤️

[@asmallsanctuary]

Also, feel free to pop any questions in the KZbin comments - that would be super helpful, also for other viewers.

[@naitredenouveauavecyeshoua707]

Shalom, this is absolutely beautiful ! The Lord in the Torah commands us to put a simple blue thread in the tzitzits, without adding traditions or customs (Numbers 15:37-41, Deuteronomy 22:12). Furthermore, according to the Talmud, the blue thread Tekhelet must be made from the blood of an impure snail called "Chilazon", yet according to the Torah there is no specification on the dye, and the snail is unclean and abominable according to the Torah since only fish that have scales and fins are clean (Leviticus 11:9, Deuteronomy 14:9), but all fish that do not have scales or fins are unclean and abominable, and we We must not touch their dead bodies (Leviticus 11:10-12, Deuteronomy 14:10), while snails and octopuses like cuttlefish are impure and abominable according to the Torah! Hashem says : "When someone, without realizing it, touches a polluted thing, such as the corpse of an impure animal, whether of a wild or domestic animal, or of a reptile, he himself will become impure and he will be guilty" (Léviticus 5:2), also: “that you may be able to distinguish what is holy from what is profane, and what is impure from what is pure” (Leviticus 10:10), and : "whoever carries their dead bodies shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. You will regard them as impure.” (Leviticus 11:28) Therefore the Hilazon is impure and abominable according to the Torah, just like the Radzyn Techeiles! The original dye for tekhelet blue is woad, a pure plant according to the Torah. Evidence of Woad has been found in ancient Egyptian fabrics, an ancient tassel in Qumran and as far back as the Neolithic times Israeli archaeologists have found fabrics dating back 3000 years in Timna, and in these fabrics, there are vegetable dyes such as woad and madder! In reality, Tekhelet, Argaman and Tola'at Shani are not animal dyes, but vegetable dyes! The woad made the Tekhelet, the madder made the Tola'at Shani, and when you mix a woad-dyed fabric in a madder dye, it makes purple, since blue and red give purple! What is the most telling is that it is mentioned in the Mishna that a Rabbinic decree regarding a kohen whose hands have been stained with Isatis Tinctoria or Woad was made: 'A priest whose hands are deformed, may not raise his (hand) palms (to bless the people). R Yehudah says: "even those whose hands are stained with Woad may not raise their (hand) palms, because the people stare at him" (Mishnah, Megillah, 4:7). So here, all along, was evidence that the Kohanim worked with Woad. The only way for hands to be stained with Woad is to have them submerged into the bright yellow solution and upon removing, the oxygen in the air turns the yellow to a bright blue, bonding permanently onto the hands. Woad, being that it was readily available and from a prolific plant, would have made it affordable for all of the Israelite people. Indigo was not available or imported till the Greek and Roman times and then was a limited, luxury product, so was not available to the Israelite people. Cuttlefish, Janthina and Murex Trunculus are all expensive because they are found in limited quantities and it takes many creatures to make a very small amount of dye. This would have made it impossible for all of the Israelites to be able to afford, let alone have enough available for purchase. Also the new information that the Murex snail couldn't have even produced a blue dye until the invention of clear glass made it unavailable at that time. Clear glass was essential to expose this dye to ultraviolet light, to allow the Murex dye to turn blue. Alas, clear glass was not realized until about 100CE. Wikipedia says; "With the discovery of clear glass (through the introduction of manganese dioxide), by glass blowers in Alexandria circa 100 AD"... The last thought I'd like to leave you with is that if the Murex snail dye did not give a blue in ancient times, then the archeological finds of blue indigo, earlier that 100CE can never be attributed to the Murex indigo dye! So, the true source of Tekhelet is the woad ! it was a little knowledge that I wanted to pass on to you 😊 Shalom ouvrakha (Peace and Blessing to you) in the name of the Lord Yeshua Imanuel Hamashia'h Ben HaElohim (Jesus Emanuel the true Messiah, son of God).

[@asmallsanctuary]

With respect and affection: you lost me at Yeshua. I practice Judaism, not Hebrew Roots Christianity. Jesus has no hold or influence in my religious life or Jewish commitments and has no input on the Halakhic process I hold by. Wishing you blessings in your own walk with God.

[@naitredenouveauavecyeshoua707]

@@asmallsanctuary No problem 🙂may Hashem our God bless you and your family. Shalom ouvrakha.

[@asmallsanctuary]

Thank you so much. Likewise!

[@ocamoriechan]

Hi, I have had multiple Tallitot over the years, I am now Jewish and am taking it more seriously then what I used to, I am wanting advice on if I should wear the Tallit during the monthly cycle? Thanks I currently would wear a Tallit katan when I go out but not on my cycle.

[@asmallsanctuary]

Great question! I actually address tzitzit/tallit and menstruation in the Q&A video (there are time stamps) in the playlist so feel free to check that out. Just to answer your question briefly here: there are no restrictions on wearing a tallit of any kind while on your cycle. Wishing you much joy in the fulfillment of the mitzvot!

[@joantilt2954]

Interesting as always!

[@asmallsanctuary]

Thank you!

[@USAProdexEnterprisesIncUPE]

Where can I purchase a tallit katan for female?

[@asmallsanctuary]

TzitzitProject.com sells for all genders (including women). There are also individual sellers on Etsy like Rabbi Eliana Jacobowitz who make and sell them. Good luck!

[@robertdowling9937]

do/can non jews wear one?

[@asmallsanctuary]

Non-Jews in a serious process of conversion/discernment whether to convert may certainly wear one privately, but are discouraged from doing so publicly. Tzitzit are a sacred covenantal act and connected to Jewish status and identity. To wear them as a practitioner of another faith is a type of spiritual or cultural appropriation. Hope this helps!

[@israelitenet]

The blue thread is the law!

[@c.l.9344]

I've been wanting to learn more in-depth about the tallit. Abd your post popped up in my algorithm. So glad it did! 💙🤍🇺🇸🇮🇱

[@asmallsanctuary]

That’s awesome! The Algorithm giveth, the Algorithm taketh… ;-) I hope this video was helpful to you! Thanks for leaving a little love in the comment section.