Tallit, Tallit

The tallit has special twined and knotted fringes known as tzitzit attached to its four corners. It is sometimes referred to as arba kanfot (lit. "four corners") although the term is more common for a tallit katan, an undergarment with tzitzit.

It might be purchased to mark a special occasion, such as a wedding or a bar/bat mitzvah. Many parents purchase a tallit for their sons at the age of 13, at the same time as they purchase tefillin. While it is considered a personal item, and many men have their own, synagogues usually have a rack of shawls for the use of visitors and guests. Although non-Jewish male visitors are expected to wear a kippah (headcovering) when visiting a synagogue, they should not wear a tallit.

Numbers. 15:37-40; also see http://www.judaicaquest.com/tallit The use of a tallit in the Reform community declined in the 20th century, but in recent years, both men and women have begun to wear them during prayer services. Various authorities differ on whether women are permitted to wear a tallit.

Tallit are also often worn during prayer for this reason, and this is practiced by a wider group of Jews. A tallit is often used as a Chuppah [5] in Jewish wedding ceremonies.

This is the prayer shawl that is worn during the morning services in synagogue and by the leader of the prayers during some other services. The Tallit gadol, which can be spread out like a sheet, is traditionally usually woven of wool — especially amongst Ashkenazim.

A ribbon, or a band artistically woven with silver or gold threads (called "spania"), and about 24 inches (61 cm) long by 2 to 6 inches (5 to 15 cm) wide, may be sewn on the side of the tallit that is nearest to the head, and is called the atarah.

Many Sephardim wear plain-white tallitot. Hasidim prefer shawls woven out genuine (Yiddish: Echt) Turkish wool. These tallitot have 5 stripes with the middle stripe being larger than the others (as seen in the photo of the Zidichover Rebbe).

In some Ashkenazi communities, especially western European Ashkenazim, all men over 13 wear the tallit gadol.

Still, many early authorities permit women to wear a tallit , such as Isaac ibn Ghiyyat (b. 1038), Rashi (10401105), Rabbeinu Tam (ca 11001171), Zerachya ben Yitzhak Halevi of Lunel (ca. 11251186), Rambam (11351204), R. Eliezer ben Yoel Halevi (ca 1140ca 1225), Rashba (12351310), Aharon Halevi of Barcelona (b. ca 1235?), R. Yisrael Yaaqob Alghazi (1680-1761), R. Yomtob ben Yisrael Alghazi (17261802)). There was, however, a gradual movement towards prohibition, mainly initiated by the Medieval Ashkenazi Rabbi Meir of Rothenburg (the Maharam ). The Rema states that while women are technically allowed to don a tallit it would appear to be an act of arrogance ( yuhara ) for women to perform this commandment (Shulkhan Arukh, O.C. 17:2 in Mappah ).

According to Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik the issue depends on the intention with which such an act is undertaken, e.g. whether it is intended to bring a person closer to the Almighty, or for political or protest purposes. Other commentators hold that women are prohibited generally, without making an individual inquiry. The view that women donning a tallit would be guilty of arrogance is cited as applying to attempts of making a political statement as to the ritual status of the genders, particularly in the Modern Orthodox community, are generally more inclined to regard contemporary women's intentions as religiously appropriate.

Source: Wikipedia > Tallit