Ask the Rabbi: What Is a Tallit?

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Jewish men wear the tallit during morning prayers. The tallit is a four-cornered prayer shawl that is usually white and made either of wool, cotton, or silk

The tallit is a four-cornered prayer shawl that is usually white and made either of wool, cotton, or silk. Knotted tassels, or fringes, are attached to the four corners in fulfillment of the biblical command from the book of Numbers to envelop the wearer in God’s word.

Jewish men wear the tallit during morning prayers. Some also wear a garment called the tzitzit or tallit katan (small tallit) under their shirt all day as a reminder to observe all the commandments of the Torah.

Often, the portion of the tallit around the neck and on the shoulders features a special piece of cloth woven with silver threads, called the atara, or “diadem.” On some tallitot, the benediction recited when putting on the garment is woven into the atara. Others tallitot, especially those made of silk, may be richly embroidered, with the benediction woven into the entire prayer shawl.

To continue learning about prayer practices of Judaism, download your free Limmud study on tefillin here.


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Jewish men wear the tallit during morning prayers. The tallit is a four-cornered prayer shawl that is usually white and made either of wool, cotton, or silk

 

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