Due to winter storms the internet connections were interrupted. To make up for a lost week here is a special post on this beautiful topic. Obviously there is always more to be discussed on every subject and time often prohibits in depth research, however some of the hidden mysteries and meanings are presented here.

God commanded His people to wear sacred fringes on the corners of their clothing throughout the generations. This was in reference to what we now call Prayer Shawl or Tallit.

What is a tallit?

A tallit (tal-LEET, literally “little covering”) is a rectangular prayer shawl with four fringes – tzitzit – one attached at each corner.

Most tallits have a neckband, called an atarah, that often has a blessing written across it which is spoken when putting on the tallit.

The Tallit actually inspired the design of the Israeli flag:

In Biblical times, in obedience to the book of Bamidbar/Numbers 15:38 – 41, men would attach the tassels to the four-cornered tallit, (cloak or gown), that was customarily worn.

ציצית

zitzit (tzee-tzeet)

(Hebrew plural is ziziyyot: fringes, or decoration).

“Speak to the children of Israel and say to them:  They shall make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments…  And this shall be tzitzit for you, and when you see it, you will remember all the commandments of God, and perform them.”  (Numbers 15:38–39)

The Hebrew words Yevovah Echad, meaning “God is one;” are numerically formed by the number of knots and wrappings in the tzitzit or fringe, which God said to “look at,” and remember His laws and not to sin against Him.

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 prayers.

Messiah Yeshua, God manifest in the flesh, is the garment or tallit of our souls. In Romans 13:14 we read: “…Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”

When we receive His forgiveness, and obey His commands we are wrapped in the shekinah glory of God. We are sons of light, filled with God’s “light.” Yeshua said: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father…” John 14:9

“Make tassels for yourselves on the four corners of the garment with which you cover yourself.”  (Deut. 22:12)

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 and 11:13–21 as a daily reminder of His plan for us and what He requires of our lives.When the SHEMA was said, the fringe was grasped in the hand. The SHEMA was a declaration of the nature of God. God is one. He is not like the heathen concept of a plurality of deities in the Godhead. This focus upon God’s nature and obedience to His commandments, kept the heart “fixed.”

The numerical value of the knots and wrappings literally spelled out SHEMA. This was an additional reminder that God is one, and He will never change.

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.

Each Tzitzit is made from 8 strings, 7 white and one blue. ‘Seven’ is the number representing perfection in the physical realm. ‘Eight’, therefore, transcends the physical realm and symbolizes a direct link to the spiritual realm.

Each group of 8 strings is knotted 5 times to form a Tzitzit. There are five books in the Torah.

Each of the 4 tzitzit have 8 strings, making a total of 32 strings. Thirty-two is the numeric value of the Hebrew word for “HEART”. The tzitzit’s loose strings represent God’s ‘heart strings’.

The tzitzit with it’s blue thread represents first of all that God is one!

Messiah is not separate, God clothed/robed Himself in the flesh of Messiah.

Through the atoning of Messiah Jesus, God’s precious Lamb, the sins of the world were taken away, (Romans 3:23-26, Romans 6:23, Acts 2:38, 2 Cor. 10:3-7, I John 2:2, I John 2:1, 4:10, ) and now through right relationship with Him, we can walk in His power and authority. 

The garment now made to these specifications is the tallit, also spelled taleth, talet, tallis, talleisim, tallism or tallithim in Hebrew and Yiddish; and called a prayer shawl in English. The purpose for it is for everyone, including the wearer, to look at it and remember all the commandments of the Lord from Torah, the Five Books of Moses,

This list of 613 commandments picture includes the promises of God, so in Jesus day people would see all the power of God in that Fringe, called tzizit / tsitsit in Hebrew, when the prayer shawl was worn by an anointed man of God.

613 mitzvot (or 613 Commandments. Hebrew: תווצמ ג”ירת transliterated as Taryag mitzvot; TaRYaG is the acronym for the numeric value of “613”.) In Judaism there is a tradition that the Torah (i.e. the “Pentateuch”) contains 613 mitzvot (mitzvot in Hebrew means “commandments”, from mitzvah – הוצמ — “precept”, plural: mitzvot; from הוצ, tzavah- “command”).

According to the main source, of these 613 commandments, 248 are mitzvot aseh (“positive commandments”) and 365 are mitzvot lo taaseh (“negative commandments”). 365 corresponded to the number of days in a solar year and 248 was at that time believed to be the number of bones or significant organs in the human body.

We may think 613 Instructions for living a life before the Lord was too many, however although we are under grace there areand Jesus said

The laws concerning sacrifices are null and void because Jesus was the sacrifice.

And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary. Hebrews 10:18.

The Corner Knots

Notice that the four corners are decorated with longer threads and with more knots than the remainder of the fringe. These longer fringes of this garment are identical and unique.

The names of God are recalled by the wearer utilizing the prayer shawl in the proper way.

Some of the names rendered by these knots are said to be:

The Names of God

Yahweh Jireh – Yahweh will see, or provide.

Yahweh Ropheka – Yahweh will heal thee.

Yahweh Nissi – Yahweh is my banner.

Yahweh Mekaddishkem – Yahweh Who shall sanctify you.

Yahweh Shalom – Yahweh (send) peace.

Yahweh Tz’vaoth – Yahweh of hosts.

Yahweh Shammah – Yahweh is there.

The symbolism of all this has been variously interpreted. On one view, the Hebrew word tzitzit has the numerical value of 600 (tzaddi = 90; yod = 10; tzaddi = 90; yod = 10; tav = 400; = 600 in total).

Also of interest is the fact that the hem of the high priest had bells and pomegranates hanging from it.The pomegranate is said to contain 613 seeds which was a reminder of the Torah.

Jesus our Messiah, Yeshua haMashiach, wore a prayer shawl, (tallit). Prayer shawls were worn at all times and not just when in prayer. Jesus /Yeshua demonstrated to us the pattern for us to follow, dependence upon His Heavenly Father,  Messiah’s nature was two-fold, as the God-Man.

For verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham.” Hebrews 2:14-16.

As a humble man, dependent upon His Father, He established a pattern for us to walk in. It is us who must be dependent upon the Lord. God often speaks using human “terms” which are familiar to us, such as “the right hand,” which is a phrase speaking of the position of power and authority.

The term tzitzit is related to the word “hatzatzah,” or “Looking at.” For God said:

“You will make these garments, and put fringe on the borders, and you will look at this, and remember that you must not do what your own heart and desires dictate, but remember that I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and I am the Lord your God.”

Like the 9 branched Chanukkah Menorah,

(see https://www.minimannamoments.com/who-lights-up-your-life/ for more details on Chanukkah.)

the Tallit also has a Shamesh/Shamash

The blue thread of the fringe, is called the SHAMESH / SHAMASH meaning servant. This is similar to the tallest servant candle that stands in the midst of the other candles, and is used to light the menorah.

In this “SHAMESH thread,” we see Messiah, our King; as the “Suffering Servant.” It was necessary that He suffer as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

It was as He humbled Himself, becoming obedient, even to on the cross, that God highly exalted Him, giving Him a name above every name.” (Phil. 2:9)

Meditate on the picture of Messiah Jesus praying at Gethsemane, see Him praying earnestly there, wrapped in His tallit as He prayed long into in the night.

He sweated great drops of blood, agonizing in prayer, the blood mixing with those tears that fell, rolling onto the rock at which He prayed, saying: “Father: If you be willing, remove this cup from Me…nevertheless, not My will but Yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)

As He grasped the fringe of His tallit, He knew within Himself: I am not alone in this. The father stands with Me. I and My Father are one. 

When you make His soul an offering for sin, He will see His seed, He will prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.” (Isaiah 53:10)

Wrapping His tallit around Him, He asked His disciples to stay awake watch with Him and pray.

Everything about the tallit commands us to be “watchers,” who stand by day and by night….

Watchmen, whom God has set on the walls of Jerusalem; which shall never hold their peace, day nor night. Those that make mention of the Lord shall not keep silent! We will give Him no rest, till He establishes, and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in all the earth. (Isaiah 62:6) “Son of Man, I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them a warning from me, says the Lord.”

Not once since the Rock of Israel was born, had He experienced separation from His Heavenly Father. From the beginning that night in Bethlehem, when that same star filled sky that Abrahamlooked into and was shown descendants as the sands of the sea…was suddenly filled with angels, crying: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace and good will toward men. He had known constant and uninterrupted connection to His Father.

Returning to the tassels or tsitsit that the Israelites were commanded to wear, they can be understood as extensions of the hem. The tassels, as shown in the illustrations, are part of the hem; they are simply extended threads of the embroidery of the hem. A tassel may hang free or it may be decorated with a flower head or bell at the end.

Understanding the significance in ancient cultures to the hem of the garment and the status of the wearer, we can understand its association with the glory, or rank of the individual. There are accounts in the New Testament of people being healed as they merely touched the hem of Yahshua’a garment. Symbolically, they touched His glory. When the woman with the issue of blood touched Christ’s hem and was instantly healed.Yahshua did not immediately know who had touched Him, but He sensed that “dunamis” or “miraculous power” had gone out from Him at her touch. Such marvels were prophesied of the coming Savior in the Old Testament, though the fullness of the message is obscured due to some poor translations.

Malachi 4:2
But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings (kanaph – literally “borders”)…

Malachi prophesied that the Son of God would have healing in His “borders,” which is to say, the hem of His garment. Strong’s Concordance defines this word in the following manner. 

Kanaph (kaw-nawf’); from OT:3670; an edge or extremity; specifically (of a bird or army) a wing, (of a garment or bed-clothing) a flap, (of the earth) a quarter, (of a building) a pinnacle.

Although this word is appropriately understood as a reference to a bird’s wings in some passages, this is not always the case.

Exodus 19:4-5
“You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings (kanaph) and brought you to Myself.”

Malachi 4, believed by the Jewish People to be about the coming of the Messiah, also contains a promise of healing: “…to you who fear My name, The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings.” (Malachi 4:2) 

 “It shall be a tassel (Hebrew, tzitzit  ציצת) for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes…” (Numbers 15:39)

The aspect of the tallit, with it’s wings or extensions representing “prayer covering,” is crucial, as the one praying extends this “prayer covering” over individuals, and nations.

In speaking of the tallit, or four-cornered garment with fringe, the outer edge is called in Hebrew, “kanaf” or kanaph,” which is usually translated as “hem,” this term carries the more accurate meaning of “corner or wing.”

The fringes or tassels of a man’s robe, were symbolic of his authority. There is a lovely illustration of this in Ezekiel 16:6, in which God speaks of entering into covenant with Israel:

I spread my skirt over you and covered your nakedness: Yes I sware to you and entered into covenant with you; says the Lord God and you became mine.”

With His arms He will cover you, and under the corners of His tallit you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and rampart.” (Psalm 91:4)

Jesus prayed for His beloved Jerusalem, even as He rode into Jerusalem on the city on the little donkey’s foal. As the people strewed their garments in His way, and they cried: Blessed be the King that comes in the name of the Lord! Peace, in heaven, and glory in the highest!

Wrapped in His talit, He rode, wiping tears from his eyes. With one hand on the donkey’s mane, and one holding those fringes in His hand. And he said:

If you had known, even in this your day; the things which belong to your peace! Now they are hid from your eyes! (Luke 19:38f)

Again, this phrase “skirt of him that is a Jew,” speaks of the “wing” of the tallit. This phrase “God is with you,” is similar to the concept of Immanuel, meaning “God with us.” It shows us that God will work powerfully through Yeshua haMashiach’s and the redeemed sons and daughters of Israel in the last days. The days will come when so great shall be the spiritual understanding concerning Messiah, that the very shadow of these passing by will produce healings, as we see in the days of the early Jewish apostles. (Acts 19:12)

Originally, the tallit may have appeared as an outer garment bearing the fringes commanded by God.  It probably resembled the abayah, the blanket worn by Bedouin to protect them from the elements, which has black stripes at the ends.

It was finer, however, and similar also to the pallium (rectangular cloak worn by Greek and Roman men).

The Hebrew word for corners of a garment or the bottom hem is kanaph, it is the same word used in the book of Job for the ends of the earth.

The requirement of fringes was and is to wear sacred fringes called tzizit / tsitsit which are tassles that hang down from the corners of their outer garments. This outer garment which was larger than the current prayer shawls and looked like a poncho with tzizit / tsitsit.

A poncho was similar to a sheet with a hole in the middle for the head. The front piece was tied behind the back, then the back was lapped over and tied in the front. This is the seamless garment in John 19:23.

Recent archaeological digs have found a number of these from biblical times. This garment served as a blanket as stated in Exodus 22:26 

After the Jewish People were exiled from Israel, their style of dress was influenced by their Gentile neighbors, and the tallit became a garment worn for prayer instead of a garment worn daily.

Under garment or robe was called a HALUK it was lighter weight.

Outer garment was the Tallit (prayer shawl) it was heavier weight.
 

Psalms 61:4  Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah

The Tallit (prayer shawl) as a ‘closet’ 

The tallit is prayer shawl which when used to cover the head also creates a personal isolated space for prayer shutting out the world around you. The name Tallit comes from the two Hebrew word TAL meaning tent and ITH meaning little.

So we have talith as a LITTLE TENT and it is this that Jesus was referring to when He said:

Matt 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

The Greek term PERIBOLAION, meaning “a covering,” carried with it the connotation of “Something thrown about one, such as a mantle or veil.”

By wrapping yourself in it, or by covering your head with it, you can create an individual tent for yourself to converse with God.

Greek word for closet is (tameion), which means “an inner chamber, or a secret room.”
 The closeting of oneself in the covering of the Tallit (prayer shawl) was a symbolic separation from the world around the Jewish man.

The tzitzit of the tallit katans of two Jewish men are worn outside, while the third man has tucked in his tzitzit.

Although you perhaps cannot see it, underneath their clothes is a poncho called the tallit katan which takes the form of a small poncho and is worn under the shirt, often over an undergarment so as not to actually touch the skin; and with the tzitzit coming out from beneath the shirt, Other ultra-Orthodox Jews also wear the tallit katan, and sometimes the tassels visibly dangle from under a regular button down shirt, sweater, and even a Tshirt.

Because Yeshua wore his tallit, the border or hem of Yeshua’s garment had a particular appearance to it, due to the way in which the tallit was folded. This caused the corner tassels of the fringe to hang down. Taking hold of the “skirt” of him that is a Jew, speaks of taking hold of this outer or extended “wing” of the garment, which holds such deep significance. This is because it speaks of prayer.

Yeshua haMashiach as our Messiah, was a man of prayer. He prayed with “all manner of prayer.” He spent entire nights in prayer. His life was characterized by what many today call “prophetic prayer.”

As He prayed He saw things prophetically before they actually happened. He did the things which God commanded Him to, as they were seen through the eyes of His spirit.

Messiah praying prior to ministry to the crowds of people.

“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place and there prayed.” (Mark 1:35)

 Yeshua always prayed prior to praying for the sick. 
“And it came to pass in those days, that He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12)

He prayed after healing the sick. “And when he had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when evening was come, He was alone.” (Matthew 14:23)

And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray. Mark 6:46 Luke 22:45

These times of prayer refreshed Him. in the outstretched wings or extended talit, we see the concept of the extending of God’s authority, enfolding the believer, and the ministering of healing.

Those who understood it’s significance, and touched Him were made whole. The power of Messiah’s tallit, was in the authority of His divine person.

For us today, it’s in the shed blood of Yeshua, as the Lamb of God.

The word “salvation” speaks of healing for the whole man, body, soul and spirit. In Isaiah 53:4-5, we learn that Messiah took our sicknesses in His own body AND He bore our sins.

Lets continue living by the fringe of a wing and a prayer.

To Be Continued……..