myTalit - Tallit

With many people becoming increasingly environmentally conscious, it begs the question of whether or not it is possible to buy an eco-friendly tallit. Well the answer is a resounding yes. There are several companies that deal with the production of ‘green’ tallitot, though there are many people who do not completely understand the concept of what it means to be ‘green’ as far as tallitot are concerned.

The eco-friendly tallit is made from completely natural, organic fibres, and importantly organic cotton. Eco-friendly as a concept may be somewhat confusing to some, however essentially it is a move away from artificial and toxic means of assisting growth.

The entire growing process of cotton usually involves use of pesticides and fertilizers. Organic cotton farming procedures do not use pesticides or herbicides and thus the impact on the environment is greatly reduced. Additionally, plants are not in any way genetically modified. Organic cotton costs substantially more to produce than cotton farmed with conventional farming procedures and as such, the eco-friendly tallit will no doubt cost more than one that is mass produced from materials that are not dangerous to the environment.

After harvesting, many cottons are treated with toxic chemicals in order to dye or print patterns on, again this having a negative effect on the environment. Organic cotton is dyed with non-petroleum based and thus far less toxic dyes. There is far less waste created and overall far less impact on the environment. There has also been increasing success in growing naturally colored cotton utilizing organic methods, as there has been been an increase in the demand for eco-friendly tallitot.

Although it may seem as though supporting the environmental cause through purchasing eco-friendly garments such as tallitot may have minimal effect, what is little known is that farming cotton with conventional methods accounts for 16% of the entire world’s pesticide use, and uses more chemicals per unit than any other crop. Contemplating the fact that this includes all grains and other such crops, the scope of this statement is mind-blowing. Thus, although it may seem a small gesture, each person that steers towards eco-friendly will help minimize the impact on the earth.

One of the additional benefits of choosing an eco-friendly tallit is that you can basically guarantee that it will be a quite unique – as the tallit is usually not mass produced, each tends to be an original. Several companies will take your design and create a personalized, new designs with hamsa, eco-friendly, creative and beautiful tallit which is a ‘work of art’, to enhance your prayer experience.

mytalit Tallit, Tallit History

Tefillin is the name given to the ancient Jewish practice of attaching two small leather boxes, one to the head and the other to the upper section of the weaker arm. Whether by coincidence or not, the placement of these two boxes forms pressure points that are located in exactly the same place as certain acupuncture pressure points. Interestingly enough, these pressure points act as a way to “clear the mind and harmonize the spirit” according to Dr. Steven Schram, in his article entitled: Tefillin: An Ancient Acupuncture Point Prescription For Mental Clarity in the Journal of Chinese Medicine, Number 70, Oct 2002.

The boxes are each affixed to a long strap, made of leather, 9mm wide. One is placed on the head, and, according to explicit directions, positioned centrally between the eyes, with the base of the box sitting upon the forehead, just within the hairline. This corresponds to a pressure point known as Shenting-DU24 otherwise known as “Tianting” or “Courtyard of Heaven”.

Traditionally used to treat any mental disorder, this pressure point is responsible for instilling calm in the mind and balance to the spirit.

Where the straps meet behind the head at the base of the skull (external occupital protuberance), there is a knot which corresponds to the acupuncture pressure point named Fengfu DU-16 also known as “Gui Zhen”, “Wind Mansion” or “Ghost Pillow”.

Fengfu DU-16 is widely recognized to benefit memory and concentration. On the Yang Linking vessel, this is also the point that unites all heaven-bound Yang energy.

The weaker arm (left arm for right handed people and right arm for left handed people) is wrapped with the second strap seven times, so that the box lies over the bicep muscle. There are four major variants to bind the arm: Chassidic, Sefardim, Sefard, and Ashkenazi.

Essentially, though, the differences between each of the major variants are slight but important to each, they all incorporate in excess of fifty acupuncture points situated on the arm.

Possibly even more important are the pressure points stimulated on the hand, which act as a multiplier to those already activated on the head.

It does not take an expert such as Dr. Schram to see that the act of laying tefillin was strategically engineered to create a heightened sense of calm and harmony within the spirit. However, it is strange that this non-Chinese practice, harnessing energy and spiritual health has clearly been established for thousands of years.

For now, it remains the mystery of the tefillin.

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Prayer Shawls, otherwise known as Peace Shawls, Comfort Shawls, or Mantles, are a means for one person to convey their good wishes, prayers, and thoughts to another person in need.

Made from a variety of colours, such prayer shawls need not just be knitted. They can be crocheted, quilted, or sewn in any other fashion. They can be personalised with the addition of trinkets, charms, feathers, shells, beads, or other items the person making the prayer shawl deems relevant to its creation. However, many prayer shawl makers do choose specific colors depending on the recipient’s circumstances: more sombre moments might mean using deep purple, navy, or black, whereas happier events, such as the birth of a baby, might sway the prayer shawl maker to choose a more jovial color such as yellow, pale green, blue, or pink.

Usually, prior to making a prayer shawl, a little prayer or blessing is said. Often times, scented candles are lit and subtle music played in the background, in order to achieve a calm and peaceful atmosphere. While the prayer shawl maker works, prayers directed at the intended recipient are made. When the shawl is finished, again, a blessing or prayer is said, and the shawl finally handed over, together with much love.

There is no specific occasion for which a prayer shawl must be used. It is equally suitable for giving, wearing, or making during a birthday or marriage celebration as it is for sadder events such as comfort in sickness, a hospital stay, or during a funeral.

To make a prayer shawl it is necessary to obtain all the right equipment before you begin. You will need a set of plastic knitting needles, size 11 or 13, and approximately 555 yards of wool for a smaller shawl, or 740 yards of wool for a larger one. As it is a considerable amount of yarn, it is important to choose a type that fits within your budget. Waiting until there is a sale or purchasing it cheaper from a market can help alleviate the costs as it is better for the entire shawl to be made from the same color and type of wool.

Traditional knitted prayer shawls have a distinct pattern: one row purl, one row plain, repeated until the end. Care should be taken that two rows of the same stitch do not occur.

Although the pattern remains the same, each prayer shawl is a unique work of art, made special by the wishes, kindness, and love woven into it by the person making it.

Anyone who receives one should know that it is a very special honour to be given a prayer shawl.

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Though it is has been written “talit”, “talet”, “taleth”, “tallis”, but maybe most frequently, “tallit”, the origin of the Jewish prayer shawl by this name, is definitely a source of interest for many.

Derived from a word meaning “cloak” or “gown”, rectangular in shape, and white in color, it was only worn during ancient times by men and looked very similar to a blanket. Knotted tassels, in accordance with the bible, were attached to each corner.

Possibly the tallit originated with the Bedouin people, bearing a vague resemblance to the linen or woollen “abbayah”, which they wore to protect themselves from the weather. However, with its finer qualities nowadays, it is more likely to have been influenced by the Roman pallium, the prayer shawl of the rabbis and scholars that were both rich and famous.

Traditionally, the length of a tallit is a handbreadth shorter than whatever garment is worn beneath it, however it should be large enough to cover a small child that can walk. It can be made from wool, cotton, or silk. Ideally, a tallit should be made from coarse lamb’s wool that is half-bleached.

Following the Jews’ exile from Erez in Israel, and the gradual introduction of clothing that did not have four specific corners, the tallit was no longer worn as part of the daily wardrobe. Instead, it became an integral part of religious rituals, requiring a blessing to be said once put in place.

It is compulsory for men who are married to wear a tallit, though it’s usual for many bar mitzvah males to wear them too. It is worn during morning services and often bears the blessing, which, after translation, can read as or similar to: “Blessed are You, O Eternal our God, Ruler of the universe, Who has sanctified us with your commandments, and commanded us to wrap ourselves in the fringed garment”.

Previously, the only decoration on the tallit was a series of black stripes. More recently, these have also appeared on tallitot (the plural of tallit) in blue. Although this is the custom, there is no hard and fast rule to dictate this, so theoretically, it is possible to have a prayer shawl with stripes of a different color.

However, today, many different and beautiful designs appear on prayer shawls, so much so, that despite great disapproval and concern that the tallit may be shown disrespect, many non-Jews have also taken a fancy to wearing a tallit.

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The Torah explicitly commands that Tzitzit be added to the four corners of garments. (Maimonides considered it one of the most important of the 613 Mitzvot); traditionally the wearing of Tzitzit began with this commandment, though biblical scholars consider it to be much older, and argue that the commandment reflected an already existing practice.

In early Judaism, Tzitzit were used for the corners of ordinary everyday clothing; most Jewish people at the time wore clothing which consisted of a sheet-like item wrapped around the body, comparable to the abayah (blanket) worn by the Bedouins for protection from sun and rain, and to the stola/toga of ancient Greece and Rome. As recorded in the Talmud, these were sometimes worn partly doubled, and sometimes with the ends thrown over the shoulders.

After the 13th century CE, Tzitzit began to be worn on new inner garments, known as Arba Kanfos, rather than the outer garments. This inner garment was a 3ft by 1ft rectangle, with a hole in the center for the head to pass through; the modern Tallit evolved from this medieval item. By modern times, the four-cornered sheet-like cloth fell out of fashion, and became regarded as impractical compared with alternatives; since most modern western clothing does not have four clear corners, the rule essentially became obsolete in daily life.

However, traditional Jews began to voluntarily wear a small tallit in ordinary life, in order to explicitely fulfill the commandment to wear Tzitzit; some Jewish commentators argue that it is a transgression to miss a commandment that one is able to fulfill. 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 in Jewish wedding ceremonies.

Source: Wikipedia

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Judaism, one of the world’s oldest religions being practiced today, has several traditions, most of them stemming from text and prescriptions in the Hebrew Bible. One of their important traditions is the use of the tallit, or the Jewish prayer shawl. The tallit is one of the most iconic Jewish symbols, considered by many as one of the most authentic Jewish garments. The use of tallit further proves that the Jewish indeed has a deep faith and respect for their religious tradition.

The tallit is mainly used today as a prayer shawl, used normally by men when they recite the Shacharit, or their morning prayers. Jewish men also use tallits during Sabbath (or their day of praise) and during religious holidays. While not practiced by all Jewish communities, the talit is usually given by the father as a gift to the son, or by the teacher as a gift to the student, during the Bar Mitzvah. The tallilot is worn once the man reaches the age of 13, the age when a Jewish male is considered to have come of age and when they celebrate their Bar Mitzvah. At the age of 13, the Jewish male is respected to be responsible for their actions, and one of the implications here is the use of the tallit, which represents their awareness of the Jewish commandments.

This is because, basically, the tallit is worn as a reminder of their commandments. This is in accordance to one of the verses in the book of Numbers in the Hebrew Bible, saying the Israelites (who are Jewish) should wear fringes on their clothes’ corners. These fringes, according to the verse, shall by the reminder that they should observe the commandments so they should not follow their heart and eyes due to lustful urges.

These fringes are called the tzitzit. Before, they were placed, as the verse said, on the corners of everyday clothes. However, today, that is no longer possible; clothes today no longer have four corners. So as time progressed, the tzitzit was placed on the tallit. The tzitzit can also be found in other pieces of clothing, such as the tallit katan, which is a Jewish undergarment.

The tallit as it is known today is only used during the day, in accordance to the verse that the wearer of the talit should be able to see the fringes. This has been interpreted as one should only use it when the tzitzit is seen with the light of the day. Tallits are also personal by the Jewish. When a non-Jewish visitor goes to a Jewish temple, they are asked to wear prayer shawls. However, these shawls are not tallits, since the use of tallits are considered sacred, saved only for men who have reached the proper age.

As with tradition, however, the use of the tallit or the tallis can change according to communities, among other factors. For one, while majority of the Jewish wear tallits when they reach 13, some wear it in a much later date. Some communities also do not allow women to wear the talis, while some do. Nonetheless, the use of the tallis remains to be a precious tradition for the Jews.

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