View source for Tzitzit

{{Short description|Knotted threads on the corners of a Tallit Gadol or Tallit Katan in Judaism}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Infobox Halacha
|image=[[File:Tzitzis Shot.JPG|150px]]
|caption= Tzitzis
|verse = {{bibleverse||Numbers|15:38|HE}} <br />and {{bibleverse||Deuteronomy|22:12|HE}}
|talmud = Menachos 39-42
|rambam = [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/i/2400.htm ''Ahavah'' (Love): ''Tzitzit'']
|sa     = [[Orach Chayim]] [https://web.archive.org/web/20001205000800/http://www.torah.org/advanced/shulchan-aruch/classes/orachchayim/chapter2.html 8-25]
}}

'''''Tzitzit''''' ({{langx|he|{{Script/Hebrew|צִיצִית}}}} ''ṣīṣīṯ'', {{IPA|he|tsiˈtsit|}}; plural {{lang|he|צִיצִיּוֹת}} ''ṣīṣiyyōṯ'', [[Ashkenazi Hebrew|Ashkenazi]]: ''{{Transliteration|he|tsitsis}}''; and [[Samaritan Hebrew|Samaritan]]: {{Script|Samr|ࠑࠉࠑࠉࠕ}} ''{{Transliteration|smp|ṣeṣet}}'') are specially knotted ritual [[Fringe (trim)|fringes]], or [[tassel]]s, worn in antiquity by [[Israelites]] and today by observant [[Jews]] and [[Samaritans]]. {{Transliteration|he|Tzitzit}} are usually attached to the four corners of the ''tallit gadol'' (prayer shawl), usually referred to simply as a {{Transliteration|he|[[tallit]]}} or {{Transliteration|he|tallis}}; and ''tallit katan'' (everyday undershirt).  Through [[synecdoche]], a {{Transliteration|he|[[tallit katan]]}} may be referred to as {{Transliteration|he|tzitzit}}.

==Etymology==
{{Jews and Judaism sidebar|religion}}
The word may derive from the [[semitic root|Hebrew root]] {{Script/Hebrew|נ-צ-ה}} [n-ts-h].<ref>[[Brown Driver Briggs]] Hebrew Lexicon</ref> {{Transliteration|he|Tzitzit}} shares this root with the Hebrew for 'lock of hair', or '[[Dreadlocks|dreadlock']]. For example, in the [[Book of Ezekiel]] an angel grabs the prophet "by the {{Transliteration|he|tzitzit}} of [his] head;" he could be said to be "dragged by his hair."<ref>{{Bibleverse|Ezekiel|8:3|HE}}</ref>

A popular etymological interpretation of {{Transliteration|he|tzitzit}} derives from another word which shares this root. {{Transliteration|he|niṣṣā}} "budding flower" ({{lang|he|נִצָּה}}) may once have referred to floral ornamentation on clothing. Contemporaneous [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]] clothing terms exist: {{Transliteration|akk|sisiktu}} 'thread', 'edge', 'loom'<ref>Francis Brown, Samuel Rolles Driver and Charles A. Briggs C.A., ''A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament'' (Oxford, 1907/2013) [BDB], (CD-ROM), 8084.</ref> or {{Transliteration|akk|ṣiṣṣatu}} (a floral ornamentation).<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Oppenheimer |editor1-first=A. Leo |editor1-link=Adolf Leo Oppenheim |title=The Assyrian Dictionary, Vol 16 |date=2004 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago |isbn=9780918986184 |page=214 |edition=5}}</ref> This hypothesis is supported by the fact that the custom of making fringes from extending the threads of embroidery was common in the ancient Near East as a means of strengthening the fabric. The further analyses of the antique iconography suggest that apart from this pragmatic purpose the tassels could also decorate the cloth and as such be a marker of the social status: the more elaborate and elegant the fringes, the higher the position of the owner. In addition to this, and given the unique nature of each of the tassels, it could also be used as a personal "signet" for sealing documents.<ref>Stephen Bertman, “Tasseled Garments in the Ancient East Mediterranean”, ''The Biblical Archaeologist'', 24.4 (1961): 120-122, 128. Jacob Milgrom, “Of Hems and Tassels. Rank, Authority and Holiness Were Expressed in Antiquity by Fringes on Garments”, ''Biblical Archaeology Review'', 9.3 (1983): 410. Jacob Milgrom, “Excursus 38 The Tassels (Tzitzit)”, in ''JPS Torah Commentary. Numbers'', (Philadelphia, 1990), 62. See also: Eric Silverman, ''A Cultural History of Jewish Dress'' (London, 2013), ch. 1.</ref>  This data has led the scholars to assume that the practice itself is of very ancient origins and evolved into Jewish ritual clothing where it was invested with religious meaning.<ref name=":23">{{Cite journal|last=Kosior|first=Wojciech|date=2018-07-27|title="Like a Throne of Glory:" The Apotropaic Potential of Ṣîṣîṯ in the Hebrew Bible and Early Rabbinic Literature|url=https://www.academia.edu/36776651|journal=Review of Rabbinic Judaism|language=en|volume=21|issue=2|pages=176–201|doi=10.1163/15700704-12341342|s2cid=171703270|issn=1570-0704}}</ref>

The ending {{Transliteration|he|-it}} is the feminine adjectival suffix, used here to form a feminine singular noun. In the [[Hebrew Bible]], this noun is used to refer to one or many tassels, but later scholars used the feminine plural {{Transliteration|he|ṣiṣiyot}}. In English-language academic texts, the term is sometimes translated as 'show-fringes'.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Neusner |first1=Jacob |title=A Theological Commentary to the Midrash: Song of Songs Rabbah, Volume III |date=9 May 2001 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing PLC |isbn=978-0-7618-1986-8 |page=243 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_Theological_Commentary_to_the_Midrash/xDSZhsGmdUwC |quote=The religious duties beautify Israel, now with reference to not shaving, circumcision, and show-fringes. ... The religious duties embody God's love for Israel: show-fringes, phylacteries, Shema', Prayer; then tabernacle, }}</ref> The [[Septuagint]] translation is ''tassels'' ({{langx|grc-x-koine|κράσπεδα}} {{Transliteration|grc|kráspeda}}, from singular {{lang|grc|κράσπεδον}} {{Transliteration|grc|kráspedon}}).

==Torah sources==
The Hebrew Bible mentions ritual fringes in two places:
{{Blockquote|Hashem said to Moses as follows: Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them [that they must] make for themselves ''tzitzit'' upon the corners of the clothes for generations, and on the ''tzitzit'' give a string of ''techelet''. And they shall have for themselves ''tzitzit'' and they will see them and they will remember all of the commandments of Hashem and they will do them, and they will not stray after their hearts and eyes so that they shall not pursue after them. So that they will remember and adhere to all of my commandments and will remain holy to their God. I am Hashem your God who took you out of the land of Egypt to be for you a God. I am [[Yahweh|Hashem]] your God.|sign=[[Shlach#Seventh_reading—Numbers_15:27–41|Numbers 15:37-41]]|source=Sefaria Community Translation<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.sefaria.org/Numbers.15?lang=en&aliyot=0|title=Numbers 15|website=www.sefaria.org|access-date=2019-05-05}}</ref>}}

{{Blockquote|You shall make tassels on the four corners of the garment with which you cover yourself.|sign=[[Ki_Teitzei#Third_reading—Deuteronomy_22:8–23:7|Deuteronomy 22:12]]|source=Sefaria Community Translation<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.22.12 | title=Deuteronomy 22:12 }}</ref>}}

Since the Hebrew word {{Transliteration|he|kanaph}} can mean 'corner' or 'border', the specific place of the attachment of the fringes is unclear. Their exact number is also not specified. Lastly, the passage lacks any instructions on the binding of the fringes, save for the obligation to include "a cord of blue" (Heb. {{Transliteration|he|ptil tchelet}}). The lack of detail on these points suggests that the tying of tzitzit was to a great extent [[Oral Torah]] until the third to first century BCE, with the codifying of the [[Talmud]].

The primary mnemonic purposes of this commandment are expressed clearly: wearing tzitzit reminds a daily practitioner to bring God's love into action by practicing all other commandments. The paragraph from Numbers is included in daily prayer as the final paragraph of the [[Shema]]. Here, tzitzit also remind Jews that they are no longer slaves.<ref name=":0" />

==Rabbinic Judaism==
{{See also|Tallit}}
[[File:Man wearing tallit katan.jpg|thumb|Man wearing [[tallit katan]].]]
The [[Talmud]] equates observance of tzitzit with that of all the [[613 commandments]].<ref>[[Babylonian Talmud]], [[Menachot]] 43b, based on the fact that the ''tzitzit'' command is immediately followed by the reason "You will see it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and perform them" ([[Numbers 15]]:39)</ref> [[Maimonides]] includes it as a major commandment along with [[brit milah|ritual circumcision]] and the [[Passover sacrifice]] in his ''Commentary on [[Pirkei Avot]]'' 2:1.

The ''[[tallit katan]]'' (or ''arba kanfot'') is a four-cornered garment worn by practicing Jews which incorporates four tzitziyot. The tallit katan itself is often referred to as a "tzitzit". A [[tallit]] (sometimes distinguished as a ''tallit gadol'' "large tallit") is typically worn over the clothes like a cloak, whereas a ''tallit katan'' is smaller and worn underneath the clothing. It is a simple garment with a front and back fold, creating four corners to which the tzitzit are fastened. The blue thread mentioned in the Torah, [[tekhelet]], is omitted by most [[Rabbinic Judaism|Rabbinic Jews]] due to controversy over the dye-making process.

===Fabrics===
The medieval rabbis debated the source of the tzitzit obligation for garments made from different types of fabric. All agree that garments made from wool or linen (the typical materials of Biblical garments) require tzitzit by Biblical law. However, they debated whether the requirement is [[List of Talmudic principles#De'oraita and derabanan|Biblical or rabbinic]] if the garment is made from any other material. The ''[[Shulhan Arukh]]'' ruled that this obligation is rabbinic, while the [[Moses Isserles]] ruled that it is Biblical.<ref>[https://ph.yhb.org.il/07-08-06/ חומר הטלית]</ref>

The Torah forbids [[shatnez]] ("intertying" wool and linen together).<ref>Leviticus 19:19, Deuteronomy 22:11</ref> However, unlike other forms of [[Kil'ayim (prohibition)|kilʿayim]] (forbidden mixtures of materials<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Carmichael |first1=Calum M. |title=Forbidden Mixtures |journal=Vetus Testamentum |date=October 1982 |volume=32 |issue=4 |page=394 |doi=10.2307/1518172}}</ref>), there is an exception to the rule: shatnez was not only allowed but required in the priestly garments, which combined dyed-wool and linen threads.<ref>Exodus 28:6, 8, 15, and 39:29</ref> According to the rabbis, this exemption to shatnez applied only while performing priestly service.<ref>Menachot 43a</ref> Rabbinic Judaism (but not [[Karaite Judaism]] or [[Samaritanism]]) makes a further exemption to this law for tzitzit, based on the Torah's juxtaposition of the laws for shatnez and tzitzit in Deuteronomy 22:11-12.<ref>Yevamot 4a, Nazir 41b, Leviticus Rabbah 22:10. See also Menahot 39b-40a where this is recorded as the position of [[Beit Hillel]] but not [[Beit Shammai]]. Rabbinic sources rule this practice as permissible, while [[Kabbalah|kabbalist]] sources go a step further by encouraging the practice ({{cite web|url=http://kehuna.org/tzitzit-made-of-shatnez/ |title=Tzitzit made of kilayim? |publisher=Kehuna.org |date=2016-05-11 |access-date=2018-04-18}})</ref> Thus, according to rabbinic Judaism, both laymen and priests were supposed to wear mixtures of wool and linen all the time. From this perspective, the shatnez of the layman reflects that of the priest.<ref name=":23"/>

In practice, the [[Hazal]] permitted using wool and linen strings in tandem only when what they hold to be genuine tekhelet is available.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kehuna.org/tzitzit-made-of-shatnez/ |title=Tzitzit made of kilayim? |publisher=Kehuna.org |date=2016-05-11 |access-date=2018-04-18}}</ref>

===Threads and knots===

[[File:Tzitzith.jpg|150px|thumb|right|The all-white tzitzit is Ashkenazi. The blue and white tzitzit is knotted according to the Sephardi custom. Note the difference between the 7-8-11-13 scheme and uninterrupted windings (between the knots) on the Ashkenazi, vs. the 10-5-6-5 scheme and ridged winding on the Sephardi tzitzit.]]
[[File:Arba Kanfot.jpg|thumb|Knitted tallit katan with tzitzit (2 of 4), Basel, 1930s, in the collection of the [[Jewish Museum of Switzerland]]. ]]
The tzitzit on each corner is made of four strands,<ref>[https://www.sefaria.org.il/Menachot.39b.3?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en Menachot 39b]</ref> which must be made with intent.<ref>[https://www.sefaria.org.il/Sukkah.9a.10?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en Sukkah 9a]</ref> These strands are then threaded and hang down, appearing to be eight. (It is customary that each of the four strands is made of eight fine threads, known as {{Transliteration|he|kaful shemone}}). The four strands are passed through a hole (or, according to some, two holes) 1-2 inches (25 to 50 mm) away from the corner of the cloth. There are numerous customs as to how to tie the tassels. The Talmud explains that the Bible requires an upper knot ({{Transliteration|he|kesher elyon}}) and one wrapping of three winds ({{Transliteration|he|hulya}}). The Talmud enjoined that between seven and thirteen {{Transliteration|he|hulyot}} be tied, and that "one must start and end with the color of the garment". As for the making of knots in between the {{Transliteration|he|hulyot}}, the Talmud is inconclusive, and as such, later [[posek|poskim]] have interpreted this requirement in various ways.<ref>[https://www.tekhelet.com/tying-options/ Diagrams, Videos, & Explanations of Tying Methods]</ref> The Talmud described tying assuming the use of {{Transliteration|he|tekhelet}} dye. Following the loss of the source of the dye, various customs of tying were introduced to compensate for the lack of this primary element.

The tying method that gained the widest acceptance can be described as follows. The four strands of the tzitzit are passed through a hole near the garment's corner. The two groups of four ends are double-knotted to each other at the edge of the garment near the hole. One of the four strands (known as the {{Transliteration|he|shamash}}) is made longer than the others. The long end of the {{Transliteration|he|shamash}} is wound around the other seven ends and double-knotted; this is done repeatedly so as to make a total of five double knots separated by four sections of winding, with a total length of at least four inches, leaving free-hanging ends that are twice that long This tying procedure is used for each of the garment's four corners; if it has more than four corners, the four that are farthest apart are used.<ref>[http://www.divreinavon.com/pdf/GoldenRatioTzitzit.pdf Rav's Beautiful Ratio: An Excursion into Aesthetics], Mois Navon, B'Or Ha'Torah, Vol. 19, 2009</ref>

In [[Ashkenazi]] custom, the four sections of winding number 7-8-11-13 winds, respectively.<ref>[https://ohr.edu/3003 Ohr Sameach: The Wrap on Tzitzit]</ref> The total number of winds comes to 39, which is the same number of winds if one were to tie according to the Talmud's instruction of 13 {{Transliteration|he|hulyot}} of 3 winds each. Furthermore, the number 39 is found to be significant in that it is the [[gematria]] (numerical equivalent) of the words: "The Lord is One" (Deuteronomy 6:4). Others, especially [[Sephardic Jews]], use 10-5-6-5 as the number of windings, a combination that represents directly the spelling of the [[Tetragrammaton]] (whose numerical value is 26).

Before tying begins, a declaration of intent is recited: {{Transliteration|he|leShem Mitzvat Tzitzit}} ('for the sake of the commandment of tzitzit').

===Interpretations===
[[File:ChildTzitzit.jpg|thumb|250px|A child's tzitzit attached to school shirt]]
[[Rashi]], a prominent Jewish commentator, bases the number of knots on a gematria: the word tzitzit (in its [[Mishnah|Mishnaic]] spelling, {{Script|Hebrew|ציצית}}) has the value 600. Each tassel has eight threads (when doubled over) and five sets of knots, totaling 13. The sum of all numbers is 613, traditionally the [[613 mitzvot|number of commandments]] in the Torah. This reflects the concept that donning a garment with {{Transliteration|he|tzitzyot}} reminds its wearer of all Torah commandments, as specified in Numbers 15:39. (Rashi knots are worn by the majority of [[Ashkenazi]]c Eastern European Jews.)

[[Nachmanides]] disagrees with Rashi, pointing out that the Biblical spelling of the word tzitzit ({{Script|Hebrew|ציצת}}) has the gematria of 590 rather than 600, which upends Rashi's proposed gematria. He points out that in the Biblical quote "you shall see ''it'' and remember them", the singular form ''it'' can refer only to the thread of {{Transliteration|he|tekhelet}}. The {{Transliteration|he|tekhelet}} strand serves this purpose, explains the Talmud, for the blue color of {{Transliteration|he|tekhelet}} resembles the ocean, which in turn resembles the sky, which in turn is said to resemble God's holy throne – thus reminding all of the divine mission to fulfill His commandments. Nachmanides knots are worn by the majority of Sephardic and [[Yemenite Jews|Temani (Yemenite)]] Jews.

Modern Biblical scholar [[Jacob Milgrom]] notes than in ancient Middle Eastern societies, the corner of the garment was often elaborately decorated to "ma[k]e an important social statement", functioning as a "symbolic extension of the owner himself".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Milgrom |first1=Jacob |title=Of Hems and Tassels Rank authority and holiness were expressed in antiquity by fringes on garments |journal=Biblical Archaeology Review |date=May 1983 |volume=9 |issue=3}}</ref> He also notes that the Torah requires {{Transliteration|he|tekhelet}}, normally a royal and priestly color, to be used by all Jews: :The tzitzit are the epitome of the democratic thrust within Judaism, which equalizes not by leveling but by elevating. All of Israel is enjoined to become a nation of priests... tzitzit is not restricted to Israel's leaders, be they kings, rabbis or scholars. It is the uniform of all Israel."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Milgrom |first1=Jacob |title=Numbers: the traditional Hebrew text with the new JPS translation = Bam-midbār |date=2003-06-01 |publisher=Jewish Publication Society |location=Philadelphia |isbn=9780827603295 |page=414 |edition=1}}</ref>

===Color of the strings===
====Tekhelet====
{{Main|Tekhelet}}
[[File:Tzitzit tchelet.jpg|thumb|250px|A set of tzitzyot with blue {{Transliteration|he|tekhelet}} thread]]
[[File:Tunisian Purple.jpg|thumb|260px|left|Carthaginian murex pigment from Tunisia]]
{{Transliteration|he|Tekhélet}} ({{langx|hbo|תכלת|təḵēleṯ}} ) is a dye that the Hebrew Bible commands to use for one, two, or four of the eight half-strings hanging down (as interpreted in Rabbinic Judaism), or a number of cords ranging from one up to the same number of threads as the non-{{Transliteration|he|tekhelet}} threads (according to opinions in Karaite Judaism). At some point following the destruction of the [[Second Temple]], the knowledge and tradition about the correct method of dyeing was lost for Rabbinic Judaism in Israel and since then, most rabbinic [[diaspora Jews]] and [[Israeli Jews]] as well have worn plain white tzitziyot without any dyes.<ref>[http://www.divreinavon.com/pdf/HistoryMesorahNignaz.pdf On History, Mesora and Nignaz], Mois Navon, 2013</ref> Tekhelet, which appears 48 times in the Hebrew Bible – translated by the [[Septuagint]] as "[[hyacinthine]]" ({{Lang|grc|ὑακίνθινος}}) – is a specific blue-violet dye produced, according to the rabbis, from a creature referred to as a {{Transliteration|he|ḥillazon}}, other blue dyes being unacceptable. Some<ref>[https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/536810/jewish/Why-the-Tallit-Barcode.htm Why the Tallit Barcode?]; Pri Megadim, Orach Chaim 9:6</ref> explain the black stripes found on many traditional prayer shawls as representing the loss of this dye.

While there is no prohibition on wearing blue dye from another source, the rabbis maintain that other kinds of {{Transliteration|he|tekhelet}} do not fulfill the mitzvah of {{Transliteration|he|tekhelet}}, and thus all the strings have been traditionally kept undyed (i.e., white) for many centuries. In recent times, with the (debated) rediscovery of the {{Transliteration|he|ḥillazon}} as the ''[[Hexaplex trunculus]]'' mollusk,<ref>[http://www.divreinavon.com/pdf/ThreadsOfReason.pdf Threads of Reason], Mois Navon, Threads Of Reason, 2013</ref> some have noted that one cannot fulfill the mitzvah of tzitzit without the {{Transliteration|he|tekhelet}} strand.<ref>[http://tekhelet.com/pdf/muvchar.pdf Tekhelet in Tzitzit: A Choice Mitzvah or an Absolute Obligation] R. Shmuel Ariel, Techumin 21 (5761)</ref> This position, however, has been strongly disputed.<ref>[http://tekhelet.com/pdf/bitulasei.pdf The Definition of Nullifying a Mitzvah], R. Yehuda Rock, Techumin 24 (5764)</ref> Others have disputed whether the coloring that comes from the ''Murex trunculus'' is the same as the biblical {{Transliteration|he|tekhelet}}, based on the fact that according to traditional Jewish sources {{Transliteration|he|tekhelet}} is supposed to be a dark shade of blue, while wool that was discovered in archaeological excavations and was found to have been colored with Murex dye is violet.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tekhelet.com/pdf/BAR-Tekhelet.pdf |title=The Great Tekhelet Debate—blue or purple? |last1=Sterman |first1=Baruch |last2=Taubes-Sterman |first2=Judy |access-date=January 3, 2021}}</ref>

When {{Transliteration|he|tekhelet}} is used, there are varying opinions in [[rabbinic literature]] as to how many of the strands are to be dyed: one of eight ([[Maimonides]]), two of eight ([[Abraham ben David]]), four of eight ([[Tosafot]]). While the white threads are to be made of the material of the garment, rabbinic law instructs that the {{Transliteration|he|tekhelet}}-dyed thread must be made of wool.
 
According to several rabbinic sages, blue is the color of God's Glory.<ref>''[[Numbers Rabbah]]'' 14:3; ''[[Hullin]]'' 89a.</ref> Staring at this color aids in meditation, bringing us a glimpse of the "pavement of sapphire, like the very sky for purity", which is a likeness of the Throne of God.<ref>[[Book of Exodus|Exodus]] 24:10; [[Ezekiel]] 1:26; ''[[Hullin]]'' 89a.</ref> Many items in the Mishkan, the portable sanctuary in the wilderness, such as the Menorah, many of the vessels, and the Ark of the Covenant, were covered with a blue-violet cloth when transported from place to place.<ref>[[Book of Numbers|Numbers]] 4:6-12.</ref>
[[File:Photo_shows_a_tassel_(tzitzit)_worn_on_each_of_the_four_corners_of_a_Jew's_garment.jpg|thumb|right|Yemenite tzitzit, based on Maimonides' prescription]]

====The other threads====
The other threads in the tzitzit (all the threads, where {{Transliteration|he|tekhelet}} is not used) are described as "white". This may be interpreted either literally (by [[Moses Isserles|Rama]]) or as meaning the same colour as the main garment (Rambam). Normally, the garment itself is white so that the divergence does not arise. Similarly the threads may be made either of wool or of the same fabric as the garment; again many authorities recommend using a woollen garment so that all views are satisfied.

===''Tzitzit'' for women===
In rabbinic law, tzitzit is considered a "time-dependent positive commandment", as the Torah (Numbers 15:39) mentions "seeing" one's tzitzit, and one could not see them in the darkness of night, but rather only in daytime.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.etzion.org.il/en/night-not-time-tzitzit | title=Night is not a Time for Tzitzit| date=2016-12-25}}</ref> In general, women are not required to perform time-dependent positive commandments,<ref>[[Babylonian Talmud]], tractate Kiddushin 29a</ref> but may perform them if they choose to. Therefore, many [[Rishonim]] explicitly empowered women to wear tzitzit (including [[Isaac ibn Ghiyyat]], [[Rashi]], [[Rabbeinu Tam]], [[Zerachiah ha-Levi of Girona]], [[Maimonides]], [[Eliezer ben Joel HaLevi]], [[Shlomo ibn Aderet]], and [[Aharon HaLevi]]). Similarly, the ''Shulhan Arukh'' rules that women may wear garments with tzitzit. Opinions differ on whether women may make the blessing on such "optional" commandments; in general, Ashkenazi women make the blessing, and Sephardic women do not.<ref name="ph">{{cite web |url=https://ph.yhb.org.il/en/03-21-05/ |title=Women and Tzitzit |work=Peninei Halakha |author=Eliezer Melamed}}</ref>

At the same time, other Rishonim, beginning with [[Meir of Rothenburg]], held that women should not wear tzitzit for various reasons. The [[Moses Isserles|Rema]] states that while women are technically allowed to don a tallit, doing so would appear to be an act of arrogance ({{Transliteration|he|yuhara}}). [[Yaakov ben Moshe Levi Moelin]] in the ''Sefer Maharil'' 7 and the ''[[Targum Pseudo-Jonathan]]'' view a garment with tzitzit as a "male garment", and thus forbidden to women as [[crossdressing]]. Some other sources mention concern for {{Transliteration|he|shatnez}} or [[Hotzaah|carrying on shabbat]].<ref name="ph"/>

The vast majority of contemporary Orthodox authorities forbid the donning of a tallit by women,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.jpost.com/Magazine/Personal-Notes/Why-do-Orthodox-women-not-wear-tefillin-or-tallit |title=Why do Orthodox women not wear tefillin or tallit? |author=Shlomo Brody |date=October 15, 2010 |access-date=January 26, 2019 |work=The Jerusalem Post |publisher=Jpost Inc.}}</ref> although [[Moshe Feinstein]],<ref>Igrot Moshe, [[Orah Hayyim]] 4:49, s.v. ibra d'ika</ref> [[Joseph Soloveitchik]], and [[Eliezer Melamed]] approve women wearing tzitzit in private, if their motivation is "for God's sake" rather than motivated by external movements such as feminism.<ref name="ph"/> When [[Faige Teitelbaum]],  [[Joel Teitelbaum|the Satmar Rebbetzin]], died, she was found to be wearing a tallit katan under her clothes.<ref>''Mipi Sefarim VeSofrim - Der Idisher Levush, Der Blatt'', R Haim Teitelbaum, 7 Adar Alef 5774. Text for reference: ציצית און א גארטל ביי נשים. כ'האב געהערט מפי הגה"צ רבי יוסף ישראל זעגלבוים זצ"ל, דער ווינער רב, מח"ס עדות לישראל, אז ער האט געהערט גוף די חברא קדישא פון ק"ק סאטמאר, אז הרבנית הצדיקת מרת חוה ע"ה מחברתו הטהורה פון מרן רבינו הקדוש והטהור בעל דברי יואל מסאטמאר זי"ע בזיווג ראשון, א טאכטער פון הגה"ק רבי אברהם חיים הורוויץ זצ"ל, דער פלאנטשער רב, אז ווען די נשים צדקניות פון די חברה קדישא האבן זיך מטפל געווען מיט איר, נאך איר הסתלקות ביום ה' שבט שנת צרו"ת, האט מען געפינען אז אונטער אירע אויבערשטע מלבושים האט זי געהאט אנגעטוען א טלית קטן און א גארטל.</ref>

Women in [[Conservative Judaism]] have revived the wearing of the tallit since the 1970s, usually using colors and fabrics distinct from the traditional garment worn by men.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.utoronto.ca/wjudaism/contemporary/articles/Tallitot/a_shulman_herz_1.html |title=The Transformation of Tallitot: How Jewish Prayer Shawls Have Changed Since Women Began Wearing Them |author=Rebecca Shulman Herz |journal=Women in Judaism: Contemporary Writings |publisher=University of Toronto |volume=3 |number=2 |year=2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317125946/http://www.utoronto.ca:80/wjudaism/contemporary/articles/Tallitot/a_shulman_herz_1.html |archive-date=2012-03-17}}</ref> The [[Rabbinical Assembly]] has since formally approved the wearing and tying of tzitzit by women.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/sites/default/files/assets/public/halakhah/teshuvot/19912000/gelfand_tzitzit.pdf |title=May Women Tie Tzitzit Knots? |author=Shoshana Gelfand |work=Responsa of the CJLS 1991–2000 |publisher=The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Conservative Movement |editor1=Kassel Abelson |editor2=David J. Fine |isbn=9780916219192|year=2002 }}</ref> 

It has become common in non-Orthodox streams for all [[bnei mitzvah|b’nei mitzvah]] to receive a tallit at their ceremony,<ref>{{cite book|author=Carin Davis|title=Life, Love, Lox: Real-World Advice for the Modern Jewish Girl|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g1xXDgAAQBAJ&pg=PT22|date=25 May 2010|publisher=Running Press|isbn=978-0-7624-4041-2|page=22}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Debra Nussbaum Cohen|title=Celebrating Your New Jewish Daughter: Creating Jewish Ways to Welcome Baby Girls Into the Covenant: New and Traditional Ceremonies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W7ZilJOAWuQC&pg=PA134|year=2001|publisher=Jewish Lights Publishing|isbn=978-1-58023-090-2|page=134}}</ref> <ref name="Gordan">{{cite book|last=Gordan|first=Rachel|editor=Leonard Jay Greenspoon|title=Fashioning Jews: Clothing, Culture, and Commerce|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fZOtAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA167|year=2013|publisher=Purdue University Press|isbn=978-1-55753-657-0|pages=167–176}}</ref> Other women have adopted the tallit later in life, to connect with their communities, embody egalitarian values, or create a personalized connection to Judaism.<ref name="Gordan"/> While 500 years of precedent make it difficult, and sometimes still forbidden, some observant women are beginning to wear a tallit katan.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://forward.com/articles/196159/observant-women-make-tzitzit-and-stir-controvers/ |title=Observant Women Make Tzitzit — and Stir Controversy |first=Lauren |last=Davidson |date=April 9, 2014 |work=The Forward |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Karaite ''tzitzit''==
{{Main|Karaite Judaism#Tzitzit (Ṣiṣiyot)}}
[[File:Karaite Tsitsit.jpg|right|thumb|Example of Karaite {{Transliteration|he|tzitziyot}}]]
[[Karaite Jews]] maintain that the {{Transliteration|he|tzitziyot}} must be braided and have the appearance of chains, rather than being knotted as are the {{Transliteration|he|tzitziyot}} of Rabbinic Judaism.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tzitzit|url=http://www.karaite-korner.org/tzitzit.shtml|website=The Karaite Korner|access-date=17 December 2015}}</ref>

Karaites {{Transliteration|he|tzitziyot}} have blue-violet threads ({{Transliteration|he|tekhelet}}) in them. In contrast to rabbinic Jews, Karaites believe that the {{Transliteration|he|tekhelet}} source can be any dye, except those produced from impure (a definition mostly overlapping "un-[[kosher]]") species, such as the molluscs used by Rabbinic Jews. Instead, Karaites propose that the source of the dye was [[indigo]] or [[woad]] (''[[Isatis tinctoria]]'').<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20120713025202/http://rekhavi.karaitejudaism.org/sisit.shtml Hakham Meir Yosef Rekhavi, "They Shall Make for Themselves Sisith (Fringe/Tassel)"]}}, Kharaite Judaism</ref><ref>[http://curtisdward.wordpress.com/2011/01/05/what-is-the-true-tekhelet/ Dr. Curtis D. Ward, "What is the True Tekhelet?"], 5 January 2011, Ward blog</ref> Karaites also consider synthetic blue or blue-violet to be acceptable for {{Transliteration|he|tekhelet}}. Contrary to some claims, Karaites do not hang {{Transliteration|he|tzitziyot}} on their walls.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.jpost.com/LandedPages/PrintArticle.aspx?id=62229 |title=Laying down the (Oral) law |newspaper=The Jerusalem Post |first=Joshua |last=Freeman |date=July 5, 2012}}</ref>

==Samaritan ''tzitzit''==

In the [[Samaritans|Samaritan]] tradition, the {{Transliteration|he|tallit}} is a gown worn over their clothes during most holy days, and the {{Transliteration|he|tzitzit}} are the 22 "buttons" on the right lapel of the gown, and the corresponding loops on its left lapel.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}} The {{Transliteration|he|tzitziyot}} are always in the same color as the gown, which is usually white.

Another version of Samaritan {{Transliteration|he|tzitzit}} is the simple fringes on the sides of the very large white {{Transliteration|he|tallit}} worn by the priests when carrying a [[Torah scroll]].

Similarly to most Orthodox rabbinic Jews, the Samaritans hold that the blue-violet {{Transliteration|he|tekhelet}} thread for their {{Transliteration|he|tzitziyot}} was produced from a specific dye, and claim that the tradition for producing it was lost.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://muqata.blogspot.com/2008/04/thoughts-on-shomronim.html | title=The Muqata: Thoughts on the Shomronim| date=2008-04-27}}</ref>

Contrary to some rumors, the Samaritans do not use either rabbinic or Karaite {{Transliteration|he|tziziyot}}.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}

==In archaeology and secular scholarship==
[[File:Asiatic man with fringed garment.jpg|thumb|Asiatic (Levantine) man with fringed garment similar to {{Transliteration|he|tzitzit}} (from tomb of [[Seti I]], 13th century BCE)]]
According to the modern [[documentary hypothesis]], the reference to {{Transliteration|he|tzitzit}} in Numbers comes from the [[Priestly Code]], while that from Deuteronomy comes from the [[Deuteronomic Code]]. They are believed to date to around the late 8th century BCE and late 7th century BCE, respectively, some time after the practice became part of regular ritual.<ref>[[Richard Elliott Friedman]], ''Who Wrote the Bible?''</ref> However, the custom clearly predates these codes and was not limited to [[Israelites]]. Images of the custom have been found on several [[ancient Near East]] inscriptions in contexts suggesting that it was practiced across the Near East.<ref name='Peake'>''[[Peake's Commentary on the Bible]]''</ref>
While Numbers 15:37-41 uses "tzitzit", Deuteronomy|22:12 employs {{lang|he|גְּדִלִים}} {{Transliteration|he|gəḏilim}}, the plural of an Akkadian [[loanword]] for a 'cord' or 'string'. The reason for this lexical change is open to speculation, yet the scholars are inclined to assume that in the times when Deuteronomy was composed, the original meaning of Numbers 15:37 had been lost, and the {{Transliteration|he|gəḏilim}} was a dynamic translation.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bertman |first1=Stephen |title=Tasseled Garments in the Ancient East Mediterranean |journal=The Biblical Archaeologist |date=1961 |volume=24 |issue=4 |page=119 |doi=10.2307/3209197 |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/3209197 |issn=0006-0895}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Christianity and fringed garments]]
* [[Prayer rope]]
* [[Quipu]] (a form of knot used for record-taking by various cultures in Andes)

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.askmoses.com/qa_detail.html?h=150&o=140 AskMoses.com explains tzizit]
* [http://www.chabad.org/library/article.asp?AID=110306 Chabad.org - Tzitzith - The Laws of Fringes] Includes basic laws, blessings and diagrams.
* [http://www.karaitetzitzit.estranky.cz/ Instructions how to make Karaite Tzitzit]
* [http://www.halachipedia.com/index.php?title=Tzitzit The Laws of Tzitzit according to mainstream Ashkenazic and Sephardic opinions]
* Rabbi [[Eliezer Melamed]], [https://yahadut.org/en/between-man-and-god/the-synagogue-and-the-home/the-mitzva-of-tzitzit/ mitzvat tzitzit], on the site of the Jewish tradition

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[[Category:Hebrew words and phrases in the Hebrew Bible]]
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[[Category:Positive Mitzvoth]]
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