Why wear tassels on the corners of your garments?

Someone reading this post may ask the question, “Natan, do you wear tassels or tzitziot on the corners of your garments?” The answer is yes I do, and I have done so since the late 1990s. I try to practice what I preach. The Torah tells me to do it, so I do it. Period. End of discussion. I have a set of fringes to wear with my work clothes and another set for my more dress-up clothes. For me it is a holiness and an obedience issue. — Natan

Numbers 15:37–41. Tassels on the corners. (See notes at Exod 26:1 for a discussion on tekelet blue.) The command to wear tzitzits on the corners of one’s garment was to act as a reminder to keep one from committing intentional sins, even as a wedding ring worn on the finger serves to remind one of one’s marriage covenant, and help keep one from committing adultery. This is why this command is placed directly after the warning against committing intentional sin (vv. 30–31), and the example of the man who committed intentional sin by gathering sticks on the Sabbath (vv. 32–36).

Corners. The ancient Israelites wore four cornered tunic-like garments. Why did YHVH instruct them to wear tzitzits on the four corners? This was likely to teach them that the Israelites’ Torah-based covenant with Elohim was there to box them in, to surround them, to remind them of their sworn obligations to Elohim,to keep them on the right path spiritually, and to protect them, so that they would receive Elohim’s blessings and be his representatives to the surrounding nations. With this view in mind, the shape of the garment is no longer the issue. That happened to be the style of clothing of that day. We no longer wear four-cornered garments. What matters is to wear four tzitzits on one’s four sides to represent our spiritual commitments to Elohim and our allegiance to his word, the Torah, and our understanding that his word will guide, direct, protect and bless us is we treasure it and adhere to it. Tzitzits are to our relationship with Elohim what a wedding ring is to our spousal relationship.

 

What’s the deal with the biblical command to wear fringes?

Numbers 15:37–41. Tassels on the corners. The command to wear tzitzits on the corners of one’s garment was to act as a reminder to keep one from committing intentional sins, even as a wedding ring worn on the finger serves to remind one of one’s marriage covenant, and help keep one from committing adultery. This is why this command is placed directly after the warning against committing intentional sin (vv. 30–31), and the example of the man who committed intentional sin by gathering sticks on the Sabbath (vv. 32–36).

Corners. The ancient Israelites wore four cornered tunic-like garments. Why did YHVH instruct them to wear tzitzits on the four corners? This was likely to teach them that the Israelites’ Torah-based covenant with Elohim was there to box them in, to surround them, to remind them of their sworn obligations to Elohim,to keep them on the right path spiritually, and to protect them, so that they would receive Elohim’s blessings and be his representatives to the surrounding nations. With this view in mind, the shape of the garment is no longer the issue. That happened to be the style of clothing of that day. We no longer wear four-cornered garments. What matters is to wear four tzitzits on one’s four sides to represent our spiritual commitments to Elohim and our allegiance to his word, the Torah, and our understanding that his word will guide, direct, protect and bless us is we treasure it and adhere to it. Tzitzits are to our relationship with Elohim what a wedding ring is to our spousal relationship.

The Law of the Fringes Tzitzits 

Shofars, Davidic worship dance, prayer shawls (talit or tallit), a Torah scroll and tzitziyot (plural for ­tzitzit — fringes or tassels) all have something in common: they are hallmark symbols of those who are returning to the Hebrew roots of their faith. When a Christian begins to discover their ancient spiritual roots, it’s like coming home, or like a hand fitting into a glove. It’s not long before they begin acting out their renewed faith in a highly demonstrable manner such as growing beards, wearing fringes, blowing shofars, keeping the Sabbath and biblical feasts. Outsiders may view this as mere religious fanaticism and exhibitionism, but to the saint who truly feels that he has returned to his spiritual roots, these things are symbols of a faith that is more than superficial in nature. They represent a connectedness to his spiritual family tree, to the nation of Israel and eventually to the God of Israel, YHVH Elohim, the originator of that faith, family tree and nation.

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How to Tie Tzitzit

I hope you will appreciate this vintage video I made a few years back. It was one of the first videos I did using my old i-Phone as a video camera, and is eighth most popular video (over 10k views) out of the 250 plus we have done to date. Please enjoy as you learn!

In this video, Natan Lawrence shows you how to make your own fringes or tzitzit (plural: tzitziyot). It’s fun and easy to fulfill the biblical command to wear fringes on your garments (Numbers 15:37-41). Free study guide available at http://hoshanarabbah.org/blog/2013/03/24/the-law-of-the-fringes/.


 

New Videos: Grumbling & Tzitziot

The biblical children of Israel were a bunch of complainers. This sin kept them out of YHVH’s Promised Land. Are we any different today? Better think twice! YHVH doesn’t like hard-hearted, ungrateful grumblers. This video discusses lessons that can be learned from this piece of biblical history, so that you’ll have a more blessed and rewarding life now and in the hereafter.

This video explains how to walk out the biblical law of wearing fringes on one’s garments using show-and-tell examples of various types of clothing and ways to wear fringes or tzitzit.


 

Videos: Tying Tzitzit and the Law of the Fringes

In this video, Natan Lawrence teaches you about the curious biblical law of the fringes from Numbers 15:37–41 and how it relates to you. Learn about the prayer shawl and how it helps to point man to his Creator—YHVH Elohim. A free study guide is available at http://hoshanarabbah.org/blog/2013/03/24/the-law-of-the-fringes/.

In this video, Natan Lawrence shows you how to make your own fringes or tzitzit (plural: tzitziyot). It’s fun and easy to fulfill the biblical command to wear fringes on your garments (Numbers 15:37–41). Free study guide available at http://hoshanarabbah.org/blog/2013/03/24/the-law-of-the-fringes/.


 

Tzitzit — Don’t Leave Home Without Them!

Numbers 15:37–41. Tassels on the corners. The command to wear tzitzits on the corners of one’s garment was to act as a reminder to keep one from committing intentional sins, even as a wedding ring worn on the finger serves to remind one of one’s marriage covenant, and help keep one from committing adultery. This is why this command is placed directly after the warning against committing intentional sin (vv. 30–31), and the example of the man who committed intentional sin by gathering sticks on the Sabbath (vv. 32–36).

Tzitzit-2

A Brief Study on the Subject of Tzitzits. Shofars, Davidic worship dance, prayer shawls (talit or tallit), a Torah scroll and tzitziyot (plural for ­tzitzit — fringes or tassels) all have something in common: they are hallmark symbols of those who are returning to the Hebrew roots of their faith. When a Christian begins to discover their ancient spiritual roots, it’s like coming home, or like a hand fitting into a glove. It’s not long before they begin acting out their renewed faith in a highly demonstrable manner such as growing beards, wearing fringes, blowing shofars, keeping the Sabbath and biblical feasts. Outsiders may view this as mere religious fanaticism and exhibitionism, but to the saint who truly feels that he has returned to his spiritual roots, these things are symbols of a faith that is more than superficial in nature. They represent a connectedness to his spiritual family tree, to the nation of Israel and eventually to the God of Israel, YHVH Elohim, the originator of that faith, family tree and nation.

As a wedding ring symbolizes the covenantal agreement between spouses, so the blue fringes worn on the corners of one’s garments are an outward symbol of one’s spiritual commitment and devotion to the Elohim of Israel through obedience to his instructions in righteousness as found in the Torah portion of the Scriptures.

Indeed, it is not because of a man-made tradition, but because of a direct command in the Torah that redeemed Israelites wear tzitziyot, for we read in Numbers 15:37–41,

And YHVH spoke unto Moses, saying, “Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes [Heb. tzitziyot] in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribbon of blue. And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that you may look upon it, and remember all the Continue reading