The Significance of the Tallit: Understanding the Prayer Shawl
The importance of the Tallit or prayer shawl is highlighted in Scriptures such as Numbers 15:37 and Deuteronomy 22:11. It serves as a reminder for the Jewish people to adhere to the commandments of the Torah throughout generations. This garment is a symbol of devotion and obedience to God's laws, emphasizing the need to stay holy and faithful. The intricate details of the Tallit's design and purpose are deeply rooted in Jewish tradition and faith.
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Understanding the Tallit The Prayer Shawl Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 1
Numbers 15 37 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 38 Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 2
39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 3
40 That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God. 41 I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 4
Deuteronomy 22 11 Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together. 12 Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 5
Private Prayer but Public Power Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 6
These passages of scriptures that we just read are drilled into the minds of the Jewish people from their youth up. They reminded Israel to obey the {Torah} (the first five books of the Old Testament) Throughout all of their generations. They were to make their garment and fashion them to the specificities that was given to Moses by God. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 7
Again the main reason for this garment was so that they, The Jewish People may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 8
Understanding the Tallit The Prayer Shawl Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 9
The Tallit is what we just read about in these passages of scriptures. It is worn by millions upon millions of both Jews and Gentiles all over the world today. However there are different variations of sizes, types and styles from that which is described in: Numbers 15:37-41 and Deut. 12:11-12. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 10
The Prayer Shawl The top of the Tallit is called theAtarah which means (CROWN) FOUR CORNERS Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 11
Tzitzit Tsiytsiy Tseetseeth Five double knots Four Corners Blue Ribbon Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 12
Definitions TALLIT The word tallit literally means little tent like a portable tent. THE TALLIT KATAN is a garment that is often worn under one's clothing and is called a tallit katan (tah LEET kah TAHN) - or a little covering. It covered the upper most parts of the body. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 13
THE TALLIT also symbolically represents a banner: As a banner, it reminded Israel of the sovereignty of their God. YHVH So today when we wrap ourselves up in the Tallit it forms a tent or a covering reminding us of the sovereignty of God. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 14
The Purpose The whole purpose of the Tallit is to hold the four corners called the: Tzitzit Tsiytsiy Tseetseeth - which means fringe Helm Border Tassel - Wings Tips kras-ped-on and wall. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 15
The White Fringes symbolically represents purity, washing, cleansing or holiness. The Blue Fringes symbolically represents the color of the sky or heaven itself. Note: The flag of Israel which is fashioned as the star of David, is Blue and White ? Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 16
The numerical Hebrew equivalence of the word - Tzitzit - is 600. Then you have eight strands The eight strands are twisted and tied into in five double knots. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 17
The Number 8 means New Beginning The (5) double knots = represents the 10 commandments Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 18
The Number (5) symbolically represents the first five books of the Torah 1. Genesis B resheet - In the Beginning 2. Exodus Sh mot 3. Leviticus Vayikra - HeCalled 4. Numbers B midbar - In the Desert 5. Deuteronomy D varim - Words - Names Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 19
The Number (5) also symbolically represents the five books of The tehillim sor the five books of Psalms Book 1: Ps. 1 41= Gen.- concerning man Book 2: Psalms 42 72 = Ex. = concerning the nation of Israel Book 3: Psalms 73 89 = Lev. This concerns the Sanctuary Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 20
Book 4: Psalms 90 106 = Num. concerning Israel and the Gentile nations Book 5: Psalms 107 150 = Deut. Concerning God and His Word Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 21
The Number (5) is also the number for Grace. 2 Corinthians 12 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 22
Lets look at the numbers 600 + 8 + 5 = 613 this is the total number of commandments contained in the Torah, call mitzvo t. So when Israel was commanded to wear their Tallit with its (Tzitzit) on all four corners, it was a visible and physical reminder unto them to cover themselves with the entire word of God at all times. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 23
The flag of Israel made with the same colors as the Tallit is a symbolical reminder unto them that they are covered by the presence and power of GOD. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 24
613 Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 25
Atarah (crown) - Is the top of the Tallit before it is put on, it is held up and the Jews would pray this prayer: Barukh attah Adonai Eloheinu, melekh haolam asher qiddeshanu bemitzvotav, vetzivanu lehitattef batztzitzit. Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments, and has commanded us to wrap ourselves in Tzitzit. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 26
The significance of the four corners of the Tallit it to hold the Tzitzit, Tassel, Helm, Fringe, Border, Wings Tips, kras-ped-on. Again to constantly remind Israel of the word of God. There is also four principal concepts that gives us a deeper meaning of the four corners that we will examine. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 27
1. It represents the person Affiliation This was their identity, their family name, their family connection. Each Tzitzit was fashioned in a unique way that would identify the family by which it was made. This is what we would call today our signature mark. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 28
2. They represents the person Association this is their social and economical status, position and clout within the community. You see the blue die was extremely expensive and those that has substance and means would have long blue fringes in there Tallit to let everyone know that they had money. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 29
The Tzitzit, which were an outward visible sign of their status, associating them with wealth. The higher their social and economic status or the more money that they had, was reflected on the length of their Tzitzit or tassel. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 30
It would be like today if someone purposely pulled up and parked right next to your Volkswagen Bug in a Lamborghini Aventador with 700 HP or in a Ferrari F12 with 730 HP V12 engine and stepped out of their car and frown at you as they walked away. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 31
What did Jesus say about all of this? Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 32
Luke 20 45 Then in the audience of all the people he said unto his disciples, 46 Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts; 47 Which devour widows' houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 33
Jesus made this comment as he was watching the people entering the temple for prayer and he talked about the scribes as they walked around with long flowing robes on so everybody will see that they were people of prominence, position and power. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 34
Private Prayer but Public Power Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 35
Matthew 6 1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 36
2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 37
3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 38
5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 39
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Note: when you cover your head with the Tallit and close it up, this is the closet that Jesus was talking about. Covering your head, closing up the Tallit , is the shutting of the door. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 40
Arms - {gk.} - el-eh-ay-mos-oo'-nay {el-ah-aey-mos-soon-nay} BENEVOLENCE or a compassionate act toward someone else, especially the poor. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 41
What Jesus was saying then and to us today, is when we carry out acts of benevolence or kindness toward someone, don t seek to make it a public announcement, boast or brag about what you did. Keep it a secret between you, the person (s) and God. What we do in secret from a sincere heart Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 42
As unto the Lord will have and open reward. You don t need to tell no one that you took a person to the store and bought their groceries for them or paid a debt on their behalf. The moment you boast and brag about it, you have just received your reward. This is seeking the praises of men and not the approval of God. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 43
3. They Represented a persons Authority this authority was commonly known in the office of the Old Testament Prophets who would seal various word documents that was sent to the king with their Tzitzit as an official seal. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 44
4. The fourth representation is that of the Anointing Malachi 4:2 2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 45
Lets look at another interesting biblical truth that is found in this verse: Malachi 4 2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 46
Healing in His Wings; Wings - kaw-nawf Kanaph The wing of a garment the border of the garment The fringes The tassel or Tzitzit Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 47
The kaw-nawf - kanaph The wing The border The helm of The garment Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 48
Lets look at how all of the moving parts came together in this one New Testament biblical story. Matthew 9:20-22 Mark 5:21-43 Luke 8:43-48 Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 49
The woman with the issue of blood who said in her heart, if I could but touch His Tallit Author_Pastor Johnny Burns_New Life Church, Ledyard, CT 50
