Hebrew Prayer shawl
Hebrew Prayer Shawl
Hebrew man at prayer
A Jewish man at prayer at the
Western Wall of the Temple
Mount in Jerusalem
The Hebrew Prayer Shawl
Lessons from Tallit
 Today we will consider the Hebrew prayer
shawl which is worn by all religious Jews.
 It usually consists of a white background with
blue stripes at each vertical side. It is square
in shape and edged with evenly tied knots of
the threads down both sides of the garment.
Significance of tallit
At the top of the shawl the smooth edge
is embroidered with an Hebrew phrase
forming its collar.
At its four corners are four longer tassels,
or fringes, tied with multiple knots. These
are not haphazard decoration but have
deep spiritual significance to the wearers
of tallit.
The Hebrew Prayer Shawl
Lessons from Tallit
 Whether we understand it or not, numbers
play a large part in God’s word and plan.
 The systematic study of numbers is called
numerology. There is really much more to it
than most people realize.
 For example, the number “one” stands for
unity. God is a unity. He has one Son. He
has one plan. When a man marries a
woman, the two become one.
The number two indicates opposites,
or separation
 The father of the Prodigal Son had another
Son. They were separated by wisdom and
foolishness.
 There are two opposite moral states in
scripture: lost and saved; sheep and goats.
 There are two disparate ways of life: the
strait and narrow way which leads to life, and
the broad way which leads to destruction.
Eight is the number of resurrection
and of immortality
 The eighth millennium shall be the only one
to contain ONLY immortal beings.
 The number twelve is the fourth perfect
number, and indicates governmental
perfection. There are 12 apostles, 12 gates in
the New Jerusalem, 12 thrones over the 12
tribes of Israel in the kingdom age.
Numbers are important
They indicate distinct ideas or principles when
used purposely.
The garment I am wearing is an Hebrew Prayer
Shawl. These unique garments are made by
rabbinical students as a profession and are
carefully crafted to have certain meanings.
Indeed, God chose to reveal His name through
the numerology of the prayer shawl.
The corner knots reveal His name.
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.
The Names of God
Yahweh Shalom –Yahweh (send) peace.
Yahweh Tz’vaoth –Yahweh of hosts.
Yahweh Shammah –Yahweh is there.
The Corner Knots
 These larger knots are called zizit (Hebrew
plural is ziziyyot: fringes, or decoration).
 They are mentioned in the prescription for
the prayer shawl found in Numbers 15: 37-41.
 “And Yahweh spake unto Moses, saying:
‘Speak unto the sons of Israel, and thou shalt
say unto them, that they shall make them
fringes on the corners of their garments, unto
their generations.” So Jews wear them today!
Instructions for the Shawl
 “And shall put upon the fringe of the corner, a
cord of blue: so shall they serve you as
fringes, and when ye see them, then shall ye
call to mind all the commandments of
Yahweh, and shall do them, and shall not spy
out (after your own hearts, and after your
Instructions for the Shawl
 “own eyes) for things after which ye are ready
to go unchastely away: to the intent ye may
call to mind, and DO all my commandments,
and be ye holy unto your God. I –Yahweh –
am your God, Who brought you forth out of
the land of Egypt, to become your God; I –
Yahweh – am your God.”
-- Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible.
The BLUE cords at the corner
 You noted that God had prescribed that BLUE
ziziyyot were to be used at the corners.
 Blue was originally specified by the Father; as
it was the color of the daytime sky, it was
thought to represent His “throne of glory.”
 But this garment has WHITE cords.
 Why? Due to a shortage of blue dye long ago,
the Rabbinical authorities in the second
century waived this impossible requirement.
Composition of the Ziziyyot
 Each zizit consists of one long cord and three
short cords, all of which are passed through
an embroidered hole in the four corners of
the garment, and then are folded so as to
make eight threads.
 These are then fastened with a double knot
for security.
 Then the long thread (the shammash) is
wound around the other threads a specified
number of times …
Composition of the Ziziyyot
 These windings about the six other threads





are , in number …
Seven times and double knotted, then
Eight times and double knotted, then
Eleven times and double knotted, then
Thirteen times and double knotted.
Thus the Zizit contains four various windings
separated by distinctive knots.
Composition of the Ziziyyot
 The ends of the longer thread is then sheared
equal in length to the short threads.
 The Zizit thus consists of FIVE double knots
and EIGHT threads for a total of THIRTEEN
units. This number, together with the
Hebrew numerological value of the term
“zizit” (which is 600) amounts to 613. This
number represents the 613 separate
commandments to be recognized by the
Rabbis and the people, as in Numbers 15: 39.
But there is more
 Also … consider these facts:
 There are first SEVEN coils and EIGHT coils
which total FIFTEEN coils. They reduce this
number to TEN and FIVE … numbers which
represent Yod (10) and He (5) in the alphabet.
 Then there are ELEVEN coils made up of SIX
loops and FIVE loops, which represent Vau (6)
and He (5).
 Yod, He, Vau, He = YHVH, YaHVeH adding the
vowels, or as we say “Yahweh,” the holy
tetragammaton!!
A Wonderful Mnemonic
 Thus we see how the Jews have worked out the
numbers to remind them of God’s NAME –
whether this is what He intended or not!
 In these facts we can discern just how God’s laws
are delineated and His name revealed in the
complexity of the prayer shawl.
 Many of the 613 commandments discerned in
the Law as details of the 10 Commandments
later commented upon by Moses are said to be
memorialized in the remaining knots of the
shawl.
Proverbs 4:4
 Let thine heart retain My words, keep My
commandments and live!
 In another passage, Thy word have I written in
my heart!
 Jesus also wore a prayer shawl. But the deeply
engraved Word of God in Jesus’ heart
successfully withstood the enemy on the Mount
of Temptation in the wilderness
Tallit as Prayer Tent
 During the Exodus, Moses had perhaps two
million people in his care. The Tabernacle of
the Wilderness was about 15 x 45 feet in its
outer dimensions.
 But that structure was not used for ordinary
group worship in any case.
 Thus, the prayer shawl – tallit – became the
single necessary and acceptable covering for
every Jewish male as he approached God in
prayer, in reading, and in meditation.
Description of Tallit
 Almost all modern ones are white with BLUE
stripes; many ancient ones had BLACK
stripes. The upper portion of tallit which rests
behind the neck and over the shoulders
exhibits a special piece of cloth embroidered
with silver threads called atarah (a diadem)
to mark the upper edge (the collar) and the
outer surface of the four-cornered garment.
 Some talliyot have a benediction
embroidered into that strip of cloth …
The Benediction of Tallit
 What is that prayer??
 Its exact words are, “Blessed art Thou, O Lord
our God, King of the universe, Who hath
sanctified us by Thy commandments, and
hast commanded us to wrap ourselves in the
fringed garment.”
The Ritual of Donning
 When putting on the shawl, a Jewish man
covers his head with this shawl as he utters
this general praise and thanksgiving to his
God.
 When he raises it to place it on his head, he
allows the four corners with their fringes to
fall over his left shoulder.
 After a brief pause, he arranges the four
corners into their natural position suspended
on each side.
A Worshipper at Prayer
Offering his Prayers
 He then offers his prayers, reads Torah, or
confesses his sins. The tallit is regarded as
capturing and containing the light of the
Divine Presence which descends upon him
when he recites the priestly benediction.
 But when he has even more intimate things
to confess or pray about such as forgiveness
of certain sins, he covers his head and face
FULLY with the shawl.
Offering his Prayers
 There are some things which need to be
discussed between us and our God on a personal
and intimate level. This is where it is done. It is as
if he must not look upon the Father in his
petitioning!
 To be enfolded in it is regarded as being
enveloped by the holiness of the commands of
the Torah, denoting a symbolic subjection to the
Divine will. Generally people pray today with
tallit resting upon their shoulders only, as often
observed at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
In many communities the bride and groom are
married beneath a “marriage tent” – a canopy made
of a large tallit. It is supported by four tall poles.
In most, it is customary for the bridegroom to
dress in tallit during huppah, the wedding
ceremony.
Burial in tallit
 Men are buried with tallit wrapped around
their bodies over their burial clothing or
shrouds.
 Due to that custom there are few ancient
copies of tallit available.
 The minimum size for tallit is prescribed as
large enough to enfold a small child.
Tallit as Prayer Closet
 It is probable that when Jesus advised His
followers to enter into their prayer closet for
intensive communication with their Father,
He may have been indicating that one should
cover oneself with the prayer shawl as
alternative to entering a small room for
privacy.
Magen David and Tallit
The Magen David (the Star of
David) incorporated into the
prayer shawl became the
Israeli flag!
The Star of David as
well as the Menorah
are ancient symbols of
Israel and its People.
Tallit: Model for Magen David
At the top and bottom borders are broad
stripes of blue. Sometimes the stripes are
broken into strips. Ancient stripes were
sometimes black.
In the center is the Star of David in blue. As such it is
one of the most widely known flags in the world
today. The blue stripes represent that the God of
Israel lives in the heavens; the Star of David is an
ancient symbol of Israel.
The Flag at the Western Wall
Prophetic reference to Flag
 In Isaiah 11: 12, “… He shall set up AN
ENSIGN (Hebrew, nec , a flag) for the nations
(meaning Israel and Judah), and shall
assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather
together the dispersed of Judah from the four
corners of the earth.”
El Al’s Insignia: David’s Star
 Reader’s Digest printed an article which told
of mysterious beings thought to have been
angels hovering about, gathering the
Ethiopian Jews, the Falash Mura, together to
board the aircraft of El Al to fly to Israel.
 Each of the Boeing aircraft display a
prominent blue Star of David. Operation
Solomon of a few years ago brought
thousands of Ethiopian Jews “home” to Israel.
An El Al Boeing 767
David Wolffsohn,
Flag Designer
 As the movement toward Statehood
progressed in the 19th century, much thought
was given to a national flag.
 The ensign of Israel was designed long before
Israeli statehood. David Wolffsohn, in 1911,
assistant to Theodor Herzl, drew its design for
the Second Zionist Congress.
 It has been used as the symbol of Zion ever
since.
Wolffsohn’s Flag Design
 As an ensign, or banner of identity, it has
symbolized the people and the state as
appropriately as any symbol could. The world
recognizes it and the Jews rally to it. His original
design may have been prompted by this poem…
Frankl’s “Judah’s Colors”
"Judah's Colors”
 When sublime feelings his heart fill,
He is mantled in the colors of his country
He stands in prayer, wrapped
In a sparkling robe of white.
 The hems of the white robe
Are crowned with broad stripes of blue;
Like the robe of the High Priest,
Adorned with bands of blue threads.
 These are the colors of the beloved country,
Blue and white are the borders of Judah;
White is the radiance of the priesthood,
And blue, the splendors of the firmament.
-- August L. Frankl, "Juda's Farben," in Ahnenbilder
(Leipzig, 1864), p. 127
Tel Aviv, May 14, 1948
Elijah, John and Tallit
 The Prophet Elijah wore a garment described as
a MANTLE (Heb. Addereth) which evidently
produced miracles under the operation of the Spirit
of God which was upon him. It was the traditional
prayer shawl we know today. Essentially the same
item is described in Zechariah 13:4 as the
traditional “rough garment” of the prophets, often
made of camel hair or goat’s hair.
 John Baptizer wore one of leather as well, in the
tradition of Elijah (Mark 1:6).
Elijah and the Widow’s Son
 Elijah utilized his entire being, covered in
tallit, in raising the son of the poor widow of
Zarephath. The account is in I Kings 17: 17-24.
 The son had fallen ill and there was no breath
in him; he was dead.
 Elijah was not daunted. He prayerfully
stretched himself upon the child three times,
crying “O Lord, I pray Thee, let this child’s life
come into him again.”
Elijah’s Prayer Answered
 As he stretched himself upon the child the
profuse folds of his prayer shawl covered
both.
 His prayer was answered straight away. The
widow was presented her son, now alive and
well from the death state!
 Elijah used this same garment in his selection
of Elisha, his protégé, by casting his mantle
upon Elisha whom he observed ploughing
with 12 yoke of oxen (I Kings 19: 19)
Tallit Parts the Jordan
 Again, Elijah, wrapping the tallit together (II
Kings 2:8), smote and parted the Jordan River
so that he and Elisha crossed on dry ground
just prior to his being taken into the heavens
by the horses and chariots of fire.
 Elisha, having seen at least this one miracle of
the parted waters, asked a DOUBLE
PORTION of Elijah’s spirit be upon him.
Elisha and Tallit
 Elijah had asked his friend, “What shall I do
for thee, before I be taken away from
thee?”
 Elisha’s request for the double portion of the
spirit was granted when he observed Elijah’s
departure. Elisha took up the prophet’s
prayer shawl which had fallen from the
prophet, walked back to Jordan, smote the
waters in the same fashion, and crossed dryshod.
Elisha’s Miracles
 That was the first of 16 recorded miracles
done by Elisha – precisely DOUBLE the
number of recorded miracles that were
performed by Elijah – a double portion of his
Spirit, indeed!
Jesus’ Mantle Falls
 A correlate to the Elijah affair is seen in the
apostles who beheld Jesus’ ascent into the
heavens from the summit of Olivet. This sight
sealed their faith in Him as Messiah and Savior.
 In a figurative sense, His mantle fell upon them
as they wonderingly watched as He disappeared
into the clouds of heaven. Jesus had told them,
“He who believeth on Me, the works that I
do shall he do also; and greater works shall
he do, because I go unto My Father.” John
14: 12
Pentecost: Inheritance
of His Power
 On the Day of Pentecost there were apostles
and disciples together with one accord in one
place (Acts 2:1)
 A rushing mighty wind filled the house and
forked tongues of fire sat upon each of them
as they were filled with the Holy Spirit and
with power, and “began to speak with other
tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
Peter’s Exhortation
 The Apostle Peter’s stirring exhortation
wrought a special end to the miracle, and
3,000 lives were added to them that day!
 It was indeed an example of “greater works”
than the Lord Jesus did – an ability freely and
graciously given them without jealousy, or
any sense of envy on His part … but with His
full blessing.
Jesus’ Tallit Heals
 How may we know that Jesus wore tallit?
 Matthew 9:20 relates the incident involving
an unnamed woman who had an issue of
blood for twelve years. She was driven by her
anemia, her weakness, her discomfort and
her social isolation because of this illness, to
“touch the hem (fringe) of His garment,”
which, when she had done so, was
immediately healed – all without any
apparent effort on His part!
Detail of Tallit
Ziziyyot
“Who touched My Garment?”
The account in Mark 5 depicts Jesus as almost
surprised at the sudden loss of inherent power
which resided in Him – which had gone forth
from Him –
and turning, asks
“Who touched
My clothes?”
Disciples Incredulous
 The disciples were incredulous that in
such a press, He should ask this
question. But the woman, filled with
guilt and remorse, came and fell
before Him, telling Him “all the
truth.”
“Thy faith hath made thee whole … ”
 His immediate commendation of her was,
“Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole;
go in peace, and be ye whole of thy plague.”
-- (Mark 5:34)
 The word translated “hem” in Matthew 9:20,
is Greek kraspedon, and means a margin, i.e.,
specifically a fringe or tassel; a border, an
hem.” The only fringes worn by Jews for
centuries had been the corner ziziyot of the
prayer shawl!
Men of Gennesaret also
 The men of Gennesaret experienced the same
miraculous healing power of Jesus’ prayer shawl.
Matthew 14: 34-36 tells the story.
 Gennesaret, near Capernaum, was the place
where this day men brought to Him all who were
diseased, “And besought Him that they might
only touch the hem – the kraspedon, or tassels,
or ziziyot – of His garment: and AS MANY AS
TOUCHED HIM WERE MADE PERFECTLY
WHOLE!
Special Powers of Zizit
 We are therefore directly informed that the
prayer shawl of Jesus did indeed have special,
autonomous power to heal the seekers, the
admirers, the afflicted souls of Galilee
without His personal control of the results!
 It is an incredible operation that we learn of
here!
The Napkin Folded Apart
 When a Jewish man is buried, his tallit is usually
wrapped about him outside his burial shrouds.
Placement of it differs according to the custom
of the time, as no law governs its placement.
 In John 20 is recorded the perplexing and
bewildering scene as His followers discover His
resurrection. Simon Peter rushes into the tomb,
out of breath, and quickly observes “the linen
clothes” in which He had been wrapped, “and the
napkin that was about His head, not lying with
the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a
place by itself.” (verses 6,7)
Peter’s Realization
 Peter, seeing what probably was Jesus’ tallit,




lying folded, apart from the linen shrouds,
now knew at least four important facts:
1. A Jewish man had neatly folded this prayer
shawl.
2. That this man was alive and rational.
3. That the man in question was no longer in
need of a prayer shawl.
4. That the man was most likely Jesus, Who
had been wrapped in it!
They Were Astonished …
 Peter and the others were astonished, “For
as yet they knew not the scripture, that
He must rise again from the dead.”
(verse 9)
The “Sheet” of Peter’s vision
 In Acts 10 we read the account of Peter’s
vision of the unclean animals let down from
heaven in a “sheet.”
 He is told that he is free to eat of all the
animals therein, both clean and unclean.
 But Peter objects … and is reassured by the
Spirit.
It seems clear to me that the “sheet’ is a giant
prayer shawl, for we note that it is “let down by the
four corners,” which would be the knotted fringes –
the ziziyyot.
A Medieval
Version of
the Vision of
Peter and the
Sheet, let
down with
the Unclean
Animals
The “Sheet” of Peter’s vision
 What vessel could be more appropriate than
a huge prayer shawl for this vision, which was
that the Gentiles, represented by all those
unclean animals, were now acceptable
subjects for the Jewish Apostles’ teaching and
ministry??
 The Greek word translated “sheet” here is
othone (ot-on-ay) and means “a linen cloth,
esp. a sail; - a sheet.”
Gentiles now Accepted
 Until this time, it had not been acceptable for
a respectable Jew to enter the presence of –
and specifically the household of – any
Gentile!
 Now Peter was being charged to go forth into
the Gentile world and convert these unclean
beings, and bring them to the living Christ for
salvation!
Gentiles now Accepted
 Peter immediately acted upon the vision in
full faith, when within minutes of the vision, a
servant of the Centurion, Cornelius of
Caesarea, knocked on Simon the Tanner’s
door, led Peter to the Centurion’s home some
40 kilometers north of Joppa on the sea
coast, where the will of God was clearly
shown to Peter .
This is a Catholic
view of the
Centurion’s
Baptism by Peter
as the first Gentile
to be admitted to
the Household of
Christ directly by
Jesus’ ministry
through the
Apostle.
Gentiles now Accepted
 There the Almighty further sealed the
instructions he had given Peter, commanding
to bring the Gentiles to salvation by a singular
miracle: the shedding of His Spirit upon the
Centurion and his entire household even
before they were immersed into His name!
 Peter could not deny the divine edict when he
had seen all these proofs. In this manner,
God’s salvation came to the Gentiles.
Paul, Creator of Tallit?
 It is recorded in Acts 18:3,that Paul lived and
worked in Corinth with Aquila and Priscilla, all
of whom were tentmakers, “for they were of
the same craft (as he).”
 But, were these ordinary tents such as people
erect for homes in some parts of the East? We
have seen the homes of people in Corinth,
however, and they are all built of stone.
Paul, Creator of Tallit?
 As we have seen, weddings are conducted
under oversized tallit stretched on poles.
 The sizeable population of Jews in Corinth
would need a steady source of prayer shawls
in their daily lives where they serve as prayer
tents and take on the character of the house
of God when used as such.
 The production of such holy items was only
entrusted to rabbinical students or otherwise
dedicated workers such as Paul, Aquila and
his wife Priscilla.
Meaning of Tallit: Tent
 The primary meaning of tallit is tent.
 They show the reverence for God and the
observance of the Law by everyone who
wears one.
 They are believed to contain the glory of the
Lord which descends upon those who are
praying under their covering. They indicate
subservience, or submission, of the wearer to
the Lord God.
Paul’s Vocation
 Even today, tallit are lovingly and skillfully
crafted by rabbinical students as a source of
income.
 It is significant that the Apostle Paul was a
life-long student of Torah just as were the
students of the Rabbis. It was a proper and
fitting profession for him as an Apostle of
Christ, and gave him employment wherever
he went.
Tallit in Revelation 19
 In His final revelation to men, the Lord Jesus
inspired John to see, in the first verse of his
vision, “… heaven opened, and behold, a white
horse; and He Who sat upon him was called
Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth
judge and make war! His eyes were as a flame
of fire, and on His head were many crowns;
and He had a NAME written, that no man
knew, but He Himself.
Tallit in Revelation 19
 “And He was clothed with a vesture (Greek:
himation – him-at-ee-on) dipped in blood; and His
name is called The Word of God. And the armies
which were in heaven followed him upon white
horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And
out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword that with it
He should smite the nations, and He shall rule
them with a rod of iron; and He treadeth the
winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty
God. And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh
a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF
LORDS.”
The Names of the King
 He is described as having one name written
upon His person “which no man knew” save
Himself. That name shall doubtless be
revealed in Christ’s own good time.
 But there are three OTHER revealed titles of
this great Warrior/King – Who is quite
obviously the returned Lord Jesus Christ.
They are (1) Faithful and True, (2) The Word of
God, and (3) King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
The Third Name
 The last title is specifically stated to be
emblazoned in two locations: upon His vesture
and upon His thigh.
 What do we know about the prayer shawl in this
relationship? In what fashion does it cover a man
sitting astride an horse? The ziziyyot fall over
each thigh and over his upper body – his vesture.
It is the embedded name of God’s Son revealed
in ziziyyot.
Yahweh: King of Kings
 The Name is repeated four times in the four
corners of tallit, perhaps reminiscent of the
original identity and eventual destiny of this Man
– this human Son, this Servant, this Soaring
Spirit, this Lion of Judah – formerly illustrated in
notable visions such as Ezekiel one, where four
living Creatures are manifested as the Man, the
Ox, the Eagle and the Lion, and are integral to
the complex and wonderful Cherbim depicted
there.
The Wonderful Four Facets
 Also as reflected in the four standards of the
encampments of Israel in the wilderness.
 Also as reinforced by the literary approaches
of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in their
gospel accounts of that eternal Man in His
four facets – of Mortal Man, as Servant (Ox),
as Spiritual Man (Eagle), and Lion of Judah.
Tallit in Summary
 Tallit, with its profound components, preserved
even until today ONLY in the community of the
Jews, is thus seen to be one of those subtle,
highly subjective, almost discretionary, but
superbly instructive instruments of God’s
incredible word, revealed in so may complex and
intricate ways, yet so clearly instructive to us – so
supportive and strengthening to us future Kings
as we search them out and strive to plumb their
depths.
John’s Final Vision
 Our minds move forward to the near future
days when, in Revelation 21: 3, John … saw a
new heaven, and a new earth; for the first
heaven and the first earth were passed
away; and there was no more sea. And I john
saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming
down from God out of heaven, prepared as a
bride adorned for her husband. And I heard
a great voice out of heaven saying,
John’s Final Vision
 “Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men,
and He will dwell with them, and they shall be
His People, and God Himself shall be with
them, and be their God.”
The Eternal Tabernacle
 That Tabernacle, in another figure, is OUR
REDEEMER – our Covering, our Tent, our
Atonement – Who shall at that time dwell
forever in the presence of His beloved
brothers and sisters who have pursued His
ways, and have tried diligently to emulate
Him, and to glorify His name in their lives
among men!
Our Eternal Covering
 That personal, eternal Covering is
also aptly foreshadowed in the
wonderful tallit, the prayer shawl
of the Hebrews.
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