Get a 10% discount on this item at World of Judaica by typing TALLIT10 upon checkout!
The Jewish prayer shawl is the shawl used during Jewish prayer and Jewish celebrations. Most have also most likely heard the word ‘tallit’ or the term ‘tallit bags‘ in connection to prayer shawls. So, what is a ‘tallit’? Tallit is in fact a Hebrew word used in reference to the Jewish prayer shawl but the Hebrew word has several different, more complex meanings and references that help us delve deep into Jewish religion and history to understand.
The talit, tallit bags, and atara used today as the Jewish prayer shawl originates at nearly 2000 years BCE, but this original piece was used in slightly different ways. In the beginning, tallitot were simple pieces of square cloth that were worn as a garment to fulfill the commandments of Jewish text, used to cover the deceased in funerals, and draped over the shoulders during prayers the same as they are now, though today tallitot can be held in place by tallit clips.
In fact, the important thing to understand about talits is that it is not the prayer shawl itself which is commanded as mitzvah. It is instead the tzitzit, or knotted fringes, that are demanded by religious texts. The tzitzit are the fringes found hanging from all four corners of a tallit or Jewish prayer shawl. These are required by the Hebrew texts to be worn with your clothing on every normal day of the week and play an even more important role in prayers.
When the first tallitot came about, they were created as a single simple garment to avoid adding tzitzit to all clothing. These pieces could be used as simple clothing and were always ready to cover your head or shoulders during prayer. As time went on and clothing changed, styles demanded a separation of prayer shawls and garments to be worn with the tzitzit every day. In this way Jews developed the ‘tallit katan’ garment mostly worn under additional clothes that leave the tzitzit hanging out. These simple articles of clothing lack the atara of the large prayer shawl and aren’t associated with tallit bags.
To accommodate prayer times, the prayer shawl or ‘tallit gadol’ was created that most recognize as a typical Judaica product richly designed for the most luxurious prayer experience. These prayer shawls display the required tzizit and atara, and can often be bought in sets with special tallit bags of matching material and decoration. The atara mentioned above, is an additional piece of high importance to talits. This is the section of cloth that borders the tallit’s edge where it is wrapped around your shoulders and neck. The atara is often designed with Hebrew letters or other blessings.
Today, the talit prayer shawl is one of the flagships of the Judaica market being produced by many creators of Jewish art. Prayer shawls and tallit bags often act as an artist’s canvas on which they skillfully portray their own often abstract views on Jewish tradition and culture.
