Colour on a Tallis

[Tea]

I have been looking as some talliots and was wondering if the different coloured strips meant anything. Blue, white and black seem to be the predominant ones.
Many thanks in advance.
Tracey

 

[Henaynei]

Blue is the "national" color of Israel and speaks to the longing to return to the land, among other things. The blue also represented the "riband of blue" that was commanded in scripture to be used as one of the strings of the tzitzit. The making of this color was a closely held family secret before the dispersion and was lost at that time. The use of the blue in the stripes of the tallit was meant as a message to G-d that the Jewish people had not forgotten the command, but had lost the ability to fulfill it correctly. There is a body of Jewish folk who believe they have recently rediscovered how to make this special and unique blue and you will see tzitzit with this blue strand incorporated.

However, it has become a tradition over the millenia to use black in the stripes, or sometimes blue, rather than other colors, as a sign of mourning over the destruction of the Temple and the forced dispersion of Israel out into the nations where they neither self governed nor were ever safe.

Since 1967 and the return of Jerusalem into Jewish hands the prohibition on wearing colors in the stripes (a sign of rejoicing rather than mourning) has gradually faded in some circles and thus the emergence of the many colors you see used today. Once the Temple is rebuilt I think you will see much more rejoicing in the Judaica used in worship

b'Shalom
Henaynei

 

[BoazB]

There is a body of Jewish folk who believe they have recently rediscovered how to make this special and unique blue and you will see tzitzit with this blue strand incorporated.

I had heard this too.

 

[cyberlizard]

i was listening to dwight pryor on this subject expounding on the hebrew for blue, and there is a good link to it being a 'blue' derived from a snail, but you needed lots.

now we can synthesise this blue chemically without the need for the massacre of these poor defenseless creatures.

Steve

 

[BoazB]

i was listening to dwight pryor on this subject expounding on the hebrew for blue, and there is a good link to it being a 'blue' derived from a snail, but you needed lots.

now we can synthesise this blue chemically without the need for the massacre of these poor defenseless creatures.

Steve

Yes it was this snail I had heard about. I had heard that it was thought that the snail had become extinct, but recently has been rediscovered. I wonder if the use of blue again, and this snail being discovered might fit into End-Times prophecy?

 

[visionary]

http://www.bibletopics.com/BIBLESTUDY/14.htm

 

[Ivy]

Thanks Henaynei, I always wondered about this too.

 

[Sephania]

I have been looking as some talliots and was wondering if the different coloured strips meant anything. Blue, white and black seem to be the predominant ones.
Many thanks in advance.
Tracey

You have probably noticed there are light blue, and medium blue and dark blue as well as black. As Henaynei said about the black, the only thing I will add is this today is usually reserved for elderly men, but was originally a misinterpretation of the law by Rambam on the color, and also because in Eurpoe where this was used the most black dye was cheaper. The Light blue is a chosen color for bar mitzvah age boys and the mediuum blue from say 18-21 to middle age, then the dark blue past that and the black for the 'sage age'

If you are buying for a young man I would suggest the medium blue which is the most readily available, but today any color goes! The important thing is the responsibility that comes with wearing one, it is not so much the tallis itself, but the tzitzit that hang from it, as they represent HaShem and his commandments.

 

[Henaynei]

You have probably noticed there are light blue, and medium blue and dark blue as well as black. As Henaynei said about the black, the only thing I will add is this today is usually reserved for elderly men, but was originally a misinterpretation of the law by Rambam on the color, and also because in Eurpoe where this was used the most black dye was cheaper. The Light blue is a chosen color for bar mitzvah age boys and the mediuum blue from say 18-21 to middle age, then the dark blue past that and the black for the 'sage age'

If you are buying for a young man I would suggest the medium blue which is the most readily available, but today any color goes!

The important thing is the responsibility that comes with wearing one, it is not so much the tallis itself, but the tzitzit that hang from it, as they represent HaShem and his commandments.

Very good information of whgich I was unaware! Great Keli!!

And as you said - the actual Tallit garment is of no importance without the TziTzit, for G-d said the purpose of the TziTzit was that one would look upon them, and remember the Torah to do the commandments and avoid following after their own desires and lusts.

B'Midbar 15

37 ADONAI said to Moshe, 38 "Speak to the people of Isra'el, instructing them to make, through all their generations, tzitziyot on the corners of their garments, and to put with the tzitzit on each corner a blue thread. 39 It is to be a tzitzit for you to look at and thereby remember all of AD-NAI's mitzvot and obey them, so that you won't go around wherever your own heart and eyes lead you to prostitute yourselves; 40 but it will help you remember and obey all my mitzvot and be holy for your G-d. 41 I am AD-NAI your G-d, who brought you out of the land of Egypt in order to be your G-d. I am AD-NAI your G-d."

 

[BoazB]

I had googled on "Tallis Israel", or something to that effect, and found a wonderful site selling Tallis in an amazing array of colours. Once, when enquiring at a gift shop, found prices of Tallis to be VERY expensive, but ... it won't be an everyday purchase. It's a good test to see how serious one is about the L-rd.

 

[Hadassah]

Good stuff Keli!!

 

[Henaynei]

wool and hand dyed Tallitot are very expensive ... but you can find simple nylon machine printed ones in the smaller "shawl" size that are very reasonible - these are good to use to become familar with the rules of conduct in the use of the Tallit and to get used to wearing and handling them

 

[Sephania]

Where did you get that lovely blue head covering Henaynei, I haven't seen that in the armory.

 

[Henaynei]

Where did you get that lovely blue head covering Henaynei, I haven't seen that in the armory.

LOL - it's there under Helmets