Ben

Ashkenazi with Sephardic Tzitzit

May 072013

In my line of work, usually the questions customers email to me are fairly run-of-the-mill. Questions like, “Can I switch the atara on the Gvanim Tallit?” or “How do I have sidebands added to a Prima A.A. Tallit?” But occasionally I get a more piquant question, like this inquiry from Michael G.:

If I grew up Ashkenazi and want to tie the tzitzit in a Sephardic way, is that inappropriate? One friend said yes and the other no. The mitzvah is having tzitzit, but I am not sure.

Here’s my reply to Michael:

Malchut Tallit with Sephardic tzitzit

Thank you for your inquiry. I’m not qualified to answer your question – you should really try to get in touch with a good rav – but I’m going to put in my own two cents anyway. I would side with your friend who says no. Maintaining Jewish customs passed down through the generations should not be taken lightly. On one hand Sephardic tzitzit tying might be right for you, but when you look at the big picture it’s important that the Jewish people have a binding framework and don’t just follow the customs that appeal to them.

Just this week I was helping my son learn Mishnayos from Maseches Pesachim. In the fourth chapter there’s a series of cases where the Mishnah tells you there are two different customs and everyone must follow the local custom. Questions like: Can you work on Erev Pesach? Can you work on Tisha B’Av? Should you light candles for Yom Kippur?

The commentators explain that there is a good justification for each custom, it’s not just a case of being stricter or more lenient. And I think that applies to a certain extent to your question about tzitzit tying customs.

On the other hand, there is also value in creating your own personal pathway in Avodas Hashem. I know a redhead American with a Tennessee accent who decided he wants to follow the Rambam and Yemenite customs. He even wears traditional Yemenite attire. (He works as a realtor in Jerusalem, so as you can imagine, it’s a bid odd seeing him get into a car with with a client, wearing his robe and long peyos.)

And I have a neighbor in my building who is as Sephardic as they come. He never steps foot in the Ashkenazi shul across the street and he prays with a strong Baghdadi accent. Then one day his father came to visit and I saw the grandsons take him to shul and hand him a Nusach Ashkenaz siddur. That’s right: When my neighbor was a young man he went and “converted,” becoming Sephardic.

There are plenty of examples like that, and perhaps even more instances of Sephardim taking on various Ashkenazi customs. And who am I to judge them – especially since I myself adopted a special set of customs (the Gra, as per Maaseh Rav) over a decade ago.

So you see you really should consult with someone who knows you and is has a thorough understanding of halacha.

Michael also sent in a second, related question. If you’ve read this far into the post, you might find his other inquiry of interest as well.

On a Tallis Gadol, how would you tie them according to Sephardic custom – 7,8,11,13 the way I tie Ashkenazi, or 10,5,6,5? I tied one corner of my tallis katan 10,5,6,5 and the shamash was much longer than the others. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

On a tallit katan, the prevalent Sephardic custom is to tie 10-5-6-5, although many have a custom of tying Sephardic style 7-8-11-13. On a tallit gadol it’s almost never done 10-5-6-5.

Regarding the Shamash string, it’s always going to come out long when you tie 10-5-6-5. The manufacturer has to make it long enough to meet everyone’s needs, they don’t make a special set for 10-5-6-5. In fact usually the Shamash comes out a bit long, no matter how you tie.

I have a special set of ceramic (zirconium oxide) scissors. Of course most people don’t (unless they happen to be a tzitzit professional or a diehard angler), so to read about the issue of cutting tzitzit, see Long Tzitzit on Short Boys, Cutting Tzitzit and the fourth question listed in Tzitzit Tying Questions.

Ultimate Sephardic talit: Yosef’s pick

Tallit No Responses »

Apr 302013

A colleague of mine, Yosef, who lives and works in Jerusalem, has been in the talit business for 20 years. He deals with both Mishkan Hatchelet and Talitnia – Israel’s leading tallit makers – so he’s just the right person to ask for an objective comparison.

Malchut Tallit

Yesterday I spoke to him about two white-on-white wool talits: Tallit Malchut, made by Talitnia (often spelled “Talitania”), and Pe’er Beit Yosef by Mishkan Hatchelet. He said the Tallit Malchut is a nice tallit and well priced, but warned that after a year of daily use the fabric will look worn. Therefore he recommended it as a Shabbat tallit. I would add that it has the advantage of being lightweight, so if having a lightweight, non-slip talit is important to you, Malchut is the way to go.

In comparison Yosef said the Pe’er is more durable and more non-slip, which makes it worth the $10 or $15 price difference. Most telling of all is that he said that is what he wants as his next Shabbat talit: a Pe’er Beit Yosef with Yemenite-style netted fringes. He’s Sephardic, not Yemenite, but he likes the look of the netted fringes.

The Pe’er Beit Yosef is a talit made of the same fabric as Pe’er but instead of satiny stripes the striping is woven from the wool itself. Also the atara is all wool, which is a rarity. If you want a true 100% wool tallit with non-slip fabric and do not insist on lightweight, the Pe’er Beit Yosef is the way to go.

Buy a white-on-white Sephardic talit>>

Tefillin Dakkot vs. Tefillin Dakkot Ohr Echad

Tefillin No Responses »

Apr 092013

A prospective tefillin buyer recently sent in the following question regarding the types of tefillin we sell:

I’m doing some research before I buy my set of tefillin, and I was wondering what the difference is between the dakkot ones and the dakkot ohr echad?

Physically, the Tefillin Dakkot are slightly larger than the Tefillin Dakkot Ohr Echad and the finishing work is slightly superior.

The Shel Rosh must be made of a single piece of leather ("ohr echad").

In terms of halacha, the Dakkot Ohr Echad are superior. According to halacha, the Shel Rosh must be made of a single piece of leather (“ohr echad“). Among the Rishonim and Achronim there are various opinions as to what that requirement means.

1) Some say even various pieces of leather glued together (known as “Tefillin Peshutim”) are considered ohr echad.

2) According to other opinions the primary part of the Shel Rosh, known as the bayit, must be ohr echad, and then attached to the tatura (the base) and the maabarta (the back part of the base where the strap passes through).

3) According to stricter opinions, all three parts of the Tefillin Shel Rosh must be ohr echad. Almost all Tefillin Gassot today are ohr echad according to this definition.

Tefillin Dakkot Ohr Echad are made like the regular Dakkot, and then a very thin piece of leather is placed around the entire Shel Rosh, which gives it the status of ohr echad according to the stricter opinions.

However, keep in mind that all Tefillin Dakkot are easily damaged and are very difficult to repair, therefore if you have the means it is generally recommended that you invest in a set of Tefillin Gassot, which are very durable, an asset that generally pays off over time.

Buy Tefillin>>

Bar Mitzvah Planning – Tallit & Tefillin

Tallit, Tefillin No Responses »

Apr 072013

If you’re starting to look for a bar mitzvah tallit and tefillin, hopefully you still have plenty of time until the bar mitzvah. From my experience there are two types of parents: the type who start looking for a tallit and tefillin two or three months before the bar mitzvah, and others who start looking two or three weeks ahead of the big day.

Choosing a Bar Mitzvah Tallit

If you’re looking for a traditional tallit, be sure is made of wool tallit. Wool looks nicer, lasts longer and is the fabric of choice from a halachic standpoint. When comparing prices, be aware that the same tallit made of a synthetic material (typically acrylic) will cost at least 30% less. Most tallits are either all wool or all acrylic, but there are a few out there made of a wool/acrylic blend.

The more expensive type of wool tallit is made of a denser weave and may include special features such as wool corners and stain-resistant fabric. Many parents want a traditional-looking tallit, but want it personalized for their son. They may want to have a special atara (neckband) sewn on or have the bar mitzvah boy’s name embroidered on the tallit. Personally, I discourage name embroidery on the tallit, but certainly it’s very appropriate to have a name embroidered, in Hebrew or English, on a tallit bag. Expect to pay $1-$2 per letter.

Thinking of buying a handwoven tallit? Although handwoven wool tallits are common, you will also come across cotton and silk. Gabrieli is the only tallit maker I know of that works with all three materials. Their wool and cotton look very similar, although the cotton is a bit thinner and smoother in texture. A handwoven silk tallit is not the sheer silk of a silk blouse, because thick silk yarns are used. Compared to wool and cotton, a handmade silk tallit is somewhat thinner, more details and has higher sheen.

Keep in mind that a handmade wool tallit can cost anywhere from $200 to $600 and up.

Tallit Color Options

As noted above, the age-old wool tallit is invariably white with black stripes. Some Sephardic Jews have a custom of opting for a white tallit with white stripes, which has a very elegant and distinguished look. Ivory and off-white handwoven tallits look traditional, yet unique and distinctive at the same time. White with blue stripes seems to be a popular choice among bar mitzvah tallit buyers, possibly because it is not too eccentric, yet adds a bit of color and flare.

Bar Mitzvah Tefillin

Keep in mind that the halacha specifically states that one should spend more money on tefillin than on the tallit (Mishnah Berurah). Beware of bar mitzvah packages, which usually come with very poor quality tefillin that could easily be not kosher. In fact, often the tallit that comes with such package deals is also mediocre quality.

What is inside the boxes?
The box of the tefillin shel rosh (head tefillin) has four separated compartments, each with a specially prepared parchment or vellum (known as klaf) on which a different passage from the Torah is written? The tefillin shel yad (arm tefillin) has a single compartment containing a parchment with verses.

How are the Torah passages on the tefillin parchments written?
The texts must be written on properly prepared parchment or vellum called klaf. The style of the lettering varies among Jews of different backgrounds (e.g. Sephardic, Ashkenazi, Chabad), but the halachic requirements are almost identical.
The parchments placed inside a set of tefillin must be written by a trained sofer, or ritual scribe. A sofer should be stricty observant, have exemplary character and be knowledgeable about the laws of sofrut. After learning the halachic intricacies of sofrut the sofer-in-training generally does an apprenticeship (shimush) under an expert scribe. By the time a sofer writes his first set of tefillin he has typically spent 2-3 years learning his craft.

How much should a pair of kosher tefillin cost?
If you find tefillin for $200 beware! For “bar mitzvah tefillin” or a first set of inexpensive tefillin, expect to pay at least $200 if you want to be certain they are really kosher. Inexpensive types of tefillin are referred to as tefillin peshutim, tefillin peshutim mehudarim and tefillin dakkot. Tefillin with very well-written parchments, well-crafted boxes, thick leather and quality straps generally cost anywhere from $500 to $1,000, and top quality tefillin with all the strictest halachic features and frills can run upwards of $1,200.

What are “tefillin peshutim?”
Tefillin peshutim employ a simple design. The head tefillin (“tefillin shel rosh“) is made using several pieces of parchment to form the inner walls and glued within a slit square to divide it into the four required compartments.

What are “tefillin peshutim mehudarim?”
Tefillin peshutim mehudarim can be roughly translated as “superior simple design.” The boxes are made from a single piece of leather as required. When complete, tefillin peshutim mehudarim look almost identical to the more expensive cowhide type, but are less durable.

What are “tefillin dakkot?”
“Dak” means thin in Hebrew. Tefillin dakkot are made by stretching a thin layer of parchment over a structural base similar to the peshutim. This outer parchment forms the entire box of the tefillin, which is halachically preferable. Because of its thin design the tefillin can become halachically invalid relatively easily. Today tefillin dakkot can be hard to find. But keep in mind that until 100 years ago all tefillin were tefillin dakkot.

What are “tefillin gassot?”
“Gas” means “coarse” or “thick.” Tefillin gassot are made entirely out of a single piece of thick leather, from the cheeks and the neck of the cow, where the hide is thickest. Working such thick leather into a finely finished product requires the repeated use of several tons of pressure in industrial presses as part of a complicated, but delicate production process. The resulting battim (boxes) are so durable and thick they typically last a lifetime.

What are bar mitzvah tefillin?
Some tefillin dealers refer to their least expensive type of tefillin as “bar mitzvah tefillin.” Typically they are tefillin peshutim (see above). About a month before the bar mitzvah (customs vary) the father or a rabbi or mentor teaches the young man how to lay tefillin correctly and with reverence.

What sizes do tefillin come in?
Standard tefillin boxes measure 31-35 mm. Very large tefillin boxes, typically worn by Lubavitcher chassidim, are 40 mm or more. The smallest size, often worn by Sephardim who wear both Rashi and Rabbeinu Tam tefillin at the same time, are typically 22 mm and are actually more expensive than the standard size.

How are tefillin straps made?
The straps must also be made of leather from the skin of a kosher animal and be painted black on the upper side. The tefillin straps pass through a passageway at the back of the lower base (the ma’avarta) and are tied into special knots that form the letters dalet and yud.

Tallit Care and Cleaning

Tallit No Responses »

Apr 022013

We recently received the following inquiry from a tallit buyer:

The tallit arrived today! Thanks much! May I launder it? Hot/cold? Machine dry ok? Please advise.

Almost all of the traditional tallits we sell are 100% wool, therefore they cannot go into a washing machine at all. Most people recommend they be dry cleaned. Make sure you go to a reliable dry cleaner that won’t ruin the tzitzit.

One specialty dry cleaner in Ohio claims a tallit should not be dry cleaned, but rather hand washed with a mild fragrance-free hypoallergenic detergent, and then drip dried. At that particular dry cleaners they even lay a pressing cloth made of Egyptian muslin on the pressing board, both above and beneath the tallit, to ensure that during the pressing process the tallit does not come in contact with any wool fibers that may be on the pressing board.

In shul I frequently see a tallit that was obviously washed improperly. The fabric is no longer as smooth and the fringes are bunched up into bushy knobs. (To be honest, I sort of like the fringes like that, but I think many other people might not.) Also, wool is very hard to iron well.

But if you only wear the tallit during tefillah and keep it in a tallit bag or some other bag so it doesn’t draw dust, it shouldn’t need cleaning for at least 6-12 months of daily use, or longer if you wear it only on Shabbos. Normally tallits only get soiled quickly if kids with sticky fingers come too close or if you keep it on after the tefillah during a Kiddush.

More Resources:

Tzitzit Cleaning Tips>>

Chabad Tallis and Tzitzis: What Sets Them Apart

Tallit, Tzitzit No Responses »

Mar 132013

Chabad has a propensity for doing things their own way, and the Chabad tallis and Chabad tzitzis are no exception. The Chabad tallis has a unique, elaborate striping pattern and a second hole on each corner. The tzitzis tying method employs a very creative innovation of inserting the shamash through the second hole, which acts as an anchor to keep the tzitzit from sliding around the corner to the wrong side. And the Chabad tallis features another trait that sets it apart: it is just about the only tallit (besides the Turkish tallit) that does not have an atara.

Chabad tallis: No atara

The custom of sewing on an atara originated to ensure that the tallit was worn the same way each day; not simply to make sure it is not worn upside-down, but to keep the same two tzitzits in front and the same two tzitzits in back every time the tallit is worn. The Shlah explains this is in keeping with the teaching that in the Mishkan (the Tabernacle), the northern boards had an established merit to occupy the north side, the eastern boards the east side, etc.

However, some halachic authorities seemed to be concerned the atara would dominate the tallit, stealing the limelight from the essential mitzvah: the tzitzit.

: Chabad tallis katan

The Lubavitcher custom is to sew a silk lining to the underside of the tallis where the head goes so that the Chabad tallis is always the same way, yet there is no atara to draw attention away from the tzitzit.

Chabad Tallis Katan

Similarly the Chabad tallis katan is a bit different from the standard wool tallit katan. Usually a tallit katan has a t-neck, whereas the Chabad tallis katan has a round neck. Like the Chabad tallit gadol there are silk fabric squares sewn onto the corner. While most Chassidim have horizontally aligned holes on their tallit katan, on the Chabad tallis katan the tzitzit holes are diagonally aligned. And while usually a wool tallit katan has fringes along the front bottom edge, the Chabad tallis katan has a straight hem.

Go to Chabad Tallit and Tallit Katan>>

Sizing a Traditional Tallit: Size 55, Size 60 or Size 70?

Tallit No Responses »

Mar 032013

A former customer recently contacted me, saying someone in his congregation wants a tallit just like his, but needs my input on the sizing. He wrote:

Hi. I’d like to order another tallit with techeilet please
All white
Size 60 (the person is five foot eleven … Is that the right size for him?)
Tied according to the GRA

I wrote back that actually he might be able to determine the right size for his friend better than I.

I’m 5’7″ and I wear a Size 60. It comes down in back to about mid-thigh. But some people like their tallit to drape down further (which I think looks more elegant), while others prefer it shorter, which is more manageable for some people. “If he has seen you in it that would be a good way to gauge what he’d like,” I explained. “At 5’11″ I think he might want a tallit that measures Size 70.”

One other piece of key information is that a Size 55 tallit is 10 cm (4 inches) shorter in lenth, so when worn it will be something like 1 inch shorter in front and 3 inches longer in back compared to a Size 60. And a Size 70 tallit is 10 cm (4 inches) longer in lenth, so when worn it will be something like 1 inch longer in front and 3 inches longer in back compared to a Size 60.

As you can see the size differences are not extreme, so you don’t have to be too concerned, but I wanted to provide you all the information you might need. I hope I’m not making this sound too complicated.

For more comprehensive tallit sizing info, try using our Tallit Size Wizard>>>

Tallit & Tzitzit

Tallit, Tzitzit No Responses »

Feb 142013

I recently received an interesting inquiry from a prospective customer. I’m not 100% sure what he meant, but I decided to write a detailed response that covers several points related to his question on tallit and tzitzit. His brief question was as follows:

I just wondered if the tallit and tzitzits you sell are of the same brand used by the Haredis of Jerusalem especially Mea Shearim?

Based on the question my assumption was that he wants to be sure the tallit and tzitzit he buys are completely kosher, so I touched on various topics related to the halacha of tallit and tzitzit:

Thank you for your inquiry. There are dozens of tallit and tzitzit manufacturers in Israel. The two leading companies are Mishkan HaTchelet (distributed in the U.S. by Keter) and Talitania (also spelled Talitnia). All of our traditional tallit and tzitzit products are made by Mishkan Hatchelet. They have three factory outlet stores in Geula, which is Jerusalem’s “Charedi downtown” and it borders Meah Shearim. Their products adhere to very high halachic standards. (If you can read Hebrew, click here.)

For instance, one of the important details to keep in mind when making a tallit or tallit katan is the placement of the tzitzit holes. The Torah says explicitly that the tzitzit must be placed on the kanaf, which literally means “corner.” The Karaites decided this means right on the corner itself. I’m not sure how they get tzitzit to stay there, but I’ve heard that’s what they do. On the other hand Chazal learned, based on various proofs, that kanaf means the corner, but not too close to the edge. It comes out that the holes for the tzitzit should be located 4.8-6.0 cm from the edges. That may sound easy, but I have come across products made by small manufacturers (and handwoven tallits) where the tzitzit holes are too far or too close to the edges, rendering the tzitzit invalid. This is fairly rare, but two or three times I’ve had to reject products.

If you are concerned about making sure the tallit and tzitzit you buy are perfectly kosher, I would advise you to avoid machine-spun tzitzit. Handspun tzitzit only cost about $6 more, and from a halachic standpoint it’s worth the money. (If you’d like to understand why, refer to my post, “Kosher Tzitzit: A Matter of Intent“.) Also, according to some opinions it’s best to fulfill the mitzvah of tzitzit with a wool tallit or tallit katan, not cotton. (See my post, “Four Reasons to Opt for a Wool Tallit Katan” and another post titled “Tzitzit: Cotton or wool?“.)

One stringency that some (but not most) charedim insist on is tzitzit known as lashonot hatzemer. If I’m not mistaken this stringency is based on a psak (halachic ruling) by HaRav Yitzchak Yaakov Weiss zt”l. We have a few sets of these available, so if you’re interested, let me know. They cost a few dollars more than the standard handspun tzitzit strings.

Tzitzit strings…pre-tied and tzitzit made of colored yarn?

Tzitzit No Responses »

Feb 132013

If you do a Google search for the word “tzitzit,” some of the top-ranking websites you see are maintained by Christians. We recently received the following email from a woman in the state of Washington:

I see, while browsing on the Web, many tzitzit made from colored cotton yarns, including beads, and already tied, just with a loop at the top. Are these in conformance with Jewish practice?

I have seen these websites, too. The vast majority of them are sites maintained by Christians who like to observe certain biblical commandments in their own way (“Messianic Jews”).

Kosher tzitzit strings must be spun with the intent to fulfill the mitzvah (see “Kosher Tzitzit Strings: A Matter of Intent“). And tzitzit must be tied directly on a tallit or garment, not pre-tied, since the verse says, “And you shall make tzitzit on the corner of your garment” (Bamidbar 15:38).

I noticed that one of these websites offers “installation instructions.”

A third problem with these tzitzit, although less severe, is that the custom, according to the Shulchan Aruch, is to make white tzitzit, not colored tzitzit. The techelet (blue) strings mentioned in the same verse cited above is the exception, of course.

Yemenite Tzitzit

Tallit, Tzitzit No Responses »

Feb 032013

When I first decided to learn how to tie Yemenite tzitzit, it wasn’t easy. The online videos I watched were very hard to follow, so I went to a local Yemenite Jew and he taught me very patiently, but I didn’t really get the hang of it. Then I went to an Ashkenazi yeshiva bachur who wore Ptil Tekhelet which he tied according to the Rambam. He kept telling me that if I understood the logic behind the form of the knot, it would be easier, but I actually found the opposite to be true. And my knots still came out wrong. Finally I went to another local Yemenite. He taught me just as his father had taught him when he was a kid. The technique was easier for me to grasp and the knots started to come out right.

In recent months the number of orders we receive for Rambam tzitzit tying has gone up, so I tried outsourcing some of the work, but they kept tying the knots really close, which I feel is less aesthetic. It also leaves you with a very short tied section and a very long loose section.

Although tying according to the Rambam tzitzit tying method seems complicated, once you get it down pat I find it to be less time-consuming than Sephardic tzitzit tying, and certainly Chabad tzitzit tying. Of course if you are tying with techelet strings, things get more complicated.

Older Entries