Ben – Page 11 – Ben's Tallit Shop

Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan on Tefillin

For our site visitors who would like an introduction to the basics of the mitzvah of tefillin, we are posting an excerpt from a book by the late Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan. "There is no description of tefillin , nor any hints as to how they must be made. The Torah merely outlines their contents and...

Is your tallit kosher?

Our customers often want to know whether all of our tallits are kosher. Recently we got an inquiry from a customer who had already placed an order. Hi, my name is Karen and I've just purchased the Prime A.A Tallit and wanted to know if it will come with a certificate station that it is...

Tefillin: Why are some more expensive than others?

This week we got a question sent in from a grandmother in the US trying to buy a kosher set of tefillin for her soon-to-be-13-year-old grandson. I'm in search of a set of tefillin and was directed to . I'm wondering if you could tell me the difference in cost for what seem to be...

Home or shul: Where should you put on your tallis and tefillin?

The Shulchan Aruch tells us, "Those who are careful to wear a tallis katan should don it and lay tefillin at home, and then wallk, wearing tzitzis and crowned with tefillin, to the synagogue and there wrap himself in a tallis gadol" (O.C. 25, 2). The reason is that the Zohar says it is a...

Do I need a lightweight tallis during the summer?

We often get customers who ask about lightweight tallit options. On one hand they want a traditional wool tallit, but on the other hand they start feeling too warm just hearing the word "wool." Here's a recent inquiry: I'm considering the Kmo Turkish tallis. I live in the southeastern U.S. and I'm a bit concerned...

Cleaning and replacing old tzitzit

My own talleisim ketanim have lasted for years, and I've replaced the tzitzit several times. But for most people replacing tzitzit strings is not such a simple proposition, and they would prefer to keep them in good condition for as long as possible. Here's an inquiry we received this week: Hi- great website! Do you have...

The techelet debate: Halacha or hashkafa?

After over a thousand years during which we were unable to observe the mitzvah of techeles in tzitzis, in recent years, strong proofs for the identity of the original chilazon have come to light and the dyeing technique has been revived. It now appears quite reasonable to assert that the mitzvah of tzitzis can...

Types of tefillin: What’s the difference?

Making the battim (the leather boxes which house the tefillin parchments) of the Shel Yad is relatively straightforward, since it's just a simple compartment that's smooth on the outside. On the other hand, the Shel Rosh not only has a letter ש painstakingly embossed on both sides, but also it is formed of four separate,...

Buying a shofar from Israel: What you see is what you get?

The big problem with buying a shofar online is that you're in for a surprise. It could be a pleasant surprise, or you might be a bit disappointed. The way most online shofar dealers operate is that they post dozens of spectacular stock photos of various shofars, with a disclaimer in small print saying,...

Wrapped up in your tallit

A large proportion of our customers are Sephardic. Recently we had a return customer who wanted a bigger talit, because he wants to start wearing it wrapped around him. Hi, Ben. I bought a Beit Yosef Tallit from you two years ago, and you were able to put in the medium size tzitzit, tied 10-5-6-5...

Entries by Ben