Ben – Page 21 – Ben's Tallit Shop

Tefillin Dakkot vs. Tefillin Dakkot Ohr Echad

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...

Bar Mitzvah Planning – Tallit & Tefillin

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...

Tallit Care and Cleaning

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...

Chabad Tallis and Tzitzis: What Sets Them Apart

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...

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

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...

Tallit & Tzitzit

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...

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

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...

Yemenite Tzitzit

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...

Techelet Tzitzit: Does the Dye Have to Be from a Kosher Animal?

Over the past few months I have received several inquiries about whether the dye used to make techelet tzitzit has to be made from a kosher animal. For instance, just yesterday I received the following inquiry from someone in eastern Washington state who has been looking into various tzitzit and techelet topics: In my research...

Techelet Tzitzit Tying – Raavad, Rambam, Gra, Chinuch

One of my customers sought my help in putting together his "dream tallit." All the details were finally settled, including techelet tzitzit, but then when it came time to decide how to tie the techelet, he ran into uncertainties. At first he wanted to follow the regular Ashkenazi tying custom, but I explained to...

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