שמע ישראל יהוה אלהינו יהוה אחד
Hear intelligently with attention and interest, comprehend and obey, O Yisra'el, יהוה our 'Elohiym is יהוה alone!
–Dabariym [deuteronomy] 6:4 His Name Tanakh**
Revised: prd 01-10-2012
Easy to follow (and downloadable) instructional pictures for tying tsiytsith (tassels) follows the article.
יהוה commands us to wear tsiytsith (tassels) on our garments:
Bemidbar [numbers] 15:37-41:
37. And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying:
38. Speak to the sons of Yisra'el, and say to them: Make tsiytsith on the edge, extremity and wings of their coverings and clothing throughout their generations, and that they put upon the tsiytsith of the edge, extremity and wings a ribbon of blue:
39. And it will be to you a tsiytsith, that you may look upon it, to mark and remember all the commandments of יהוה, and do them; that you meander not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you used to commit adultery and to commit idolatry;
40. That you may mark and remember and do all, any or every one of My commandments, and be Qadowshiym to your 'Elohiym.
41. I am יהוה 'Elohkiym, Who brought you out, from out of the land of Mitsrayim, to be your 'Elohiym. I am יהוה 'Elohkiym!
Dabariym [deuteronomy] 22:12:
You will make you tassels upon the four outer edges, extremities or wings of your covering or veil, with which you cover yourself.
The 'Ibriy (Hebrew) root-word kanaph (כנפ kaw-nawf' from H3671), used in both Bemidbar [numbers] 15:38 and Dabariym [deuteronomy] 22:12, actually comes via a root word ('Ibriy root H3670) meaning "hidden in the wings of a bird [or garment]" and refers to the outer limit, outer place or portion, or outer edge or extremity of some thing or place. It is also used to describe a flap of an article of clothing or bed covering as well as a fourth part of the earth; from wence we get the expression "the four-corners of the globe." This word is usually translated as hem or border and is also often mistranslated as corners in most English translations.
In Yesha'yahuw [isaiah] 11:12 the word is wrongly translated as "from the four-corners of the earth" and is the same word for 'corners' (in the mistranslations) in numbers 15:38. The same word in many English versions in Yesha'yahuw [isaiah] 24:16 is translated "From the uttermost part..." clearly showing the religionists are quite content to play 'loosie goosy' with the 'Ibriy language, as Yechezqe'l [ezekial] 7:2 has "four corners of the land" when the verse should actually read "..far reaches / extremeties of the land."
This word is used in 'Iyowb [job] 37:3 & 38:13 and literally describes the "far-reaching" places, but in many English versions has also been rendered as "the four-corners" most of the time. This word has often been subject to mistranslation by the gowyim [nations], most notably prior to and during the medieval period largely in part because they believed the world to be flat. Some English translations (usually interlinears) do denote the difference, while just as many continue to use the word erroneously.
The 'Ibriy [Hebrew] word mequwts'ah (H4742 - מקצעה mek-oots-aw'; meaning to scrape or plane into a corner or square) as in Shemot (exodus) 36:28 depict the corners of the mishkan (tabernacle) and shows that 'Ibriy does, indeed, have the ability to clearly denote the difference between the edge of something and an actual corner.
The 'Ibriy [Hebrew] word Chuwg (חוּג khoog - meaning circle) is used in Yesha'yahuw [isaiah] 40:21 to describe the earth as a circle– just to let you know we 'Ibriym also know/knew that the earth is round.
The Hebrew word for the blue we are commanded to put in tzitzit is tekhelet (from: hebrewshepherd.com)
"The Hebrew word for the blue we are commanded to put in tzitzit is tekhelet. In Hebrew techelet is spelled Taw - Kaph - Lam - Taw. The Taw is the picture of two sticks crossed representing a mark or sign to mark a place (x marks the spot). The Kaph represents the open palm of a hand. "The meaning of this letter is bend and curve from the shape of the palm as well as to tame or subdue as one who has been bent to another's will (Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible pg26)." The Lam is the picture of a shepherds staff, a shepherds staff was used in herding to direct the flock of sheep and also was used as a weapon used to defend against predators. So we see here that the blue of the tzitzit represents a sign or mark that our will is submitted or bent toward YAH's leading and protection in our life. That we give up our own ways for His perfect ways Amein." –hebrewshepherd.com
It's quite simple, really. While יהוה does indeed command us to wear tsiytsith (tassels) on the outer-extremities of our garments there is, however, no specific set of instructions giving us a prescription on whether our clothing should be 'square' (good luck with that) or even how they are to be tied.
We are commanded merely to wear blue threads on our garments. The tying of fancy knots spelling out יהוה's Name is nothing more than a tradition, passed down through my brother Yehuwdah (Judaism). This is no infraction (meaning it is not a violation) of the Towrah on 'his' part, for although it is not a requirement to have any type of specialized tie-up, it is definitely not forbidden either. It is also not a requirement to mix it with other colors of threads (neither white nor any other colors). You can choose to put a single simple blue thread at each 'extremity' of your garment– just tie on a blue string (either all wool or all cotton or another type of thread– do not use mixed i.e. different types of thread in one weave, such as wool and cotton together). You may choose to tie the "יהוה" knot if you desire to. It should be noted that length is not an issue, either. How long is entirely up to you and would depend on the activity you are engaged in. Very long strings have the tendency to get caught in things (machinery, etc).
Many talmudists teach that we are to wear 'white' only because we lack the required elements for making true tsiytsith. What we need is a Tame' (the foul or impure) snail and its blood to obey יהוה! Never mind the command by which we are enjoined to avoid the Tame' (Wa'iyqrah [leviticus] 5:2 & 3; Wa'iyqrah [leviticus] 7:19-21; among others); by all means lets wear the critters blood. Might as well slap on a little pig-fat to avoid sun-burn while we're at it.
Techelet is wool dyed with the blood extracted from a sea animal called the chilazon [possibly the Murex trunculus].
So why is it not so common today to have a techelet fringe on the tallit or tzitzit? At a certain point in history, approximately 1000 years ago, the chilazon, which was always hard to come by -- to the extent that the Talmud tells us that it only surfaced once every seventy years -- became unavailable altogether. After a while, its exact identity became unknown. Rabbi Menachem Posner
This snail was/is an exceedlingly difficult item to obtain in ancient times and was used, primarily, by the ruling-class elite (the very wealthy) in foreign-nations to dye their royal clothes. Wa'iyqrah [leviticus] 11:10 tells us that not only is this tame', but is also an שֶׁקֶץ sheqets [from Strongs H8263 sheh' kets] thing to us. This word means 'filth' and refers specifically to an idolatrous object. Its root word [Strongs H8262] describes the 'state of being filthy' and causing to loathe or to taint or contaminate. And yet this status symbol was brought to the House of Yisra'el via the diaspora through the mingling and assimilation process and declared wholesome to "The Title." Everybody wants to belong (especially if it keeps you alive and if wealth is involved, so much the better). Wa'iyqrah [leviticus] 22:6 & 6 tells us we may not touch these dead 'creepers' and eat the qodesh [set-apart, ] foods. How anyone was\is supposed to keep the commanded peçach or Chag Matsowth (math-soth) [Feast of Unleavened Bread] wearing pig-fat sunblocker and snail-blood strings is beyond my ken (comprehension).
Again, it is not forbidden to tie the "knot" anyway you desire to, but this business of thinking you have to purchase (or beg for) a "special set" to be Qadowshiym (set-apart ones) is foolishness. Many of the 'give away' sites of the xtian and messie-anic movements make it an imperative of some 'holy-ized' [sic] spiritualization which will position one toward some higher invisible plane, whereby a jewel can be added to your crown, by "helping a brother in his/her walk" if only enough of "the body" would donate tens, hundreds and even thousands of hours of desperately needed finger-bloodying-blistering sacrificial labor! Utterly ridiculous!
One such popular purveyor of messie-anicism [sic] self-indulgent ignorance notes:
"Since we began offering free sets of tassels we have been inundated with hundreds of requests for tassels (resulting in hundreds of hours worth of work to be done!). If you want to fulfill an important role in the body of Messiah, we need volunteers who are willing to send us sets of tassels. We are far behind what we are able to make and send out."
How can one get "far behind" in something, anything, that is neither commanded nor expected by יהוה is unfathomable to me. Far behind? Tell them to buy some blue thread! Going for the feely-wheelies of Man's made-up sensibilities and the religionists' susceptibility to seeking an emotional response to an erroneous teaching and set of beliefs, rather than the intent of the actual command from יהוה is preposterous. Neither you nor anyone else is capable of 'helping' someone in a walk for יהוה. Helping to follow in the death-throws of jezeus-shuwa the human-sacrifice, maybe, but to follow יהוה you need to learn and obey. For crying out loud– buy a piece of blue string 40" long and cut it into four pieces ten inches long and tie it to your article of clothing. Boom! You are now obeying one of יהוה's mitsuah. No especial fancy foot-work is required!
The choice is up to you! One string or several strings; doesn't matter– just make sure that one of the several strings is blue. Dark blue or light blue; doesn't matter– just make sure it is blue. Tie it by itself or with other colored strings; doesn't matter– just make sure it (one of them) is blue.
If you are able to afford something really nice (HalalYahh) then you might consider:
Hear O Yisra'el receives no "kick back" for this recommendation, but she does do fine work and she gave me these instructions.
Download a picture of these instructions; when the window opens right click and choose 'save' or 'save as'.
IMPORTANT NOTE: There is a glitch in the counter code that names the file "click.php" when you try to download it. Don't panic, merely select the 'save' or 'save as' options and point it to the folder you want it in, and RENAME it tassels.jpg -or- anynameyouwant.jpg BEFORE you click the save button. Just make sure you change the .php to .jpg. Do not forget the (dot)! I apologize for the inconvenience. [This problem seems resolved, I left the previous instructions "just in case" – it boils down to this: if you see click.php change it to somename.jpg and if you see ztassels.jpg, just push the save button]
Note: This should open a new window which you can close after the down load via the 'X' at the top right of the browser. If you are redirected to a new page in this window to download, simply use your browsers "back button" to return to this page.
Tsiysith downloads since 04-11-2010:
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