Understanding the Tallit
Our faith in Yeshuah (Jesus) the Messiah has Hebraic background.
We have been robbed of much depth of understanding its roots due to persecutions over centuries against true believers and Jews alike.
Numbers 15:37-41." - Make tzitziots (tassels) on the corners of your garments "to remember all the commandments of the Lord.. to be holy before the Lord"
Why?
"because I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt to be your God.."
What Is A Tallit (Plural: Talliot)?
Meaning of the Prayer-Shawl:
It is a garment made of one piece of material worn around the shoulders.
What Is A Tzitzi? (Plural: Tzitziot)
Also called gadilim (twisted tassel with a knot)
It is a lock, a fringe, a tassel, forelock of hair.
Where is it in Scripture?
Deuteronomy 22:12.
"You shall make tassels on the four corners of your garment with which you cover yourself."
Background Of The Tallit:
In the tallit is a lot of teaching. The teaching of the numbers called Gematria (Hebrew) it is the knowledge about numerical values.
Each word and number have numerical values. (numerology).
Each tassel (Tzitzis) should have 39 windings (7+8+11+13) they are separated by double knots. 26 is the numerical value of YHWH. (Yahweh)
To be surrounded by the Word and the presence of God in the symbols of the Prayer-Shawl.
Meaning Of Tallit: TALL is the Hebrew word for tent; IT is little in Hebrew.
Literal meaning is therefore:" little tent".
Paul coming from rabbinical background was not making a living from camping-tents. He was very intelligent and studied the Torah. Yes, he was a tallit maker understanding the meaning of each thread of the garment which needed study and accuracy.
See Acts 18:2-3.
Aquila and Priscilla had the same profession and could teach others. They were believing Jews persecuted in Rome for faith in Yeshuah. (See Acts 18)
A tallit is a garment used in prayer symbolizing (prophetically) embraced in the Spirit of G-d. It means to be physically, spiritually, emotionally covered by Hashem (God Adonai). It is a covering. A tallit is a prayer closet to experience the glory of the Lord when you are alone with Him. It is then put over the head to be free from worldly influences and concentrate on Him.
When Was It Used?
Believers in the Old Testament wore it all the time during prayer. Specially used at major festivals, funerals and major ceremonies:
Succoth (Feast of Tabernacles), Shavuot (Pentecost), Pesach (Easter), Yom Kippur (Day of atonement) etc.
Today:
Jewish believers use it for bar mitzvah's, circumcisions, Weddings (Ketubah’s) and burials. It is also used on Simchat Torah (the day after Succoth) to carry the Torah scrolls in the tallit. (first 5 books of the Old Testament are then carried in the prayer-shawl).
(A KETUBAH is a marriage contract. The ancient Hebrew wedding practice involving the marriage covenant and bride price: When a young man desired to marry a young woman in ancient Israel; the bride was usually chosen by the father of the bridegroom. The father made the arrangements as Samson’s father did for him (Judges 14:1-10). The father would send his trusted servant, known as the agent of the father, to search out the bride. An excellent example of this can be seen in Genesis 24. In this chapter, we see Abraham (a type of God the Father) wanting to secure a bride for Isaac (a type of the Messiah) and sends His servant Eliezer (a type of the Holy Spirit (Ruach Hakodesh) to do this task (Gen 15:2; 24:2-4). The young man would prepare a written contract (or covenant) for the engagement called, in Hebrew, a ‘Shitre Erusin.’ A second contract (or covenant) the ‘Ketubah’ is the marriage contract that states the bride price, the promises of the groom, and the rights of the bride. (The word Ketubah means ‘that which is written.’) The groom promised to work for her, to honor, support, and maintain her in truth, to provide food, clothing, and necessities, and to live together with her as husband and wife. The ‘Ketubah’ was the unalienable right of the bride. The ‘Ketubah’ must be executed and signed prior to the wedding ceremony. The young man would present the ‘Ketubah’ to the young woman and her father at the young woman's home. But the most important part of the contract was the bride price, the price that the young man was willing to pay to marry the young woman. This payment was to be made to the young woman's father in exchange for his permission to marry. The bride price was generally quite high.). Consider the price that the Lord Jesus Christ paid for each and every one of us!
The Tallit Symbolizes:
1. The brooding of God’s Spirit over the waters in Gen.1:2
2. The spreading of the wings of eagles in Deut. 32:11;Isa 40:31
3. Overshadowing of Most High (Holy Spirit) conception of Yeshuah in Luke 1:35 Shadow of Gods wings. Ps. 36:7
4. Overshadowing of God’s glory on Peter, John, James on Mt. Tabor. In Luke 9:28 (transfiguration),
5. Peter’s shadow for healing in Acts 5:14
6. The passing of the prophetic mantle from Elijah to Elisha In 2 Kin 2:13-14 Elisha struck the waters with the tallit.
7. The healing of the woman with the issue of blood Lk.8:43-48.
8. Raising the dead Mark 5:41 "tallit a cumi"; "come under my tallit and rise. "(tallit=covering; cumi=rise up).
9. Declaration that faith is for all nations. Jews and Gentiles alike. Acts 10:9, Peter, (his Hebrew name is Kefa) a Jew, receives a spiritual impression of a vision of a cloth coming down with unclean animals. This cloth is a tallit. Meaning: "He now can go and bring the Word to the Gentiles". Note: Peter did never eat the unclean animals. The vision of the tallit meant all nations are accepted by faith in Yeshuah and no-one is unclean, who follows the Lord. Peter got the message to not only teach Jews but also Gentiles.
10. Rev. 19:13-16 Tallit dipped in blood is the Word of God the robe Jesus wore had YHWH Echad on it meaning King of Kings and Lord of Lords. What kind of robe would our returning Yeshuah wear? When sitting upon His Throne with His tallit around Him saying: King of Kings and Lord of Lords...Yeshuah Ha Mashiah!!
11. Peter went into the empty tomb and found the tallit of Jesus. John 20:6-7 (a symbol of the Resurrection)
12. A covenant sign Ruth 3:9 "spread your tallit over me" During a Jewish wedding (called ketubah) the bride and groom are covered with the "chupah" a canopy which is a large tallit. It is either held over the couple by the four corners (Tzitzis) held by friends. We read in the Bible that in the last days goyim (gentiles) will cling to the Tzitzis of one Jew.
13. Matthew.14:36. The sick begged Him that they might only touch the Tzitzis of His garment and as many as touched it were made perfectly well.
14. In Revelations 4:8 we see the four living creatures with six wings who cry: "Holy, holy, holy." They surround the throne of God in the temple. Are we not the temple of the Holy Spirit of God? The Jewish flag is like a tallit: white and blue. If you put the Magen David in the middle (shield of David or Jewish star) it is. (Could this be a symbol for the Morning star too? The devil lost that title in Isaiah 14:12 and Yeshuah is the Morning star Rev. 22:16) To me personally the Jewish flag
Jesus Is The Lilley Of The Valley And The Bright And Morning star!!
In Numbers 24:5 Balaam had to curse Israel and could not.
"How lovely are your tents o Lord.. he said. All believers had the tallit over them in the desert making one big tabernacle. In the wilderness Moses set up a tent (tabernacle) of meeting according to the command of God. Two and a half million Jewish people could not have pitched a tent on desert sand. They were together each in their little tent. A protection from harm.
As the tallit is placed over the head, it forms a tent with the four Tzitzis on each corner. The word for corners in Hebrew is kanaph. This also means wings. It is the same word used for the wings of the Seraphim in Isa.6:2
As your arms are held out under the garment, wings are formed and each corner is a kanaph or wing.
Other Scriptures Mentioned In Connection With The Tallit:
Psalm 36:7: "shadow of Your wings"
Malachi 4:2: "healing in Your wings"
Ps. 84:1: "Lovely to be in Your tabernacles"
Ps. 61:4: "I will stay in your tent and trust in the shelter of Your wings."
Ps. 27:5-6: "In times of trouble, He hides me in His tallit and in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me etc."
In Ezekiel 16:8: the Lord speaks to Jerusalem: " I spread My (tallit) Wing over you (kanaph) and covered your nakedness.
In Psalm 91: we are able to abide "under the shadow of the Almighty" - and "under His wings."
Could there be a connection with the revival in England when Susanna Wesley prayed for her nation with a garment over her head? Her prayers changed the history of England.
There is power in the Name of Jesus. We may use our hands, feet and even clothes to help pray for revival in our homes, families and nations.
How To Wear The Tallit?
Wear it around your shoulders as you worship the Lord and intercede if you like. You can also wear it over your head. Some orthodox rabbis say that it is mandatory for a man to wear a tallit and it is optional for women. Do not let this stop you as a woman of God, from entering into its blessing by wearing it.
Galatians 3: 28 says that there is neither Greek nor Jew, male nor female. We are one in Christ Jesus. This is an antidote against inferiority. Use it prophetically.
Lettering On The Tallit:
This is called the "atarah" , the band on the top of the garment. It is called the crown of the garment. It is the blessing:
"Blessed art Thou, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to wrap ourselves in the Tzitzis."
The lettering is always on the outside just like the tent walls of the Holy Tabernacle so that they would always hang the same way.
Is Not It Religious To Wear A Tallit And Is It Necessary?
No it is not necessary at all and it is not religious either. It is in the Bible. God is teaching us through the natural Israel what it means to be in the Spirit of understanding for His Word. He is widening our tent-pegs. Is. 54:2..Every object-lesson is a step to understanding the full plan of God for our lives. It also teaches us to love the Bible and the Jewish background of the Word so we will not be tempted to be anti-Semitic. We will be ready for the End-time Plan and will be able to teach the Jewish people about their own Bible through the Spirit of Jesus.
Do you need covering today? Do you need healing? Do you need the love of the Almighty and the miracle power in your situation?
Come. For He is the God that healeth Thee. He is the Lord your Healer.
1 comment:
Very interesting. Thanks for posting that!
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