Judaism - Jewish clothing

Tallith

• also known as the prayer shawl traditionally worn by Jewish men during morning prayer services, festivals and on the Sabbath.

• Reform and Liberal Jewish women now choose to wear a tallith

• has 613 fringes known as ‘tzitzits’ which represent the 613 commandments or mitzvot that Jews have to follow.

• After death, the tallith is often wrapped around the body

• 2 types : tallith godol, tallith katan

• commanded to wear them in the torah

Kippah

• often referred to as a skull cap

• worn by Jews as a sign of Jewish identity

• Orthodox faith = kippah is worn by Jewish men at all times (apart from sleeping or washing).

• Liberal and Reform faith = some women choose to wear the kippah if they are doing anything holy, (holy days, reading the Torah, in the synagoge)

• there is no commandment for Jews to wear the kippah,

• seen as a sign of respect to God to cover your head.

Tefillin

• mainly worn by Orthodox Jewish men during morning prayer.

• two leather boxes which contain words from the Shema.

• tied onto the arm with the leather strap it is attached to, and the other box is tied to the head.

• This signifies that God must be served with thoughts and with the heart.

• based on biblical law “must always be on your mind”

• commanded to wear in the torah

Sources of authority

1. Talltih - Numbers 15

2. Tefillin - Deuteronomy 6: 5-9