| Women's Tallit And Tzitzit | | | | "Women and slaves are exempt (from the tzitzit) |
| Tzitzit are fringes attached to the four corners of | | | | because this is a positive, timebound mitzvah". |
| each tallit for women and for men, or a special | | | | Moses Isserles, was a Rabbi and Talmudist, |
| four-cornered garment (arba kanfot or tallit katan) in | | | | renowned for his fundamental work of Halakha and |
| fulfilment of the biblical commandment: | | | | the Shulkhan Arukh, adds: |
| "And the Lord spoke to Moses saying: Speak to | | | | "If they (women) wish to wrap themselves in a tallit |
| the children of Israel and bid them that they make | | | | for woman and make a blessing over it, then it is up |
| fringes on the corners of their garments throughout | | | | to them, as with other timebound, positive mitzvot. |
| their generations, and that they put upon the fringes | | | | But if they do put the talit for woman on, it will |
| of the corners a thread of blue. And it shall be to | | | | appear to be a show of haughtiness or pride in their |
| you for a fringe, that you may look upon (and you | | | | piety. Therefore, they should not wear tzitzit since it |
| shall see it) and remember all the commandments of | | | | is not an obligation which resides in the person |
| the Lord and do them." (Num.15:37-41) | | | | themselves (lo chovat gavra) but rather in the |
| "And you shall make yourself twisted cords upon | | | | garment". |
| the four corners of your covering, wherewith you | | | | Isserles' point becomes clearer if we examine one of |
| cover yourself". (Deuteronomy 22:12) | | | | the commentators on the Shulchan Aruch, the Ba'er |
| In the first reference to the tzitzit above, the | | | | Hetev, who writes: |
| phrase "children of Israel" is ambiguous as the male | | | | "It is explained that he is not obligated to buy a tallit |
| plural form is always used in Hebrew when addressing | | | | ... because in all events, any time he is not wearing |
| mixed groups. It is, therefore, possible to interpret | | | | the tallit even if he has a four-cornered garment, he |
| this command, originally intended to indicate that | | | | is exempt from (the mitzvah of) tzitzit. And it is not |
| Jews wore outer garments with fringes, as | | | | a personal duty because he is not obligated to |
| incumbent on men and women. | | | | purchase a tallit in order to fulfil the obligation of |
| This is, in fact, how the Talmud interprets the | | | | tzitzit. Only if he owns a tallit of four corners and |
| command in the first instance. In tractate Menachot | | | | wears it, is he obligated with regard to tzitzit". |
| 643a we read that everyone is obligated concerning | | | | In other words, the mitzvah of tzitzit and tallit is |
| the tzitzit - Kohenim, Leviyyim, Yisraelim, converts, | | | | something you can only fulfil if in possession of the |
| women and slaves. Then a comment by Rabbi Simon | | | | requisite garment. You need not to own a tallit and |
| follows: | | | | do not need to purchase one in order to fulfil the |
| "Rabbi Simon exempted women because this was a | | | | obligation to wear tzitzit. The implication of Isserles is |
| positive mitzvah limited by time and from all positive, | | | | that a woman who would go out of her way to |
| timebound mitzvot women are exempt". | | | | purchase a tallit for women must be showing off her |
| This view was reinforced by subsequent codifiers. In | | | | piety. No such implication exists for the man who |
| the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayyim 17:2), Joseph | | | | goes out to purchase a tallit. Indeed, it has become |
| Caro writes: | | | | customary for men to do so. |