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Unless you are very new to exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith, you’ve come across the term “Tzitzit.” This week we’ll be exploring tzitzit in our Faith and Practice category. This is part one of a series.

Tzitzit, or tzitzis, are “fringes” or “tassels” worn by observant Jews on the corners of four-cornered garments. But what about those of us who have been joined to Israel through Messiah under the New Covenant? Should they be a part of our Torah-observant practice? And, if so, how do we observe this mitzvah (Hebrew for “commandment”)?

This week we’ll explore some of those issues. Feel free to speak up with your thoughts, ideas, or questions. Remember, I’m presenting my understanding and practice of the matter. What that means to you is between you and the Holy Spirit. What you add to the discussion will help shape and expand all of our inquiry into YHWH’s Torah.

But whether yea or nay on the mitzvah of tzitzits, I think all will benefit from the discussion. It’s always beneficial to arrive at a Spirit-led and Biblically-based conviction for our own walk with Messiah. Also, there are many among us who observe this mitzvah and it is helpful to understand what they are doing.

So the goal of our discussion here is not to convince, but to understand. Understand the practice of others, and seek understanding from the Spirit as to our personal application of Torah on this topic.

So let’s get started at the beginning. As with most issues of our faith and practice, there is a Biblical way and there is a Rabbinical way. And the two are often very different.

There is much developed practice and tradition regarding observance of this mitzvah among our Yehudi (Jewish/Tribe of Judah) brethren. Though their application of Torah is not binding, as Torah, there is nothing wrong with learning from, or even adopting some of, their traditional teaching and practice.

We’ll undoubtedly bring that into the discussion at some point, but we’ll benefit greatly from determining first the actual Torah:

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes [tzitzit: fringe] in the borders [kanaph: corners,ends] of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe [tzitzit: fringe] of the borders [kanaph: corners,ends] a ribband of blue: And it shall be unto you for a fringe [tzitzit: fringe], that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God. I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God. (Numbers 15:37-41 KJV)

Biblical Function of Tzitzit
From these verses, we see that the tzitzit perform a function similar to the practice of tying a string around one’s finger as a visual reminder of something that must not be forgotten.
The tzitzit represent all of the the mitzvot (commandments) of the Torah and they remind the wearer to do all of YHWH’s mitvot.

With tzitzit attached to each of four corners of our garment, there are always two in front of us, two behind us, and two at each of our sides. When we go forward, when we move backwards, when we move to the right or to the left, we are symbolically placing YHWH’s Torah in that direction and we remind ourselves of His Ways as we make our way in the world.

Biblical Application of Tzitzit
We also see that the tzitzit are to be worn on the ends or corners of the wearer’s garments. In our culture and day we don’t usually (if ever) wear garments that have four distinct corners.

Biblical Form of Tzitzit
Tzitzit are to have a thread (“ribband” in the KJV quoted above) of blue in them.

Biblical “Spirit” of the Mizvah of Tzitzit
Tzitzit serve the function of reminding us follow Torah, especially when other choices are presented to us that might lure into different paths. But the mitzvah is practiced so that we end up doing the Torah to which the tzitzit serve as reminders.

This brief introduction should have raised many questions. Feel free to comment or ask questions. I’ll have more on this tomorrow!

Here are some pictures of tzitzit:

And here is a very quick video clip showing some styles of tzitzits:

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What do you think? Please leave a comment below and let us know! Thank you.

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Copyright 2010 Jim Zboran. All rights reserved.
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This entry was posted on Monday, February 1st, 2010 at 4:30 PM and is filed under Faith and Practice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.