What is tzitzit?
Tzitzit are the specially knotted fringes attached to the four corners of certain Jewish garments, fulfilling the Torah's command to place fringes on the corners of one's clothing "so that you will remember and do all the commandments." They're most familiar on the tallit — the prayer shawl worn during morning prayers — and on the tallit katan, a smaller fringed garment some wear under their clothes all day. The fringes are a wearable reminder, brushing against the wearer through the day.
Tzitzit vs. tallit — what's the difference?
- Tzitzit are the fringes themselves — the knotted strings on the corners.
- A tallit (gadol) is the prayer shawl worn during morning services, with tzitzit on its corners.
- A tallit katan is a smaller four-cornered garment with tzitzit, worn under the clothing throughout the day by many. So tzitzit are the mitzvah; the tallit is the garment that carries them.
What do tzitzit mean?
The Torah (in a passage of the Shema) explains the purpose directly: seeing the fringes prompts you to remember the commandments. They're a physical memory aid — a string around the finger, multiplied — turning a garment into a constant, gentle nudge toward mindfulness and mitzvot. The knots and windings themselves carry symbolic meaning in Jewish tradition.
In short: tzitzit are the knotted fringes on the corners of a four-cornered garment (like a tallit), a wearable reminder to keep the commandments.
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