What is a Tallis and what are Tefillin?
Three
times daily Jews from ancient times until today say the basic Credo of Jewish
Belief, the Shema, which includes the first line "Hear
Israel, Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is One" followed by three paragraphs
from The Books of Numbers and Deuteronomy.
Those three paragraphs include
basic commandments to love G-d and to wear fringes on all four cornered
garments and to put on Tefillin. What kind of four cornered garment and
what are Tefillin? And why? The four cornered garment that Jews where today
is called a tallit. Two kinds of tallitim are worn.
One is worn at all time
as an undergarment called a tallit katan, one is worn during times of morning
prayer called tallit gadol, or Prayer Shawl in English. The fringes at the
corners are actually four thick threads doubled over and tied and wrapped
in a special ritualized way that reminds the wearer of the 613 mitzvot (commandments)
contained in the Torah, The Five Books of Moses.
What are Tefillin and why
do Jews wear them?
Tefillin are small black boxes made of hardened leather
of a kosher animal which contain four very holy passages from the Torah
, handwritten with specially produced ink on parchment. Attached to the
boxes are leather straps called retzu’oth. They are tied onto the
head and left arm with particular reverence during morning prayers using
the retsuoth to do the tying. They are intended to help the wearer
concentrate his thoughts and feelings on The Creator. They can be compared
to spiritual radio transmitters and receivers sending and receiving messages
to The Infinite One.
