Tallit / Prayer Shawl: Your Complete Guide to Biblical Prayer Shawls
What is Tallit? Understanding the Prayer Shawl from Scripture
The tallit is a prayer shawl worn during morning services, directly fulfilling the biblical commandment God gave to His people in Numbers 15:38-39: “Speak to the Israelite people and instruct them to make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments throughout the ages; let them attach a cord of blue to the fringe at each corner. That shall be your fringe; look at it and recall all the commandments of the LORD.”
Prayer shawls, called tallits, have been used in Jewish worship for centuries. According to Jewish custom, the garments are worn to fulfill a command given by God when He brought the Jews out of Egypt. The purpose of the prayer shawl is to remind the wearer that he is to follow God's commands. This sacred practice connects every wearer – whether Jewish, Messianic Jewish, or Christian – to thousands of years of biblical tradition. As one devout believer beautifully expressed, wearing a tallit makes you feel like “a link in a chain going back thousands of years, from when God introduced the concept of prayer shawls.”
Materials and Sacred Symbolism
The tallit can be made of wool, cotton, or silk and is knotted on its four corners in accordance with Biblical law. A Messianic prayer shawl is a rectangular garment made of a single, seamless piece of material. Whether a prayer shawl is worn by Jews, Messianic Jews or Christians, the garment must be seamless. The reason a single, seamless garment must be used is to remind God's people that they are to remain pure and separate, unattached to those who do not obey God. Some believe that the seamless nature of the garment also illustrates that there is only one God.
The tallit, ideally made of wool, is most often white with black stripes, though modern tallits come in various colors while maintaining their sacred function. In biblical times, the colors of the garment signified which tribe of Israel its wearer was from. Messianic Jews and Christians wear prayer shawls in a variety of colors, but at least one of the threads of the tassels must be blue. The tassels at the four corners of a tallit are called tzitzits. They remind the wearer to obey the commands of God. A tassel of eight threads (seven linen and one wool) is attached to each corner.
| Feature | Description and Significance |
|---|---|
| Tzitzit (Tassels) | Remind the wearer to obey the commands of God. |
| Blue Cord | Represents the idea that the Jewish people were called out to be a kingdom of priests. |
| Seamless Design | Illustrates that there is only one God and represents the idea that God's people are to remain pure. |
| Four Corners | Knotted in accordance with Biblical law. |
Traditional Jewish & Modern Messianic Christian Usage
Traditional Jewish Communities: Although only married men have to wear the tallit in traditional Ashkenazi communities, it is customary for men over the age of Bar Mitzvah to wear them in many Sephardic communities. In some Sephardic Orthodox communities, young boys wear a tallit even before becoming b’nei mitzvah.
Growing Christian & Messianic Movement: According to a Pew Research Center survey, 15% of American Christians have incorporated elements of Jewish tradition into their worship, including the use of prayer shawls. Messianic Prayer Shawls hold unique significance for the estimated 350,000 Messianic Jews worldwide and countless Christians who love Israel. These special tallits often feature Hebrew inscriptions like “Yeshua HaMashiach” (Jesus the Messiah), the Star of David intertwined with crosses, and the early Christian “Messianic Seal” combining the menorah, Star of David, and fish symbol. Many who wear Messianic prayer shawls further use the blue chord as a reminder that only one -- Jesus Christ -- perfectly followed the Old Testament law.
Sacred Life Moments: From Wedding Canopy to Burial Shroud
The tallit serves multiple sacred purposes throughout life’s most meaningful moments. For many, the Messianic prayer shawl represents a tent. The tallit may be laid over the marriage canopy (chuppah) during weddings, creating a tent of tradition and blessing over the couple. Often the bride will give the groom a tallit as a wedding gift, symbolizing the spiritual covering she provides as they build their home together. In Sephardic traditions, couples stand under the chuppah draped together in the tallit. In the ultimate expression of its sanctity, the tallit accompanies the faithful from life’s most joyous moments to their final rest as a burial shroud, ensuring they are covered by God’s commandments for eternity.
The Sacred Prayer and Wearing Traditions
The tallit is worn by most on the shoulders, while very religious Jews may wear it on their head to enhance concentration and create a private sacred space for communion with the Divine. The shawl is drawn up over the head of the one who is praying as a reminder of God's protection. Some believe Jesus' command to enter our prayer closets when we pray referred to this kind of covering. When the tallit covers the head, it represents an enveloping sense of sanctity, signifying complete immersion in divine commandments and devotion to God’s will.
Before putting on the tallit, this blessing is recited:
- English: “Blessed are You, O Eternal our God, Ruler of the universe, Who has sanctified us with your commandments, and commanded us to wrap ourselves in the fringed garment.”
- Hebrew: Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-olam, A-sher Ki-de-sha-nu B’mitz-vo-tav, V’tzi-va-nu L’hit-a-teif B’tzi-tzit.
- For Messianic Christians: “Blessed are you O Lord God King of the Universe Who has fulfilled all of the Torah through Yeshua the Messiah and has covered us with His righteousness.”