What is a Tallit? A Tallit, or Tallis, is a prayer shawl worn by Jewish people when praying. Used every day, it is an important part of Jewish culture, and a unique Judaica item. Not like just any shawl, Tallits are four cornered garments with stripes along them in traditionally blue, black, or in Sephardi communities, white. However Tallits may have any color or combination of colors, and remain kosher. At each of the four corners, there is a fringe of strings tied by hand in a special order, and these strings are called Tzitzit. The Tallit customs include checking them for flaws before each use, and then donning them for prayer. It is traditional within many families for the father to gift his son a Tallit at bar mitzvah age. In other communities the bride gifts her groom a Tallit before the wedding. These traditions differ based on when each community says a boy should begin wearing a tallit gadol (usually referred to simply as Tallit) rather than just a Tallit Katan (usually referred to as Tzitzit). At Jewish weddings, the Chuppah under which the marriage ceremony happens is covered with a Tallit. Many have two Tallits, one for weekdays and another special one for Shabbat. On Tisha B'av, many Ashkenazi communities do not wear a Tallit, out of mourning for the lost temple, and Jews are buried in their Tallits. In the past, in Talmudic times, the scholars wore their Tallits all day long because they had extraordinary focus and were able to think about their connection with g-d all the time. However nowadays, people only wear them during prayer and in some cases during Torah study. When your Tallit becomes worn out or torn and you decide to dispose of it, it is buried along with old holy books.
Tallit Blessings
Before putting on your Tallis, you check it to make sure that no knots came undone and everything is as it should be. This has a special Tallit Prayer:
בָּרְכִי נַפְשִׁי אֶת יְיָ, יְיָ אֱלֹהַי, גָּדַֽלְתָּ מְאֹד! הוֹד וְהָדָר לָבָֽשְׁתָּ, עֹטֶה אוֹר כַּשַּׂלְמָה, נוֹטֶה שָׁמַֽיִם כַּיְרִיעָה.
Barchi Nafshi et Hashem, Hashem elokai, gadalta me'od! Hod v'hadar lavashta, oteh or kasalma, note shamayim kayeriya.
Bless, G-d, O my soul! G-d my God, how great You are. You are robed in glory and majesty, wrapping Yourself in light as in a garment, stretching forth the heavens like a curtain.
Then you don your Tallit, you make a special blessing over the tzitzit fringes:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּֽנוּ לְהִתְעַטֵּף בַּצִּיצִת.
Baruch ata Hashem elokainu melech ha'olam asher kideshanu bemitzvotav vetzivanu lehit'atef betzitzit.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, who hallows us with mitzvot, commanding us to wrap ourselves in the fringes. Now, when you buy a Tallit, you will be well informed and knowledgeable about all of the history and customs relating to the unique prayer shawl garment, and will be able to fully enjoy its significance.
