Why Do You Dress That Way?
By Rabbi Daniel Harris
Revised by Rabbi Yehudah ben Shomeyr
It is sad that
some religious people in this world are so fearful and backward that sheer
appearances lead them to presumptuous conclusions that display ones fearful
ignorance.
Home is such a
sweet and secure place and it is okay if one never left the confines of their
hometown, but not to let their mind leave town is a sad and terrible crime.
Ignorance, because of lack of education leads to fear, and fear leads to
irrational decisions and conclusions. People need to be more globally minded in
the sense of being aware and have a working knowledge of other cultures around
them.
When one usually
sees me, they automatically assume certain things about me, some of which are
accurate. Some things about my appearance should give obvious information away.
For instance, when one sees my tzitzit, kippah, and beard should give away that
I am a Jew. However, some conclusions are pitifully conjured up by their own
imaginations. Some conclusions are assumed by ignorance and a lack of
education. For instance, because of my beard and knitted kippah, I have been
asked if I were a Muslim. Some have wrongfully assumed that I no longer believe
in Messiah. I usually do not wear the black suit normally worn by Orthodox
Jews. So being religious, and not necessarily being a suit and tie kind of guy,
but more of a hippy, I often wear a long linen button up shirt, cargo pants and
sandals. So when in suit and tie-type religious circles, I certainly get some
stares. People do not necessarily know how to take me or what to think of me. I
will not hide who I am. I am me, you will get no “put-on plastic fronts” here,
and I unapologetically shoot straight from the hip in a loving way. What you
see is what you get.
I simply do not
understand why people would rather gossip and guess, rather than have the
chutzpah (nerve, guts) to approach me in a civil manner and simply ask
questions. Not to do so is sinful, disrespectful and cowardly. Do people think
I’m going to bite their head off or something? It’s not as if I have been
disfigured by a horrible birth defect or accident or something to where I
wouldn’t want people to stare and ask questions. Look, I decide to dress and
appear the way I do knowing full well that most people will be curious. People
have the right to ask questions; after all, it is the number one way we learn.
So, I dress this way knowing the questions will come; knowing that people have
the right to ask questions. I WANT people to ask questions, I love sharing
about my Faith and all the “whys” of it.
I just wish people
would not “judge a book by its cover”, or judge one negatively when they do not
look as the self-imposed western societal norms dictate, especially in
religious circles.
The Kippah
True, there is no
such place in Scripture that says, “Thou shalt wear a kippah.” But there are
very good reasons why we Jews cover our heads today.
In Yalkat Shlomo,
Emor 657 (Rabbinical Writings) it says:
“They did not change their names, neither did they
change their language, nor did they change their garments.” [Whenever and
wherever the Jews were in exile.]
The word “kippah”
is Hebrew and it means “covering.” It is
a religious head covering signifying humility before God. You see, it is a CHRISTIAN custom to uncover
the head in church or at prayer, but it is a JEWISH custom to cover the head
before God. For the most part, it is a
manmade custom intended to bring about a conscientious humility and awareness
of God, and of course, it is a visual “identification badge” of the Jew. ADONAI commanded the priests to wear “bonnets
(turbans)” during the services and some maintain this scripture reference as
sufficient grounds for observance of kippah wearing. In ancient times, there was a great Rabbi,
Rabbi Honah ben Joshua; his own personal practice became universal practice as
a result of his great influence and humility.
“He never walked four cubits with an uncovered head, for he used to say”
“The Shekinah, ADONAI’s Presence, resides over my head.” [Kiddushin 31a]. The custom of wearing a kippah is firmly
ordained in the “Shulchan Aruch” (Orah Chaiyim 2:6, 151:6 and 282:3)
Now, in Yeshua’s
day, only married men and Rabbis wore kippahs, laymen and the unmarried usually
didn’t. But as custom, everyone, men and women covered their head is synagogue.
However, we see even in and after the time of Rav Sha’ul that Jewish believers at
that time also wore some sort of head covering.
Hegisippus the Ancient Historian and commentator in 185 C.E. writes,
“But, when the sacred band of Emissaries has in various ways closed their
lives, and that generation of men to whom it had been vouchsafed to listen to
the Godlike Wisdom with their own ears had passed way, then did the confederacy
of godless error take its rise through the treachery of false teachers, who,
seeing that none of the apostles any longer survived, at length attempted with
BARE AND UPLIFTED HEAD to oppose
the preaching of the truth by preaching “knowledge falsely so called.””
Before we move on,
did Yeshua wear a kippah? Yes! How do we know since it isn’t specifically
stated in the Scriptures? Because He was called, “Rabbi,” because He was a
Rabbi, and all Rabbis of the day wore a special kippah that denoted that they
were a Rabbi.
So the whole head
covering issue in I Cor. 11:4 has been taken out of context, here is an excerpt
from the article: “Head coverings For Messianic Men: Tradition or Torah?” Rabbi Edward Levi Nydle, B’nai Avraham
Messianic Congregation:
“Let’s look at that verse in the Greek and
see what it really means. FIRST YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A
MISTRANSLATION OF THIS VERSE! It is only ONE
MISTRANSLATED WITNESS that people try to quote to "prove" head
coverings for men are wrong in the eyes of Yahweh.
·
1 Corinthians 11:4 "Every man praying
or prophesying, having his head covered, brings shame to his Head." The Scriptures
·
Complete
Jewish Bible by David Stern, "Every man who prays
or prophesies wearing something down over his head.."
·
COVERED -#2596 KATA- down, about, AGAINST, in OPPOSITION TO, down from (like a
VEIL hanging from his head) –Thayer’s page 327. This word then can mean 1. To
hang down from the head (over the face) like a woman’s veil [which in context
makes sense as Rav Sha’ul is contrasting the worship of men and women, and that
men are not to look like women-Rabbi Ed] 2. In opposition to or opposed to.
·
HEAD # 2776 KEPHALE; KAPTO the HEAD
(literally or figuratively) supreme, chief, prominent, MASTER page 345
Thayer’s. This is the same word used twice in this verse. Why was one
capitalized and the other isn’t? There are no capitals in Greek.
This verse is NOT against head coverings
for men. It is against the wearing of a veil by a man over his face, as was the
custom of the women of that period! Why does Rav Sha’ul speak of men wearing
long hair or actually adoring the long locks of hair with ornamental jewels as
women (the word is #2863 in Greek KOMAO-
wear long tresses of hair, locks, as ornamental (length is secondary) from
#2864-KOME). Sha’ul did not want the
men of Corinth (center for male temple prostitutes of Apollo, Poseidon, and
other gods) to be mistaken for women in their dress, and hairstyle-otherwise NO
CROSS-DRESSING. The men were pulling their long locks of hair over their faces
as a veil as was the manner of women and imitating their hairstyles and manner
in prayer. THIS IS NOT TALKING OF A MAN
WEARING A HEAD COVERING IN PRAYER OR WORSHIP BUT A VEIL!
Let me present another interpretation also
in light of the real meaning of the word –KATA and KEPHALE.
·
In verse 3 Rav Sha’ul says, the HEAD of
every man is Messiah, the HEAD of every woman is man, and the HEAD of Messiah
is Elohim. There are three HEADS here. The HEAD here is speaking of RULERSHIP
or AUTHORITY! Yeshua is HEAD of the Congregation (Eph.1: 22).
·
Verse 4 therefore CAN MEAN this, "Every
MAN praying or prophesying, that
is teaches, refutes, reproves, admonishes, and comforts having OPPOSITION TO
HEADSHIP (AUTHORITY) brings shame upon (dishonors) the Messiah, the HEAD of
him."
·
If in verse 5 a woman brings shame or
dishonor to her HEAD –MAN by being
unveiled or akatakaluptos or
literally without veil down, then a man shames his HEAD-MESSIAH YAHSHUA by
having his VEIL DOWN Over HIS FACE!
Verse seven is speaking of Yeshua the HEAD
being in the image and esteem of Yahweh as we have shown previously. It should
read, " Now a man truly ought not to cover his HEAD (Yeshua) by hiding and
opposing Him, for He (Yeshua) is the image and glory of Yahweh; but the woman
is (the expression of) man’s glory (majesty, pre-eminence). The word cover is katakalupto –to cover wholly-hide, VEIL.
Verse seven could also read, "For a
man indeed should not veil his face, since He (Yeshua) is the likeness and
esteem of Elohim, but woman is the esteem of man."
These verses are all about delegated
authority from the HEAD down. Anyone with delegated authority should have a
head covering on his or her head. ADONAI is the SUPREME HEAD-then Moshiach-then
man-then woman. Only Yahshua is in the image and likeness of Adonai at this
time. Messiah is man’s head and this fact is not to be opposed by man. A man is
the head of woman-and she is to acknowledge this fact by wearing a veil upon
the hair of her head. Man is under the authority of Messiah the very same way
woman is under the authority of her husband. Man also is to show he is under
authority in the same manner a woman shows she is under authority- man covers
his own head with the ordained head covering of the priesthood.”
Basically there is
nothing wrong with a man wearing a kippah or tefillin when praying or
prophesying: the main issue was that he wasn’t wearing woman’s headgear or that
his hair came over his face and therefore could possibly be mistaken for a
woman and so he could be properly seen and heard when praying or prophesying.
The issue of women
covering their heads is one of modesty and respect toward the men folk. It is
not a symbol of cowering submission to the opposite sex as some believe, for
Natsari Jewish men cover their heads too. There are many reasons:
1. It is symbolic of submission to God, a
reminder that God is always above them.
2. It is a symbol of modesty and piety.
3. In public, it showed that the woman was
married and in proper subjection to her husband.
4. In synagogue, it is so as not to distract
the men folk. For God has made men visually stimulated, and so as not to
provoke lust in the men and to maintain chastity between both sexes, women wear
a head covering.
Hair is a very
sexual stimulant to a man. In Judaism, a woman’s hair is only meant for her
husband to enjoy. I did not believe this for I grew up in a western society
where the majority of women do not cover their heads. I in essence became
desensitized to it to some degree. Yet even in this desensitized state, I could
still be aroused sexually by a woman’s hair. All it took was a sexy, longhaired
woman to flip that hair in public or on TV and that got my attention. Another
example is when I converted to Natsari Judaism; I was around women who covered
their head most of the time. So one day when I was at work in a factory, where
everyone wore ratty dirty clothes, everyone was hot and sweaty, I saw a female
employee walk by. She didn’t have to flip her head, her hair was flat and a bit
matted, yet I caught myself doing a double take and that is when it hit me that
hair is sensual, and that it is best for a woman to cover her head and that a
woman’s hair should only be for her husband. God forbid, someone is
unintentionally “turned on” by my wife in any way including her hair.
Rav Sha’ul,
(Apostle Paul) was a master of the legalities of the Torah and the halachah
thereof (the way to carry it out in one’s daily life).
He deals with this
issue in I Corinthians 11, that men should not cover their heads with a woman’s
head covering, and that a woman should cover her head with the proper attire
for the reasons stated above.
He also mentions
the angels. Why? Because in Genesis 6, apparently the fallen angelic race
lusted after the daughters of mortal men, Rav Sha’ul links part of this reason
to the women not having their heads covered and being a sensual attraction to
these fallen beings. The fallen angels end up cohabitating with the daughters
of mortal men, and produced what the KJV says were Giants. The Hebrew word is
Nephilim: Giant Fallen Ones, the
Human angelic
hybrid. Yes, you do not hear about this
in Nominal Christianity and it sounds mythical and fantastic, but this is a
well-established interpretation in Judaism. I am not a theologian, scholar or
scientist, just a simple Rabbi, so I cannot explain the how of it all. But
apparently, this was also the reason for the Genesis flood, to wipe out the
Nephilim so the human gene pool would be saved and the human race wouldn’t
become a lost human demonic hybrid. This was only one of Satan’s tactics to
keep the Gen. 3:15 prophecy of a coming redeeming Messiah from coming to pass.
But the word
“angel” can also simply mean a “messenger” such as the Rabbi. And Rav Sha’ul
implored the women not to go about with their head uncovered and distract the
messenger of God be it a man or an angel.
I am so tired of
the brazen negligence, lack of genuine concern and respect in this society on
behalf of the women, where a woman deems it her “right” to wear immodest
clothing; such as a halter top or mini-skirt, and claim it is not her problem
if a guy lusts after her. This is a denial of the way God hardwired us as
sexual beings. God made men visually stimulated and women emotionally
stimulated. Please do not get me wrong, I am by no means excusing a man who may
rape a woman partially because of the way she dresses. But let us liken it unto
a person who goes out of doors without proper clothing and insect repellant in
a known mosquito infested area and gets eaten alive. They only have themselves
to blame because they could have covered themselves with the proper clothing and
insect repellant but choose not to and the mosquitoes were just doing what they
were hardwired to do, seek out blood and carry it back to their young.
In short and
summary, Rav Sha’ul was dealing with a synagogue that was in the pagan city of
Corinth, full of religious cross dressers and the congregation was mixed with
Jew and Gentile believers and so as to respect tradition and have consistency
within the synagogue, Rav Sha’ul instructed men and women to at least cover
their heads in Shul. He was keeping with the 1st century, cultural
and religious norm.
So we require
proper head coverings for men and women in the synagogue and encourage it, but
not require it for one’s everyday dealings outside the congregation.
The Beard and Peyot
The Custom of wearing
a beard (and not shaving the hair of the temples) is firmly rooted in the
Torah: Leviticus 19:27; 21:5. Yeshua
Himself also wore a beard as He was obedient to His Father’s Commandments and
was an observant Jew (Is.50:6).
In the same Scripture
mentioned above, comes the tradition of “peyot,” or “side locks.” The holy writ does not say to wear long,
curly locks of hair hanging down from your temples. It simply says not to “round the corner of
your heads,” in other words, don’t shave smooth the hair of your temples. This was and still is a custom of some pagan
cults, and we are instructed by ADONAI in Leviticus 20:23 not to copy their
ways, but to abhor them. However, for
the sake of “Glorifying a Precept,” some Jews, grow the locks of the temple a little
longer, simply to manifest and glorify the observance of this Biblical
injunction. So long as the hair is not
shaved down to the skin of the temple, it’s considered, “KOSHER.”
The Fringe
Another Biblical
custom that I adhere to is the mitzvah (commandment) of the tzitzit, which is
Hebrew for “fringe.” This is a series of white strings with one of blue thread,
attached to the four corners of a poncho like garment, called a tallit katan,
worn over or underneath my clothes. Some
“Messianics” have the idea to attach these
to their belt loops. This is not Scriptural,
nor proper. The Hebrew word is Karfay,
CORNERS. We are to attach them to the
four corners of our garments. The Hebrew
word denotes literal 90-degree angled corners.
Last, I checked the waistline of a pair of pants, which has the belt
loops is oval shaped and has no corners.
The strings are tied in a symbolic way depending upon the particular
sect of Judaism you are affiliated with.
This again has its foundation in the Torah, Numbers 15:36-41. The fringes serve as a reminder to the wearer
of all the Commandments of ADONAI, and to keep them. After all, ADONAI knows we are a forgetful
people. This can be likened to the
modern-day custom some have of tying a string on their finger to remind
themselves to do something. This was the
WWJD bracelet before Yeshua came, and before the WWJD bracelets were
invented!
I am reminded of a
rabbinic tale of a Rabbi who was so infatuated with a prostitute and
continually thought of ways to be with her. One day he hired her and as he was
hastily casting off his clothes, his tzitzit whipped him across the face,
reminding him he was about to commit a grave sin. He then apologized for
wasting the woman’s time and told her to keep the money. She questioned the
Rabbi, asking if she was not desirable to him or pleasing to him. He assured
her that this was not the case, but that because of his tzitzit, he was
reminded that what he was about to do was a sin before God. The prostitute was
so impressed by this that she eventually quit her trade, converted to Judaism
and ended up marrying that Rabbi.
I would like to quote extensive portions of
an excellent article by Rabbi Levi bar Ido, called, “Why the Hassle
over Tassels?”
“One of the areas of Torah which a lot of groups reject today is
the subject of wearing "fringes" or "tassels" attached to a
four cornered garment. Even today only the Orthodox attempt to follow this
Torah mitzvah, today and most of them disregard the mitzvah about the
"blue thread” in the fringes. Many Sacred Name groups and Messianics
show contempt for this Torah mitzvah as ritualism and worthless and claim it
has been abolished by the Renewed Covenant. Is this true? The Word of God
says:
- "Again,
ADONAI spoke to Moshe, saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel:
Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout
their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the
corners. And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it
and remember all the mitzvot of ADONAI to do them, and that you may
not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes
are inclined, and that you may remember and do ALL My mitzvot, and be HOLY
for your God. I am ADONAI your God, who brought you out of the land
of Egypt, to be your God: I am ADONAI your God" (Numbers 15:37-41)…
…Yeshua HaMoshiach (The Messiah), was a Yehudite (Jew), and lived
a sinless life. He set us the example of how we ought to live. Yochannon
tells us: "He who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk
just as He walked" (I
John 2:6).
Kepha adds that Messiah left "us an example, that you should follow His
steps" (I Pet.2:21).
Did Yeshua the Messiah, our template for living a holy life wear
"fringes" on the corners of His garments? Let us find the answer:
- "And
suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from
behind and touched the hem of His garment. For she said to herself,
'If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.' But Yeshua
turned around, and when He saw her He said, 'Be of good cheer, daughter;
your faith has made you well.' And the woman was made well from that
hour" (Matt.9:21-22).
The Jewish New
Testament, by
Dr. David Stern explains what the "hem" of Yeshua' garment was.
- "A
woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years approached him from behind
and touched the tzitzit on his robe. For she said to herself, 'If I
can only touch his robe, I will be healed.' Yeshua turned, saw her,
and said, 'Courage, daughter! Your trust has healed you."
The Book of Mark records
the same event, but adds some features to the account:
- ". . .
a large crowd followed, pressing all around him. Among them was a
woman who had had an hemorrhage for twelve years and had suffered a great
deal under many physicians. She had spent her life savings; yet
instead of improving, she had grown worse. She had heard about
Yahshua, so she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his robe; for
she said, 'If I touch even his clothes, I will be healed.' Instantly
the hemorrhaging stopped, and she felt in her body that she had been
healed from the disease. At the same time, Yahshua, aware that power
had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, 'Who touched
my clothes?' His talmidim [disciples] responded, 'You see the people
pressing in on you; and still you asked, "Who touched
me?"' But he kept looking around to see who had done it.
The woman, frightened, and trembling, because she knew what had happened
to her, came and fell down in front of him and told him the whole
truth. 'Daughter,' he said to her, 'your trust has healed you. Go in
peace, and be healed of your disease'" (Mark 5:24-34, JNT).
The Jewish New
Testament Commentary
explains:
- "A woman who had . . . a hemorrhage
approached him from behind and . . . touched his tzitzit. She
was in a state of ritual impurity because of her hemorrhage. She touched
the holiest part of Yeshua’s garment. No wonder she approached from behind
-- she was afraid; this is also why she hesitated to answer Yeshua’s
question,’ Who touched my clothes?' (Mark 5:29-33). For normally the
impure defiles the pure (see Haggai 2:11-13; also the Talmud,
Toharot). But in this case, the opposite happened: the purity
of Yahshua the Messiah and of his tzitziyot ["tassels," or
"fringes"] remained uncompromised, while instead the cause of
the woman's impurity was instantly removed. In the following
incident, the raising of the dead girl, this principle is exemplified even
more strongly, since Yahshua himself initiates contact with what is
regarded in Judaism as the primary source of all impurity, a dead body
(v.25) . . ." (comment on
Matthew 9:20).
These "tassels" were commanded by God in the Torah to be
worn by His people, to remind them to keep His mitzvoth commandments.
They are in full view, and therefore would be a constant reminder of God's
Torah. Even today you can sometimes see the tassels hanging out over the
belts of Yehudites (Jews) who wear a four-cornered undershirt, and pull the
tassels to the outside of the garment. These tassels are tied into knots,
as a reminder of all 613 of the Torah’s of Moses (of which there are 248
prohibitions or negative commands, and 365 affirmations or positive
commands). The numerical value of the letters of the word tzitzit is
600; there are eight threads in each "fringe," and five knots; add
these all up and you get 613, the number of Elohim's mitzvot.
Thread of Blue
Each tzitzit was to have a blue
thread (techelet) running through it. During the Biblical period, blue
was probably the most expensive color to produce. It was generally
reserved for kings and the very wealthy. Historically, the only source
for the blue was a small gland in the murex snail. It took some 12,000
snails to fill up a thimble of blue dye. In 200 B.C.E., one pound of
cloth dyed blue cost the whopping sum of $36,000 in terms of today's American
dollar. By 300 C.E., the cost had soared to $96,000. This indicates
that Lydiyah (Lydia), mentioned in Acts as being a seller of purple, was a very
wealthy lady (Acts 16:14).
Why was each tassel inclusive of a thread of blue
(techelet)? Of the primary colors, "red" represents man (Adam's
name was actually "red," for the red clay from which he was
made). "Blue" is the color representative of the heavens, and
of God. "Purple," the combination of "red" and
"blue," is the color of the Messiah, Yeshua, and the coming
King. As God who became a man, He combined the two colors, forming His
own color, "purple."
Therefore, for each person to have blue in his tassels was
symbolic of having something of the Divine -- a connection with God. This
served to remind each person not only of God's mitzvoth (commandments), but of
their direct connection to God, as He said: "I am ADONAI your God
who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. I am the ADONAI
your God" (Num.15:41).
Such an expensive thread of blue would probably have been passed
down from generation to generation, from father to son as one of his precious
legacies.
Symbol of the
King
The fringes, in a garment, were symbolical of his
authority. We find an interesting story in the book of I Shemuel, where
David sneaks up on King Shaul in a cave at En Gedi, and cuts off his tassels (I Samuel 24:1-7).
David's heart smote him because he knew that to cut off a king's
tassels was stealing his authority, emasculating his spiritual connection with God,
depriving him of his nobility. At En Gedi, David had literally taken
Shaul's "authority" and at that point he could probably have seized
the throne over Israel. But David chose not to do it, but to leave the
timing in Elohim's hands. After David prostrated himself before Shaul,
showing him the tassel he had cut off his robe, Shaul was impressed with his
charity and having his own life spared (I Samuel 24:17-20).
Another example of the "power" represented by a man's
tassels is illustrated by the Book of Ruth. In chapter three she goes to
Boaz, her near kinsman, in the middle of the night, at the threshing floor, and
lies down near him, sleeping at his feet. He awoke with a start, and
asked, "Who are you?" Ruth replied:
- "I
am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt [Hebrew,
"corner of thy garment"] over thine handmaid; for thou art a
near kinsman" (Ruth 3:9).
The Hebrew word translated "skirt" here is kanaph and
means "an edge or extremity," "of a garment or
bed-clothing." Thus this passage, obscured by English translations,
refers to the fringes -- the tzitzit of Boaz's robe -- being cast over
Ruth, symbolizing his taking her under his "authority," as in
becoming her husband.
When the woman with the hemorrhage of blood therefore touched the
"tassels" of Yeshua' garment, she was touching the symbol of His
power and authority. He noticed it when "power" went out of
Him. She was healed by this power, activated by her trust.
The tzitzit are
wrapped in tied in such a symbolic way. 5 knots representing the 5 books of the
Law and the blue thread is wrapped in such a way as it symbolizes the Hebrew
name of God (YHWH). So in essence, by faith she was grabbing onto and trusting
in the Word and the Name of the LORD.
Wrong Use of
Tzitziyot
The fringes were commanded by God to be worn by Israel, to remind
them of their connection to Him and of all of His mitzvot.
However, by the time of the Second Temple period some of the Yehudim had
perverted them into signs of social status and piety. The wealthier and
holier you were, the longer your tassels. During the time of Yeshua, the
tassels of some of the Pharisees were so long that they dragged on the ground.
Yeshua rebuked this display of vanity, saying,
- "They
tie heavy loads onto people's shoulders but won't lift a finger to help
carry them. Everything they do is done to be seen by others; for
they make their tefillin broad and their tzitziyot long, they love the
place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogue... (Matt.23:4-7, JNT).
This passage in Matthew, therefore, should teach us that
it is not wrong to wear "tassels" or "fringes" in our
garments as commanded in the Torah. However, we should not exaggerate
them, making them "long," to draw attention to our supposed
"holiness."
The lesson for us is that it is important, in God's sight, that
we perform God's mitzvoth (commandments) and to keep His Torah -- including the
wearing of prayer shawls (tallitot) at the appropriate times, and the tzitziyot
-- and to do so from sincerity of heart, in humility and loving obedience
to God. We should follow the example of the Messiah by "walking
in His steps" (I Pet.2:21).
We should not be overly concerned with outward "appearances” or wear
"tassels" to impress others with our righteousness.”
The Importance of Tzitzit
Zech. 8:23 Thus saith the LORD
of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out
of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that
is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
Now I am not an
expert, nor a scholar in eschatology. To be honest I am not totally sure
exactly how it will all play out. Yet I am secure and confident in the
generalities of eschatology, such as I am a Pre-Wrath / Post Tribulationist so
to speak as opposed to pre-trib, etc. However, what I do know is that this
prophetic passage is referring to a time when the Last Great Exodus occurs and
God will bring the remnant of Israel back to the Land and there will be peace,
the Temple will be rebuilt and all the fast days will turn into feast days.
(Zech. 8:19) Thus, we can safely assume the Messiah will be on earth reigning
from the Temple
15And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bride chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.
So I know that
there will be a Natsarim (Nazarene) Jewish revival. I know that Jews will not
abandoned Judaism but will embrace the Judaism of Rebbe Yeshua Ha Moshiach (The
Messiah) and will keep the Torah and the customs and traditions of Judaism as
Yeshua did! I know that Zechariah Ha Navi (the Prophet) is not speaking of a
Non-believing Jew here, but a Jew who believes in Yeshua as Messiah and still
keeps the Torah. How else can 10 men grab onto the “skirt of a Jew” referring
to the Tzitzit of his garment, which is commanded by ADONAI for one to put on
the 4 corners of his garment, if the Torah has been done away with and Christ
has replaced Judaism with what is known today as Christianity!? No my friend,
the Torah is everlasting, and Yeshua did not come to start a new religion, but
to bring fullness to the original one (Matt. 5) and the Holy One, Blessed be
He, expects His followers, Jew and Gentile to keep and follow His Torah.
There is only one
Law, One Torah; there is not a double standard where there is one Torah for the
Jews and One for the Gentile (Ex. 12:49)!
So is Tzitzit
important? IS this Commandment still relevant for us today? YES! You had better
believe it!
Most everyone
knows about the big “prayer shawls” worn by Jewish men during prayer, so I will
not go into that.
The Sign: Tefillin
At home or at the
Synagogue, you may see me wear tefillin.
Which are little black boxes fastened to the forehead and arm by leather
straps. Traditionally they are worn only
in the mornings and weekdays. But I
choose to wear them any chance I get!
There is something very “connecting” about it. The tallit and tefillin really produce a
sense of intimacy with ADONAI. This too
has its foundations in the Torah: Deuteronomy 6:5-9; 11:13 -21.
The Hebrew word for “sign” means a literal, physical, outward, tangible
sign. Just recently, there was found a
set of Tefillin, which dated back to, of all times, the first century! And wouldn’t you know that they are almost
identical to the ones we Jews wear today.
It is not recorded in Scripture, but almost a given, that if these
existed back in Yeshua’s time, which they did, then it is safe to assume that
He wore them too. After all, we have
already established He was Torah observant, and since this is a command and
this was the established way of fulfilling it, then Yeshua probably wore
tefillin. What a privilege to do the
very things my Messiah did, to wear what He wore, to eat the way He ate, to
pray the way He prayed!
The Gartel
At times, mostly
on Shabbat, you may see me wear a gartel.
A Gartel is a Yiddish word for a rope like belt or sash worn around the
waist during prayers or ceremonial acts.
This gartel, or sash, represents a SEPARATION between the heart and
sexual organs. Ever heard the
expression, “So and So’s mind is always below the belt”? The gartel is a physical reminder that we are
supposed to separate our heart from our carnal, sinful instincts. It has been said, “You’re sexual organs do
not have a conscience.” So this sash
that’s wrapped around me is telling me, “Hey, keep your heart in tune with ADONAI.” There are numerous passages in Scripture that
mention the gartel, but the King James Version uses the term, “girdle.” In Exodus chapters 28-39, it speaks of the
priests wearing them. And, in Jeremiah
13, ADONAI prophecies to Jeremiah about Judah, using his girdle as an example. John the Baptist wore one (Matt.3:4), Rav
Sha’ul (the Apostle Paul) wore a girdle, too. (Acts 21:11 )
Yeshua WEARS a girdle in Revelation 1:13! It is a Biblical and Beautiful custom.
Good Guys Wear Black
Wearing black is
not just a Jewish custom, but a Christian one as well. Have you ever heard of a “preacher’s
coat”? It was a long black coat, much
like the Chassidic Jews wear today. The
early “circuit riding preachers” wore them, Amish and Mennonite preachers wear
them, as well as Catholic priests. The congregation I used to attend in Ohio
was in the midst of a Mennonite and Amish community and when they would see my
Rabbi, who dressed virtually just like them, would wave because they at first
glance though he was one of them.
Black in Judaism
is the “color of severity,” or, a color representing reverence. The wearer of black is tied to the Jewish
concept of “Yirat Shamaiyim,” or, the “Reverence of Heaven.” It also is linked
to mourning for the destruction of the Temple
This way of dress
tells the world, “I’m DIFFERENT; I’m part of a Holy People.” Holy means to be separate set apart for
Elohim (God). It’s kind of like a
uniform. When you see a police officer,
a mail carrier, or a chef, you know who they are and what they do by the way
they dress. Similarly, with a Jew, when
people see the kippah, tzitzit, beard, peyote, and black coat, they know who he
is and whom he represents.
Rabbi, Who Can
Where Tzitzit, Tefillin, Blow the Shofar and Study Talmud?
I have been asked
these questions and I will probably receive slack from other Rabbis on the side
that I fall in these matters.
Rabbis and Sages
of the Talmud, and the current Orthodox understanding is that only men are
obligated to do these things. However, according to Torah, these things are not
necessarily forbidden for women to do, but they should not feel obligated to do
these things for they may distract and interfere with their motherly and wifely
responsibilities. Most of the commandments regarding these issues speak of the
word “Men” as we would say, “Mankind” obviously meant to include women. Many
other times a mitzvah is worded such as, “ADONAI told Moshe to command B’ney
Yisrael (the Children of Israel)… Thus including both genders to participate
and fulfill the commandment. I know that Rashi’s daughter wore tzitzit and even
studied Torah and Talmud and drashed with permission from her father. A Rabbi
Judah’s (of Talmud fame) wife was recorded as wearing tzitzit on her apron.
So if a woman
wants to wear tzitzit, wear tefillin, blow the shofar or study Talmud, I see no
problem as long as it doesn’t interfere with her God given commandments and
responsibilities as a wife and a mother.
So Why Do You Dress That Way?
Much of what I
wear is specifically commanded in the Torah, by ADONAI, Himself. Some of it is simply traditional, with its
roots and reasoning in the Torah, so I feel personally convicted and compelled
to keep. It helps me feel and stay
connected to the Torah, and to my Jewish heritage.
So now, you know
why I dress that way.
Another resource on learning about tradition, ceremony, customs and
dress, from a Believers perspective is:
· God’s Appointed
Customs by Barney Kasdan
