~*~*I Keep/Guard the 7th Day Sabbath...Ask Me A Question*~*~

Indeed, you are my brother, my sister, my close friend. Continue, I shall. The preparations of the bride are half bitter and half sweet. Both are necessary and are a part of our purification in preparation for the Beloved Bridegroom. Read Esther chapter 2 for more on that.

bump for more conversation.

What do you want to talk about?

Everything ... anything ... just wanting to commune with others at the moment.

That is cool and kind of sad at the same time.

Sad in that they even replace His name with "Lord" in the prayer/song.

Why not just pray/sing it...
"Shema Yisrael, Yahuwah Eloheinu, Yahuwah Ehad!"

from wiki...

Rabbinic Judaism teaches that the Tetragrammaton (י-ה-ו-ה), YHWH, is the ineffable and actual name of God, and as such is not read aloud in the Shema but is traditionally replaced with אדני, Adonai ("Lord"). For this reason, the Shema is recited aloud as:

Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Eḥad - Hear, O Israel: the Lord is our God, the Lord is One
The literal word meanings are roughly as follows:

Shema — listen, or hear & do (according to the Targum, accept)
Yisrael — Israel, in the sense of the people or congregation of Israel
Adonai — often translated as "Lord", it is read in place of YHWH
Eloheinu — our God, the word "El" or "Eloh" signifying God (see also: Elohim), and the plural possessive determiner suffix "-nu" or "-enu" signifying "our"
Eḥad — the Hebrew word for the number 1, which has the dual meaning "one" and "alone", its root is also "unique".

Because that is how the Shema was written in the book and how it's been recited for thousands of years. I'm quite certain that Hebrews and Jewish people are not doing in a form of disrespect.

Last Edited by Sir Phydeau on 10/18/2010 05:50 PM

The whole concept of replacing His Name does exactly what He commanded we not do with His Name.

Just because something is/was done one way for many, many years does not make it right.

Thanks for sharing that Phy. I'm going to get it stuck in my head but with His Name instead.

HalleluYah!

Right on. Since we're told to recite this twice a day (usually upon waking and before going to sleep) I find this song to be a real blessing for me. When I wake up, the tune is running in my head ... it's how I know I'm awake. ;)

I'm real bad about melodies getting stuck in my mind anyway, what better tune to have embedded, right?

You shall not go after other gods (not even Messiah)...

Last Edited by PalmOfDeborah on 10/19/2010 01:28 AM

Embedded per Deb's request

LOL, so, your spirit/soul isn't trapped in a fleshly shell on a prison planet?

You're just like the rest of us!!

___________

If it expects or demands worship, it is not divine!!

"Spiritual" sons/daughters of Abraham, will you do as your father Abraham did? The blessings in verse 4 below are BECAUSE of the obedience in verse 5.


The Scriptures
Genesis 26:1 And there was a scarcity of food in the land, besides the first scarcity of food which was in the days of Abraham. And Yitsaq went to Abimelek;, sovereign of the Philistines, in Gerar.
Genesis 26:2 And YHWH appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Mitsrayim, live in the land which I command you.
Genesis 26:3 “Sojourn in this land. And I shall be with you and bless you, for I give all these lands to you and your seed. And I shall establish the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.
Genesis 26:4 “And I shall increase your seed like the stars of the heavens, and I shall give all these lands to your seed. And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed,
Genesis 26:5 because Abraham obeyed My voice and guarded My Charge: My commands, My laws, and My Torot.” Footnote: (1)Torot - plural of Torah, teaching
Genesis 26:6 And Yitsaq dwelt in Gerar.

OJB
Bereshis 26:1 And there was a ra'av (famine) in ha'aretz, besides the ra'av harishon that was in the days of Avraham. And Yitzchak went unto Avimelech Melech Pelishtim (Philistines) unto Gerar.
Bereshis 26:2 And Hashem appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Mitzrayim; dwell in ha'aretz which I shall tell thee of;
Bereshis 26:3 Sojourn in ha'aretz hazot, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy zera, I will give all these lands, and I will perform the shevu'ah (oath) which I swore unto Avraham avichah;
Bereshis 26:4 And I will make thy zera to multiply as the kokhavim of Shomayim, and will give unto thy zera all these lands; and in thy zera shall kol Goyei Ha'Aretz be blessed;
Bereshis 26:5 Because Avraham obeyed My voice, and was shomer over My mishmeret (charge), My mitzvot, My chukkot, and My torot.
Bereshis 26:6 And Yitzchak dwelt in Gerar;

Last Edited by PalmOfDeborah on 10/20/2010 09:25 AM

:)

Everyone's always so intent on arguing about the "minimum requirements" to "get in" ... frankly, "he will be the least in the Kingdom" kinda says it all to me.

I don't just want "in" ... I want it ALL!

WHY WEAR A TALIT?

[link to treeoflifeassembly.com]

The Talit, Garment of Glory - By Burnie Schumpert

The “talit”, in English, (sometimes spelled “tallit”) sometimesspelled“tallit”is a four-cornered garment (“arba-kanfot” in Hebrew) with a special type of, so-called, “fringe” on each corner. In the Sephardic dialect it is pronounced “tah-leet” and in the Ashkenazic dialect it is written as “tales” and pronounced, “tah-lis. The talit should never be called a “prayer shawl” because a shawl is a feminine article of clothing. Scripture prohibits men from wearing any kind of feminine clothing. The talit is not a shawl, it is a “tent”. More will be shared about this concept later in the paper.

It is described for the first time in the Scriptures in the book of Bemidbar (Numbers) 15: 37-39: “And Yahweh (G-d) spoke to Mosheh (Moses) saying, Speak to the children of Yisrael (Israel), and you shall say to them to make tzitzit (a special kind of “fringe”) on the corners of their garment throughout their generations, and put a blue cord in the tzitzit of the corners. And it shall be to you for a tzitzit and you shall see it and shall remember all the commands of Yahweh and shall do them---.” The purpose of the tzitzit is clearly stated that it is to be a reminder to His people to do all of His commands. In other words--- keep the instructions of the Torah. (Tying a string around one’s finger to remember something probably originated with the talit with it’s tzitziot, the plural of tzitzit, on the four corners.) Thus, the Israelite males (,although the females are not prohibited to wear tzitzit,) wore the talit every day of their adult lives. It was also an integral part of all important Hebrew ceremonies--- weddings, circumcisions, bar mitzvahs, and funerals. It was worn during morning prayers, during group worship services and especially during the “Day of Atonement”.

It may be said that every army has a uniform. The uniform of the army of the Maker of Heaven and Earth is the tzitzit on the four-cornered garment. We call this garment the talit (a personal tent or covering), the “garment of glory”.

Last Edited by PalmOfDeborah on 10/21/2010 09:25 AM

I. THE HISTORY OF THE TALIT

The story is told that when Israel was first declared an independent nation, a rabbi was so overjoyed that he tied his talit to a stick like a flag and went running through the streets of Jerusalem cheering. It is believed by many that this was the inspiration for the design of the future flag of Israel.

When the nation of Israel was “reborn” (1948), the flag of Israel was designed by three different parties at the same time in different locations. Although the three parties did not communicate, it is significant that all three came up with a similar design. Each had incorporated the Star of David on a white background with blue stripes. The talit of the past did not have a Star of David on it. However, most talit today have the inscription of the Star of David or a crown on each side of the blessing in Hebrew that is said when the talit is put on. There could be no more appropriate flag than one which reminds the people of Israel of the spiritual “uniform” which sets them apart from other nations, the talit.

For centuries the males of Israel wore their talit as an outer garment, designed much like a long toga which covered the entire body with a hole in the middle for the head and a cord to wrap around the waist. It was not until C.E.135 (Common Era) that the wearing of the talit was outlawed by Rome and thus the talit had to be concealed. It then became a type of four-cornered undershirt with tzitzit on each corner, covering only the chest and back which was worn under the person’s outer clothing. This small talit is called a “talit katan” was designed specifically for the convenience of use in individual prayer and for group services. A larger talit, big enough for the user to literally “get under” is called the “talit gadol” (the “big talit”). Because of it’s size, it more closely resembles a “tent” which may be worn over the head, a covering the entire body. In four different places the Scriptures command us to wear a tallit at all times as a “reminder to keep all the Commandments of Torah. (more on this later in the paper.)

The talit was especially important in the Hebrew culture during a wedding ceremony. It was held above the couple during the ceremony to symbolize the Lord’s blessing and His protection over the marriage union. Traditionally, the husband gave the wife a wedding ring which symbolized his devotion to her and the wife gave her husband a talit which symbolized that she had given him her heart. This is especially meaningful when one learns that there are eight strings in each of the four corners of the talit, making a total of 32 strings, the same as the numerical value for the word, “heart” in Hebrew (“lev”).

Last Edited by PalmOfDeborah on 10/21/2010 09:26 AM

II. THE SYMBOLISM OF THE TALIT

The symbolism of the talit is not only beautiful but wide in its’ scope. Each part of the talit is rich in meaning. The talit comes in many colors, but it is predominately white with blue stripes. The white simply symbolizes purity. However from all that this writer can conclude, the blue color has a number of symbolic meanings. The blue color is associated with royalty (We are a “royal priesthood”, see I Peter 2:9), authority and with the positive aspects of faithfulness and loyalty to the Torah. In contrast, however, there is a negative symbolism relating to the presence of the stripes. Even though they are blue in color, the actual stripes, themselves, apart from their color, are a symbol of the sins of the people of Israel, or for that matter, the sins of all humanity. The Scriptures provide us with a beautiful and yet profound relationship between the punishment for sin which we deserved and the “stripes” received by our Savior on the “tree” which He did not deserve but willingly received in our place: “And by His stripes we are healed”. [Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 53: 4-6] It very meaningful to consider the following analogy. Although the stripes cause one to think of sin and it’s punishment, the blue color of the stripes reminds us of the King of Kings (royalty and authority), His faithfulness to complete His divine task, and His loyalty to the Father for our sakes.

In addition to the tzitzit, the weaving on the edges of the garment which hang downward are left loose as though they were unwoven, loose strands of threads which are gathered and tied into little groups called “tassels” These additional “tassels” symbolize our freedom from sin.

The source of the blue color (“techeleth” in Hebrew) on the tzitzit is unique as it came from a particular squid. It is called in Hebrew the “chilazon”, and it’s scientific name is “Sepia Officonalis“. This squid lived in the Mediterranean Sea between Tyre and Haifa. It is interesting to note that just as the squid used his dark blue “blood” to hide from his predators, we also are protected form our spiritual enemies by the blue of the tzitzit. It is also notable that Hebrew sages believe that the color of the throne of Yahweh is the same as the color of the blue of the chilazon.

It was also a common practice for the talit to be used in the burial of the person who had worn it. Our Savior, Himself, was buried with His talit which will be described later in this paper. It is notable that when the nation of Israel was “dispersed” (scattered among the nations), the particular squid used for the coloring of the tzitzit also disappeared. It was not until the re-emergence of the nation of Israel in 1948 that, mysteriously, this special Mediterranean squid again reemerged and began to be grown and harvested for the purposes of making tzitzit (see “beged ivri”on the internet).

Last Edited by PalmOfDeborah on 10/21/2010 09:28 AM

III. THE TALIT, A PERSONAL TABERNACLE

As one considers the function of the talit, it is helpful to recall that as the nation of Israel traveled in the wilderness, they traveled in a precise formation according to the 12 tribes. When they camped, they also pitched their tents precisely. The width of the camping area extending north and south was no wider than the length of the Tabernacle which was located in the center. Similarly, the width of the camping area extending east and west was no wider than the width of the Tabernacle also located in the center. Thus, symbolically, each tribe was camped “within the borders of the Tabernacle”.
At worship times, the people would all gather around the Tabernacle. Knowing the dimensions of the worship area of the Tabernacle, it is easy to see that only a small percentage would be able to actually enter into the place of worship at one time. Thus, the Creator made the provision of the talit so that each person who was standing outside of the Tabernacle could cover themselves with their talit, and thereby, literally fulfill his worship requirements as if he were standing inside the Tabernacle itself. That is precisely why the talit is often called a “personal tabernacle”. Today, since there is no Tabernacle such as they had in the wilderness, and there is no Temple in Jerusalem such as stood in the days of Solomon and the days of the Messiah, a worshiper can still enter into his own “personal tabernacle” and know the presence of the Father just as those who stood outside of the Tabernacle during the wilderness wanderings.

Last Edited by PalmOfDeborah on 10/21/2010 09:12 AM

IV. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TZITZIT

Although there are numerous interesting references to the talit in Scripture, the most significant thing about the talit is that each tzitzit on its’ corners actually spells the Name of Yahweh (the term, G-d, is not a name). In the Hebrew language, which does not have vowels, the Sacred Name is spelled with the sacred tetragrammaton, the four consonant letters: Yod, He, Vav, He (YHVH). There are eight threads which are used to make each tzitzit. Seven of these are white and one is blue. The blue thread is called the, the “servant thread” (the “shamash”). It is much longer than the other seven threads because it is wrapped around the others in such a way as to spell the Sacred Name. Each of the four consonants in the Sacred Name are indicated on the tzitzit by the number of times that the blue string is wrapped around the other seven strings according to the sequential order of each letter in the Hebrew alphabet. A knot is tied in between each of the wrapped sections. Thus, by counting the number of wraps in each section, one can determine which letter is being referenced. (10 windings, then a knot; 5 windings, then a knot, 6 windings, then a knot and 5 windings, then a knot.) In this way, the Name of Yahweh is literally spelled out in the construction of each tzitzit. The “shamash” is also the name which refers to the 9th candle of the Hanukkah menorah (a group of 9 candles in a row on a single candle stand). It is located in the center and raised slightly higher than the other 8 candles. The “shamash” is the candle that is used to light all the rest of the candles. It was “given” (“natan” in Hebrew) in Numbers 15: 37 to the tzitzit just as our Messiah was “given” by the Father to be the fulfillment of the Torah.

There are a number of other ways, in addition to the winding system described in the previous paragraph, to symbolically tie the tzitzit so that the Name, Yahweh, may be “spelled out”.

Last Edited by PalmOfDeborah on 10/21/2010 09:29 AM

V. “WINGS” AND “TENTS” AS REFERENCES TO THE “TALIT”

It is important for the reader to note that the Hebrew words, “tents” and “wings” are often a direct substitute for the word “talit”. A good example is found in Tehillim (Psalms) 91: 1-4. Here the Scriptures say:” He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, who abides under the shadow of the Almighty---He covers you with His feathers, and under His wings you take refuge.” This passage is not just a picture of a bird lovingly caring for its’ young. It is primarily a picture of a worshiper wrapped in his “secret place”, his “personal Tabernacle”, who experiences a wonderful sense of intimacy and security in his Creator through the use of his talit as he worships. Now let us look at some other scriptural references to the talit.

In Bemidbar (Numbers) 24: 2-5, Bil’am was on Mt. Pisgah overlooking the camp of the Israelites and he observed the glory of the Lord directly above the Tabernacle in the wilderness. He also saw the throngs of Israelite worshipers around the Tabernacle with their talit over their heads worshipping. The Scriptures say: “and Bil’am lifted up his eyes and saw Yisra’el encamped according to the tribes. And the Spirit of Elohim (Mighty One) came upon him.” And he said: “How beautiful are your tents, O Ya’aqob (Jacob); your dwellings, O Yisra’el (Israel) .” In the former verse the word, “tents” in the original Hebrew is “o’hel” meaning a “distance covering” or what we would call a tent. “O’hel” is from the word, “ahal” which means something obvious. Thus, Bil’am was speaking of the actual physical tents that they lived in. However, in the latter part of the verse, the Hebrew word translated “dwellings” is “mishkan” which means “dwelling place” a reference to the spiritual dwelling place of the nation of Israel. At this point, Bil’am was speaking of the talit which the men who were worshipping were wearing as they stood outside the Sanctuary.

I Shemu’el (I Samuel) 24: 4 tells the story of how young Dawid (David) cut off one of the tzitzit of King Sha’ul (Saul) and thus, showed the King that his authority was going to be taken away from him. Dawid and King Sha’ul, both knew that the power of the King’s authority was from Yahweh (G-d) and that the symbol of Yahweh was the king’s tzitzit on his talit. It is interesting to note that the Hebrew word used to describe the “skirt” of Saul’s talit is the word, “kanaf” which means “edge, extremity, wing tip, border, corner, or tip”. (Compare this to the use of the same Hebrew word in Ruth 3: 9.)

There are many other references to the talit scattered throughout the Messianic Writings (the New Testament) as well as the Tanak (the Old Testament). On one occasion our Messiah was weeping over the city of Jerusalem and He said: “Yerushalayim, Yerushalayim (Jerusalem, Jerusalem), killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to her. How often I wished to gather your children, the way that a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not” [Mattithyahu (Matthew) 23:37]. To paraphrase the literal meaning of the verse, we could say: “how I would have taken you under My talit, into My personal Tabernacle, and you would not.” Once the reader realizes that the words, “tents” and “wings” are frequently a reference to the talit, the meaning of each of these references becomes more beautiful and significant. (See Psalms 36:7; Psalms 57:1 and Psalms 61:4)

Last Edited by PalmOfDeborah on 10/21/2010 09:29 AM

VI. THE MESSIAH AND HIS MIRACULOUS USE OF THE TALIT

Perhaps we should pause at this point to remind ourselves that our Messiah, Himself, was a Jewish rabbi. He kept the Torah (the first five books of the Scriptures) perfectly and wore a talit with tzitzit on it’s four corners from the age of twelve until it was stripped from Him when He was “impaled on the tree”. His talit (translated usually as “robe”, or “garment”) was described as being of exceptional quality. In the days of Y’hoshua (J-sus) the most expensive talit were seamless (John 19:23-24). It is also recorded that at the time of His death the Roman soldiers cast lots to see who would get to keep His talit. Since it would have been a disgrace for a rabbi to be buried without his prayer shawl, it was, therefore, common knowledge that the disciples would pay many times it’s normal value to buy it back in order that it could be draped over His face at the time of His burial. It is this writer’s opinion that the cloth item, which was translated as a “napkin”(“suda’ rion”), that was placed over the Savior’s face at His burial was not a “napkin” at all, but His talit.

In the Tanak, the talit is prophesied as having healing powers in the hands of the Messiah to come as fulfilled in the New Testament. Malachi 4:2 says: “But to you who fear My Name (Yahweh), the Son of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings (His tzitzit).” Here the Hebrew word for “wings” is “k’nafim”, the same word used for the corners of a talit. We also find that in Luke 8: 42-48 the woman with the issue of blood touched His tzitzit (translated as the “hem of His garment”) and was healed immediately. Although a crowd of people was pressing in on Him at the time, He felt healing power go out of Him through His tzitzit, and He said: “Who touched me?” It is notable that Yahoshua (J-sus) associated her touching His tzitzit with the touching of Himself personally. Mattithyahu (Matthew 14: 35-36) says: “---and begging Him to only touch the tzitzit of His talit (translated as “hem of His garment”). And as many as touched it were completely healed.” How significant it is that EVERY person who touched the Savior’s tzitzit was healed ! Back in the days of Yahoshua it took faith to reach out and touch a few strings hanging from the garment of the Savior, but the same principle is true for all mankind even today. By faith anyone can seek the Messiah and receive salvation from sin and the promise of eternal life.
Yahoshua did not need to use His tzitzit at all. He had the power to simply speak and whom ever He wished would be healed, even at great distances. (Luke 7:1-10) Yet, much of His healing was done with His tzitzit in order that, in everything, the Heavenly Father, who’s name was “written” in the tzitzit, would be glorified rather than Himself. There is no doubt that Yahoshua’s talit played an important role in His healing ministry.

Our Creator wanted it to be clear that any healing power found in the tzitzit of the Messiah, was from Himself, Yahweh. Thus He provided that the spelling of the Sacred Name in the tzitzit be accomplished by the work of the “servant thread”, which symbolized Yahoshua, His Son. Here is a perfect example of the “unity” of the Father and the Son. Even the Name, Yahoshua (or the shorter, less formal Name, Yahshua) means “Salvation of Yahweh”.

The Book of Revelation speaks dramatically of the risen Messiah who is wearing His tallit (translated as “robe”) with the tzitzit on it’s corners when He shall some day ride a white horse toward the earth to triumphantly judge the wicked and to establish His “millennium”, a reign of one thousand year on the earth. (Revelation 19:13-16) Notice, that in verse 16, it says: “And on His talit (robe) and on His thigh, He has a Name written.” It should be noted that when one wears a talit, the tzitzit on the front two corners of the garment lie directly on the thighs of the person wearing them. Some Christians reading this passage think that there is a tattoo on His thigh. However, the mystery is easily solved when the reader learns that the “Name” on His thigh is His tzitzit and the name on the tzitzit is Yahweh ! In Heaven, our Messiah is STILL wearing His Prayer Shawl and His tzitzit. Please pause and think about the significance of this statement as it relates to every believer. How faithful is our Messiah !

Last Edited by PalmOfDeborah on 10/21/2010 09:30 AM

VII. ELIJAH’S TALIT OF CAMEL’S HAIR

On many other occasions, the talit is described as having special power. In II Melakim (Kings) 2:8 we read that Eliyahu (Elijah), took his rugged talit made of camel’s hair, rolled it up and struck the water of the Jordan river to make the waters part.
Please understand that there was no leather in this garment, but the talit was made up totally of material made from woven camel’s hair.) We read in I Melakim (Kings) 19:19 that Eliyahu threw his “mantle” (his talit) over Elisha when he called him to be his successor. The Hebrew word used here for “mantle” is “aderet” which means “glory” or “honor”. After Elisha, received Eliyahu’s talit, he also struck the waters of the Jordan so that they parted again and he went back across the river in the same way as he had just crossed with Eliyahu. After the death of Elisha, no prophet was found who was worthy to wear Elijah’s talit so it was placed in the Temple by the menorah (lampstand) for safekeeping. Years later, Z’karyah (Zacharias), the father of Yohanan the Immerser (incorrectly translated “John the Baptist”), was performing his service as a priest on Yom Kippur at which time, he encountered the messenger (angel) of Yahweh who told him that his wife would conceive a son. The messenger said further that his son would be called Yohanan (John) and that he would go before the Messiah in the spirit and power of Eliyahu (Luke 1:17). Thus, Z’karyah took Eliyahu’s talit for his son. (Luke 1:5-25) It is worth mentioning that one of the reasons why John the Immerser was so quickly accepted as a great prophet, even though he was basically an unknown who grew up as an exile in the “wilderness”, was because he wore the famous camel’s hair talit of Elijah. (Mark 1:1-6)

Last Edited by PalmOfDeborah on 10/21/2010 09:13 AM

VIII. RABBI SHA’UL (PAUL) WAS A “TENT MAKER”

Christians often assume that after Rabbi Sha’ul ( referred to as “Paul” which means “short one” or “shorty” in English---a derogatory gentile nickname which he accepted) became a believer in the Messiah, he renounced the synagogue and broke away from his Hebrew religious roots. However, the Scriptures clearly show the opposite. For example, when Rabbi Sha’ul (Paul) spoke of his profession as a “tent maker”, the Hebrews to whom he was speaking understood without question that he meant, he was a maker of the talit (the spiritual tent) with the tzitzit on it’s four corners (Acts 18:3). Even today, there are craftsmen who specialize in the making of the talit. It is amazing to consider the volume of sermons that have been preached by ministers on this topic who had no idea of the real meaning of the text. This detail is the kind of material that a minister should have been taught during his seminary training, but it is unfortunately avoided.

Last Edited by PalmOfDeborah on 10/21/2010 09:13 AM

IX. KEPHA’S (Peter’s) VISION CONCERNING THE GENTILES

Again in the Messianic Books (the News Testament), we find another particularly interesting reference to the talit. Rabbi Kepha (Peter) received a vision in which items that are always considered unholy were brought before him on a “great sheet”. In Acts 11:5 we read: “I was in the city of Yapho (Jafa) praying. And in a trance I saw a vision, a certain vessel descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners, and it came to me.” If the reader does not know that the “great sheet” is a talit, much of the significance of the text is lost. The holy talit was carrying numerous unholy foods. Rabbi Kepha was directed by the Heavenly Father to eat the unholy food. When he passionately declined, Yahweh said in verse nine: “What Elohim has cleansed, you do not consider common.” As one continues to read through verse 18 we find that this is the famous passage where it was first made clear to the Israelite believers in Messiah that the plan of salvation should be shared with even the non-Hebrew believers. How interesting that Yahweh would use a talit in the vision that opened the plan of salvation to the Gentiles. Once this is understood, it is even more tragic that Gentiles traditionally shy away from anything having to do with the talit.

Last Edited by PalmOfDeborah on 10/21/2010 09:13 AM

X. THE HEAVENLY FATHER’S “TENT”

Of all the Scriptures concering the talit, one of the most awesome is a description of the Heavenly Father’s talit. Tehillim (Psalms) 104: 1-2 says: “Bless Yahweh, O my being ! O Yahweh, my Elohim, You have been very great; You have put on excellency and splendor, covering Yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a curtain.” Thus, our Creator created His talit out of the elements of light and the heavens so that all creation is kept “under His protective wings”.

Revelation 7:14-15 also explains: “These are those coming out of great distress, having washed their robes (talit) and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Because of this they are before the throne of Elohim (the Mighty One), and serve Him day and night in His Dwelling Place. And He who sits on the throne shall spread His tent (talit) over them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more...”. The first part of this passage has long been misunderstood by the Gentile community. In the fourteenth verse we read: “These are those coming out of great distress, having washed their robes (talit) and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” The average Protestant or Catholic, who sees fellow church members wearing robes in the choir each Sunday, naturally assumes that we will all be wearing white choir robes in Heaven. But the Hebrew, who lived at the time of the writing of the book of Revelation, who wore a full length prayer shawl or a “talit katan” (small talit) under his clothing, would interpret the word “robes” to mean “talit”. Simply stated, our heavenly talit will no longer have stripes to remind us of our sin, but they will be pure white as the garment of a forgiven people. The rest of the above quoted passage (verse fifteen) also refers dramatically to the talit. However, this reference is not to our talit, but the talit of the Heavenly Father.

Yahoshua (J-sus) once wept because Jerusalem, the city which He loved, refused to be gathered under his talit, [Mattithyahu (Matthew) 23:37]. Yahoshua said: “I and my Father are “echad” (one, or unified). [Yohanan (John) 10:30] Therefore, it is no surprise that our Heavenly Father also desires to gather His “called out ones” under His talit ( His “tent”), there to dwell throughout all of eternity. What a blessed promise!

Last Edited by PalmOfDeborah on 10/21/2010 09:30 AM

XI. WHY THE TERMS “TALIT” AND “TZITZIT” HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY GENTILES

The more one studies the talit, the more it becomes apparent that the Catholics and later the Protestants) who translated from the original texts (as well as those who eventually wrote the commentaries) have gone quite out of their way to avoid the mention of this obviously significant topic. One might compare this phenomenon to a history professor who wanted to study the early American West but who refused to admit the existence of the “six-shot revolver” because he didn’t like guns. For a historian to ignore the presence and significance of this weapon which was worn daily on the hips of most cowboys during the early West would most certainly result in a very warped historical view of that period of American history.

Yet, this is exactly what has been done with the talit and the tzitzit as it relates to the historical context by which Christians interpret the Scriptures. Consider that the word “talit” is referred to as: “vesture, tent, napkin, garment, sheet, robe, curtain, girdle, and mantle” but never as “talit”. Similarly, “tzitzit” is referenced as: “fringe, tassel, hem of the garment, or corner of the garment” but never as “tzitzit”. No matter how outlandish this accusation may sound to the reader, the fact still remains that Protestant and Catholic texts of any kind which discuss the talit or the tzitzit are almost non-existent. The reader must go to the Jewish community of writings and there, he will find an abundance of books on this topic. Just as the professor of Early American history can not properly understand or teach about the Old American West without including the significance of the six-shot revolver, it is simply not possible to correctly interpret many passages of the Scriptures without a full understanding of the significance and use of the talit and the tzitzit in ancient biblical times.

According to Vendyl Jones, of Arlington, Texas, noted expert in Jewish history and customs, there are 47 direct or indirect references to the talit in the Scriptures. At some point one must raise the question: “Why is it that so many ministers and dedicated Christian teachers study the Scriptures and commentaries their whole lives and never have any concept as to what a talit or a tzitzit is?” The real answer will be disturbing to some Christians and perhaps not acceptable to others but herein lies the truth of the matter. The early Gentile believers wanted a Savior and were absolutely enamored with unconditional love of Yahoshua, the Hebrew Messiah, but they hated Hebrews and even hated Hebrew-sounding words. Thus, HUNDREDS OF CHANGES were made from the originals texts to rid the Scriptures of those troublesome Hebrewisms, including the avoidance of the concept of the “talit” with the “tzitzit” on it’s four corners. The rationalization for such changes was that they made Christianity more palatable or comfortable for the new pagan convert. The result, however, was that instead, Christianity, it’s self, became more pagan and some of the most significant Christian doctrines were compromised.

Many are quick to agree that “Christ is our example”. Some even wear wrist bands which say: “What would J-sus do?” However, if these dedicated believers found out that even now in Heaven, the Savior is wearing a talit in obedience to the command of the Heavenly Father [Bemidbar (Numbers) 15:37-39], would they immediately start using a talit in their worship? The answer is probably, “no”. We say that He is our example as long as we are not inconvenienced and as long as we can fit our faith comfortably into the social mold of our friends and neighbors. A few ministers are aware of the tzitzit and the talit, but have never preached a sermon on this topic for fear that it would raise too many questions or cause unrest among the membership. They are probably right. Truth is often unsettling.

Last Edited by PalmOfDeborah on 10/21/2010 09:31 AM

Good stuff Deborah!!!

It seems our conversations about the tallit have lit quite the fire beneath you deb.

I'm gonna end up hiring you as my personal researcher. :)

And I'm teaching the little tiny-tinys that I care for how to pronounce the true names of their Elohim and Messiah...and singing them to naptime sleep with the Shema chant...taking turns holding them and dancing around!


I used to be a headhunter (recruiter), so any research you need done, send me a PM or email or whatever, and I will look into it at least.

I was just looking up how to make one...there's some neat ideas out there. I think I will make that my next project.

Thanks for sharing all that Deborah - just finished reading. :)