Volumne 13 Number 2
November/December 1997
Cheshvan/Kislev/Tevet 5758

Prayer-A "Fringe" Benefit of the Believer.

By Barney Kasdan, Messianic Rabbi

Of all the customs of spoken by G-d to our people, perhaps the tallit (prayershawl) stands out as the most obvious symbol of the Jew’s call to prayer.

“The L-rd said to Moses, Speak to the Israelites and say to them: Throughout the generations to come you are to make fringes on the corner of your garments, with a blue thread on each fringe. You will have these fringes to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the L-rd that you may obey them....” [Bamidbar/Numbers 15:37-38].

In earliest times (and with Orthodox practice today), this command was followed by wearing fringes/tzitzitot on our everyday garments. Over time, the custom became more broadly associated with worship and prayer; hence, the prayershawl which is worn today at synagogue services or in personal devotion time. This important custom reminds us just how important prayer is for all believers. Sometimes people may question if they need such a holy garment to assist their prayer life. Technically, perhaps not. But it is G-d himself who says that there are certain garments which will help His people to keep the right focus for prayer and worship (cf. All the priestly garments of Exodus 28).

So what does the tallit teach us about prayer? First, it teaches us the proper source of prayer. We are drawn to this point by the use of the blue thread as a part of the tzitzit which, of course, is the color of the heavens. It is a simple yet profound truth that prayer is a call to the sovereign of the universe. In fact, by the very act of pausing in a time of prayer, we are in essence saying that we are not in charge! At that holy moment we are submitting ourselves to the One who is our G-d. It is a sobering thought that when we neglect our call to prayer that we are in reality falling into the sin of arrogance. Today, many people say they don’t have time for real prayer. But the fact of the matter is that if we are too busy to pray, we are too busy! The tread of blue was to be a vivid reminder to our people that we must always humble ourselves, put aside our ways and seek our Father in heaven. It is interesting to note that the precise blue dye was from a snail in the Mediterranean Sea called “techelet” which disappeared from the Middle East about 2,000 years ago. Within the last decade, many rabbinic scholars are claiming to have found this long lost snail to the shores of Israel! It seems to be another sign from Hashem and a fresh call to prayer.

A second lesson from the tallit is that prayer must have the correct focus. “You will look and remember...” Prayer is not primarily our time to bring our wish list to G-d for his instant approval. While in prayer, the tallit is to remind us to align ourselves with G-d’s kingdom and his values first. The most effective prayer is the one that applies the promises already spoken by G-d in his Word. Have you noticed that many times it seems that G-d is not so interested in changing our situation as He is in changing us! There is nothing like a good season of prayer to give us a fresh perspective on what the Father expects of us and how we best align ourselves with His wishes. What a practical tool the tallit is for this purpose. As we wrap ourselves in the fringes, it is a graphic reminder to set aside our own ideas and to seek the wisdom of Messiah.

The final lesson that can be gleaned from the tallit is found in the exhortation “to remember and obey....” As the Jew comes to prayer, we don the tallit to challenge us to make the full circle complete. What good is our prayer and devotion if we are not going to follow up with obedience to the Father’s word? The prayershawl is a holy garment that helps us to remember that “faith without works is dead” (Yaacov/James 2:17). In reality, we have missed the whole purpose of prayer if we do not apply the wise counsel of Hashem. It seems that this is why Yeshua honored the request of the woman who touched the fringe on his garment (Matityahu/Matthew 9:20). As she sought the L-rd’s healing, she reached out as an act of outward faith. Not only did Yeshua the Messiah wear the fringes/tzitzitot, but he brought out the powerful symbolism of this custom to the Jewish crowds which followed him.

Prayer is a wonderful open line of dialogue for anyone who will call on the Father through the Mashiach. Do we today still remember it’s importance as we don the tallit and look upon the fringes? Are you tapping into this great “fringe” benefit for your own life? Abba is waiting.

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Last Modified May 10, 1999