Traditional or Modern tallit for Men? What Can You Choose?

Tallit or Talliot, known as the prayer shawl, is an intricate and inseparable part of the Judaica/Jewish religion. Traditionally, it was only worn by men during the morning prayers, but today the push of equality between the sexes has made it favorite among Jewish women too. In order to know more about this Jewish tradition, go through the blog below.

Significance of the Tallit – Prayer Shawl

Tallit, the four-cornered prayer shawl is a white rectangular piece of fabric which when worn bestows a sense of personal space during prayer. The tallit for men is also worn as a reminder to live a mitzvah-centered life. The tzitzit, fringes on its four corners is what transforms this piece of cloth into a tallit. It is said that the rise of Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah in the 20th century is considered as one of the reasons for making this Jewish garment of great significance.

Color of the Tallit

When you’re searching for a tallit to buy, you can find incredible color choices in the market today, including hand-printed patterns. There are no specific rules about what color a tallit must be. It’s not the color that plays an intrinsic role, but, the measurement and the fringes that hang off the four corners of the tallit holds significant importance. Previously the talliot used to have white background with black or blue stripes on them. But, today, the stripes that are woven in, come in a wide variety of colors.

Sizes of the Tallit

Sizes of the talliots vary. Many stores are there carrying standard size tallit. For women the standard size is 18*72 and the tallit for men comes with a standard size of 22*72 or 22*80. Even plus sized people can also order larger sized talliot.

Styles available

The style of the tallit ranges from historic to contemporary. The traditional styled talliot are generally white and navy in color. Modern style talliot include a splash of color. Navy color has always been a popular tallit for men.

Materials to know

The talliots are made using wide range of fabrics. The most expensive ones are handmade and consist of higher quality fabric. And the lower end tallits are usually machine-made. Fabric types that can be used are: acrylic, wool, organza, cotton, polyester and silk.

Kinds of Tallit

Tallits for men are available in 2 kinds: tallit katan and tallit gadol. Tallit katan are small sized tallits usually worn as an under garment beneath the clothing and tallit gadol are large-sized tallits worn over ones clothing usually resting on the shoulders.

Choosing a talliot today can be a highly personal experience, with each person opting for the material, kind and color that suit him the most. Wearing a tallit for the first time means, you are entitled to experience being a Jewish adult. With multiple options and choices available, finding the right tallit is not a challenge anymore. With this guide, now you can even narrow your search for picking up your desired tallit.

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