While there are many situations in which tallitot are given as gifts, the most common event is a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. At Bat Mitzvahs and Bar Mitzvahs, many families choose to give their child a tallit, which they will wear for the first time as they lead a congregation in prayer and learning.

Bar Mitzvah is the Hebrew word for the son of commandment. A Jewish boy upon turning 13 gets all the obligations and rights of a Jewish adult, including the commandments of the Torah. From the date, he will wear tefillin daily, participate in synagogue services and take his place in the Jewish community. The milestone called Bar Mitzvah is often celebrated with a ceremony in parties, synagogue, and tefillin wearing. The celebrant becomes eligible to take part in public religious worship and observe religious precepts.

When you attend a Bar Mitzvah ceremony, you often wonder – “What some of the random symbols mean anyway?”

In Judaism, nothing is ever random. Everything has an underlying meaning, including the symbols you often see in Bar Mitzvah tallit and ceremonies.

There are four levels of interpretation, known as PaRDeS in Jewish structure used to discover the true meaning behind Jewish symbols and signs.

Peshat: Simple and straightforward explanation

Remez: Symbolic or allegorical

Derash: Deriving meaning through analysis

Sod: Secret and mystical interpretation

In a few moments, you will also discover, what are the most common Bar Mitzvah symbols and what do they mean?

KIPPAH:

Kippah is a famous headcover Jewish men wear every time they pray, read from the Torah, attend Jewish ceremonies, attend a funeral, enter a synagogue, or perform any other religious activity. Many Jewish men wear a Kippah as a sign of their piety and their belief in Jewish law. The Kippah serves as a constant reminder of God’s presence. Or, to quote Rabbi Hunah ben Joshua, meaning, “The divine presence is always over my head.” The Kippah is a common Bar Mitzvah symbol as it symbolizes maturity. The boy wears a Kippah for the first time in the Bar Mitzvah ceremony – subject to the Torah’s commandments.

TALLIT:

Tallit is a Jewish prayer shawl Jewish men wear during the morning prayer (Shacharit).
 
There are two types of Tallitot:

• Tallit Gadol (large tallit0: This is a large prayer shawl that Jewish wear on top of their clothes.

• Tallit Katan (small tallit): This small piece of clothing is normally worn under the clothes. This is referred to as Tzitzit.

Traditionally, the father buys his son his first Bar Mitzvah tallit. The same holds for girls in conservative and reform communities, where the parents buy their daughter her first Bat Mitzvah tallit.

Reform Jews and orthodox Jews wear different types of tallitot. Reform Jews wear a smaller tallit around their neck, while orthodox Jews wear a full-size Tallit that covers their entire back.

You would want to choose a tallit that fits the boy’s size, and the way he will wear it.

What makes a great Bar Mitzvah Tallit?

To me, it has to be –

•    Beautiful
•    Authentic
•    Large enough to be worn in the traditional style


What do these Jewish prayer shawls look like?

Let’s have a look…

Bordeaux Star of David Tallit

 

This gorgeous Bordeaux wool tallit is sure to impress everyone around. The tallit is deep red wine in color and flaunts stunning horizontal Star of David design across it as well as a Hebrew blessing around its collar. This Jewish Prayer Shawl would make a wonderful gift for any man in your life for any special occasion! The atara is embroidered in White on Bordeaux background and the blessing is in Hebrew. Complete with a matching kippah and bag, and this one-of-a-kind tallit will be the one you will enjoy for years to come!

Jerusalem embroidered on Blue Silk Wool Tallit

  

Show off your love of Jerusalem with this one-of-a-kind silk wool tallit! This hand-made silk tallit for men is a modern tallit design in wool decorated with shades of blue and accents of Green. On top of the silk, stunning gold lines are depicting the landscape of the City of Jerusalem. The blessing is embroidered on a deep blue atara. Unique and colorful, this marvelous tallit is accompanied by a set of matching kippah and bag. This can make a perfect gift set to present someone close to you!

At Galilee Silks, we are the leading Israeli studio that creates the most stunning and unique range of Judaica textile products along with silk and fashion accessories. We create one-of-a-kind Judaica products that are well-known all over the world in many Judaica stores as well as Temple shops and Jewish congregation members.  For customizing your tallit, you can contact us with the suitable tallit size as per your needs.

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When we want to discuss about tallit for women there are certain points that are bound to come into consideration. According to Judaism, women are not obligated to wear a “Tallit”. A reason behind this can be that they are exempt from fulfilling most of the time-bound positive commandments such as reciting the Shema which is supposed to be done morning and night, or even taking the Four Kinds on the holiday of Sukkot). However, a lot of women do fulfill a lot of these mitzvot if they so desire. In current days, a lot of women are opting for wearing tallit and it is now considered as more than just a prayer shawl. In this post, I will be listing a few other facts about this discussion that are important to know. So, let’s take a closer look at the facts now, on the meaning of Tallit for Women.

 Tallit For Women - A Few Facts About The Custom And Practices!
In spite of the current trend, a lot of women do not wear tallitot. A number of these reasons for this reticence can be found in Halachic works. Let’s take a look at them.

• Both women and men are actually Biblically forbidden to wear clothing normally associated with the other gender. Like for instance, men may not wear skirts. Now, as tallit is traditionally a male garment, for a woman, wearing that will actually be considered as a violation of this statute.

• Another fact is that although women observe a number of time-bound mitzvotal though they are not obligated to do so. This is an admirable practice for which they are genuinely rewarded. But a Tallit is different since there is no obligation whatsoever to wear a tallit—even for a man. Rather, in events, the man wears a four-cornered garment and must also attach fringes to its corners. As the man is not obligated to seek out such a garment, women who are actually exempt from this practice in the first place, do not wear them at all.

• Now, a woman who fulfills this mitzvah which she is not obligated to do so and is not performed by the majority of her gender actually draws undue attention to her excessive piety in an inappropriately ostentatious manner. This was definitely a reason to ponder upon especially from the orthodox point-of-view.

• Lastly, on the mystical level, the inner workings of this mitzvah are actually male oriented and they just don't "do it" for a woman.

 Getting Trendy Tallits:

However, with time the concept of wearing Tallit for women has changed vastly and due to a lot of open-minded women in the Jewish society, a lot of women are now opting to wear them. Thanks to the on-going trend, tallit has moved beyond from just being a prayer shawl, rather it has become a fashion statement for them as well. With unique designs and exclusive quality, they have surely attained a great popularity among the women of the society. There are a lot a great Judaica stores available who can offer you the best products for the best price. So what else would you like to know about this topic? Let us know in the comments section and I will be addressing them in the upcoming posts. Till then feel free to share it and keep following this space for more related updates.

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Tallit is also known as a Jewish prayer shawl is sometimes received at a milestone moment in all adult Jewish lives. At bar mitzvahs as well as bat mitzvahs, most of the families choose to give their children a tallit. They wear tallit for the first time as they lead a congregation in prayers as well as learning. Bar mitzvah tallit is a Jewish coming of age ritual for boys. A girl becomes a bat mitzvah at the age of 12 in accordance with the Orthodox and Conservative Jews, and at the age of 13 according to Reform Jews. Prior to reaching bar mitzvah age, one’s parents hold the rights and responsibilities for the child’s actions.

This process of selecting a tallit, either bar mitzvah tallit or a bat mitzvah tallit can be emotional, but in the middle of planning for a family event, it can sometimes be put off until the last minute. Taking the time to select a tallit allows you a moment to involve taking a step back and focusing on the essentiality of the event on your Jewish journey. Whether you and your children are seeking the process of selecting the perfect bar mitzvah tallitot a little difficult, here are four tips which will help you make the process a little easier.

Try it on for Size

Normally, Tallitot are offered in two sizes. A traditional tallit and a shawl size tallit. Generally, a shawl is made using less material and worn with four corners hanging before the person wearing it. Some tallitot are larger and are typically worn draped up as well as folded over one’s shoulders. The traditional styles are prevalent in prayer leaders. The shawl styles that are smaller allow you for more movement. So if you are one of the persons who like dancing while praying this smaller might be the size for you. 

Be True to Yourself

In the time you are preparing for your bar mitzvah tallit or bat mitzvah, there can be many different things to consider; the food, the attire, the decorations and much, much more. Also, you should take a decision if you need a smaller or larger tallit, the colour, size and other things, especially where to buy it, should be your choice. Your friends or your relatives may help you choose the best one. Better you visit an online store, and the store can be an Israeli silk designer specializes in hand-dyeing or raw white silk and produces an exclusive range of silk tallit, tallit for women and wool tallit. One thing you should bear in mind is - while buying a tallit always select something you can see yourself being excited to wear for the rest of your life. 

 Find a Connection

Few people wear older tallit that is collected from their relatives. This can bring joy as well as strength, and a bond across generations. Though, these types of Tallitot are not new but can carry a story of family history and the importance of one’s own Jewish identity. You can also get a connection in a new tallit. Therefore, choose a certain colour or pattern that may bring to mind a memory which boosts your personality, and the approach to your life.

Buying a bar mitzvah tallit or a bat mitzvah can be stressful. All you need to do is – studying, organizing and remembering everything. Selecting a tallit is your time to see something that becoming a Jewish adult is all about! You may get a lot of opinions and choices, but the final say is surely your responsibility. It is up to you which one you choose and where to buy the best one. 

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