- According to Numbers 15:38-40, God commanded the Jewish people to put fringes on the corners of their garments to remember God's commandments. The tallit is the way Jews fulfill this commandment, since in modern times our everyday garments no longer have corners.
- Tallitot come in a variety of styles. They range from large ones that reach nearly to the back of the knees to the narrow ones that drape over the top of the shoulders. Tallitot can also be custom-made to fit a person's size and color preference, although traditionally they have blue or black stripes on a white background.
- A tallit is usually made of wool, silk or rayon. The tzitzit may be either wool or of the same fabric as the tallit.
- A tallit is worn at morning prayer services every day. It is worn in the evening once a year, at Kol Nidre, the service that begins Yom Kippur. The person leading prayers may also wear a tallit at any service.
- Another type of tallit, the tallit katan, is a small rectangular tallit with a hole in the middle, that is worn like an undershirt (although not directly against the skin). A tallit katan is worn all day to fulfill the commandment of wearing the tzitzit as much as possible.
