How to Shop for Tzitzit
Tzitzit are the fringes Jewish men wear on four-corned garments, such as the tallit gadol (worn over the clothes during the morning prayer--also known as the prayer shawl) and the tallit katan (worn under the clothing all day). Tzitzit must be made properly and should be sturdy enough for daily wear. You should purchase your tzitzit from a Judaica store online or in person.
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Instructions
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Locate a Judaica store nearby or online. Browse through the selection of tzitzit.
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Make sure that your tzitzit are certified kosher. This is especially important online when you can't actually inspect the product yourself.
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Ensure each of the four corners of the garment has tzitzit and each fringe contains eight strings and five knots.
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Check that the strings are fairly long and the knots are tied securely. If they unravel easily, it will be difficult to make sure they will remain kosher.
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Ask your rabbi about Tehkelet (the blue string found in some tzitzit.) Some rabbis permit wearing it since they feel the Tehkelet is authentic. Many authorities do not consider it kosher because they believe we cannot be certain the dye is the same as that described in the Bible.
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Buy an additional pair, since tzitzit wear out very quickly, especially children's tzitzit.
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Tips & Warnings
Get advice from a knowledgeable person if this is your first time buying tzitzit. He should be able to tell if you are buying a good pair.
Do not purchase tzitzit from a merchant who does not specialize in Jewish items. Such stores cannot verify that the tzitzit are kosher.
