How to Tie Sephardic Tzitzit

Knotting the tallit

The tallit is a Jewish prayer shawl special fringes called tzitzit on each of the four corners. In the Bible, the Lord said to Moses: "Speak to the Israelites and instruct them to make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments throughout the ages; let them attach a cord of blue to the fringe at each corner. That shall be your fringe; look at it and recall all the commandments of the Lord and observe them, so that you do not follow your heart and eyes in your lustful urge. Thus you shall be reminded to observe all My commandments and to be holy to your God. I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I, the Lord your God." [Numbers 15:37-41]

Things You'll Need

• Dye and material to use for tzittzit, no requirement.

Instructions

So You Will Remember and Do Thy Commandments

1. The fringe or tzitzit that is attached to each corner of the tallit is made of four strands, each with eight fine threads. Four strands are passed through one or two holes 1 to 2 inches away from the corner of the cloth. Many different ways are described for tying the fringe. The Bible requires an upper knot and one wrapping of three winds or hulyot. Between 7 to 13 hulyot are to be tied, and one must start and end with the color of the garment. There are varying interpretations for the knots in between the hulyot.

2. Although many different methods are used, the one with the widest acceptance is:The four strands of the tzitzit are passed through holes near the four corners of the garment that are furthest apart. Four tzitzyot are passed through each hole, and the two groups of four ends are double-knotted to each other at the edge of the garment near the hole. One of the tzitzit is made longer than the others; the long end of that one is wound around the other seven ends and double-knotted; this is done repeatedly so as to make a total of five double knots separated by four sections of winding, with a total length of at least four-inches, leaving free-hanging ends that are twice that long.

3. A prayer is said before the tzitzit the tied, a Hebrew prayer is said. "L'Shem Mitzvat Tzitzit," or "for the sake of the commandment of tzitzit." Some rabbis believe that a full blessing should be said: "Baruch atah Adonai Elohainu Melech HaOlam, asher kiddishanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu la'asot tzitzit." or "Blessed are you, Lord, our God, King of the universe who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to make tzitzit.

4. The two sets of strands are knotted together twice, and then the longer strand is wound around the remaining seven strands a number of times. The two sets are then knotted again twice. This procedure is repeated three times, so there is a total of five knots, the four intervening spaces being taken up respectively by windings numbering 7-8-11-13. The total number of winds comes to 39, which is the same number of winds if one were to tie according to the Talmud's instruction of 13 hulyot of 3 winds each. Furthermore, the number 39 is meaningful, because it is the numerical equivalent of the words: "The Lord is One" Deuteronomy 6:4).