Shelach continued

Fringes (tzitzit) Numbers 15:37-41

God tells Moses to tell the Israelites to put fringes on the corners of their garments. This passage is the orgin of the tallit-a prayer shawl worn by Jews during worship services. Some orthodox will have an undergarment with fringes at the four corners to fulfill this command. And they will wear this every day, not just at worship services.

Each corner was to have a thread of blue. The blue came from a snail found in the Mediterranean. For a long time, the animal could not be found and thus many tallitot did not have the blue thread. Some say that they have found the snail again and have made tallitot with the blue thread. But they are very few and far between. the vast majority of tallitot today do not have blue threads at the corners.

Be that as it may, there are several features that are common to all tallitot. Each corner has 8 threads. And there are five knots made by the threads. The word for fringes in Hebrew is tzitzit. Tzitzit has a numerical value of 600. Adding 600 to the 8 threads plus 5 knots equals 613. And there are 613 commandments in the Torah. Knowing this was one way to remind oneself of the obligation to keep all the commandments. Numbers 15:39.

Another note about the threads-Between the first and second knots, the thread is wound 7 times, between the second and third knot, 8 times, between the third and fourth knot, 11 times, and between the fourth and fifth knots, 13 times.

7 plus 8 plus 11 equals 26. 26 is the numerical value of the tetragrammaton (YHVH), the personal name of God. 13 is the numerical value of the word 'echad' (one). So, we have YHVH echad, or "the Lord is one"-the last phrase of the Shema. (Deut 6:4) The threads serve as a reminder that God is One.

The connection with this passage and the rest of the parsha (weekly portion) that we have been discussing is at Numbers 15:39. And you will look upon them and remember all the commands of the Lord and do them and not scout about after your own heart and your owns eyes, which lead you astray.

The Hebrew text uses the word for 'scout' which is the same word used to describe the mission of the 12 spies at the beginning of this parsha. And at the end of the parsha, we have the reminder that God took us out of Egypt to be our God. This is directly related to the people's call to return to Egypt.

Wearing the fringes and looking upon them, we are reminded to keep the 613 mitzvot of Torah, that God is One and that God took us out of Egypt to be servants to Him, not slaves to Pharaoh.