How we came to wear the tzitzit
I'm always curious how people practically apply Torah commandments in thier lives. And just like testamonies about salvation, I like to read about people's Tzitziyot (plural of tzitzit) stories. Here's ours:
We started wearing tzitziyot a little more than five years ago. I remember Papa Sparkling tying his first tzit tzit in Calgary a couple of months before we moved back to Kamloops.
I initially bought them from a website. These came with little plastic clips to attach to your clothes. I was warned, however, that the clips tend to wear out, which we found they did.
Since then I make my own from embroidery floss or, even better, six-strand craft thread and safety pin them to what I'm wearing. Papa Sparling just ties them to the belt loops of whatever pants he's wearing. I find I need to do the safety pin way because I don't always have belt loops.
"It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of YHWH, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot." Numbers 15:39
I usually attach them to my waist, but have attached them to sweaters and even the bottom of skirts (but the tzitziyot have to be short to do that). Though I often forget to put them on at home, I should remember because it's supposed to be daily reminder of the commandments: Num 15:38 Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue.
Num 15:39 It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of YHWH, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot. It is for personal edification, but they can be a witness as well. Like baptism, it as an outward sign of an inward commitment. It was a hard at first for Papa Sparkling to start wearing them. He first attached them to his jacket at work and only wore them then. Then he began to be convicted that he should wear them all the time, so he did. He keeps them short so as not to be flagrant about them. Now he enjoys wearing them.
I personally like long tzitziyot on men and women. It's not supposed to be a fashion statement, but I think it looks good long. But it's really a personal choice. Some like to make a statement out of it, some prefer to be subtle.
Some keeps them very short for safety reasons (especially when operating certain tools and machinery).
Some don't wear them on the outside of their clothes at all, they wear them under their clothes somehow. Although it is supposed to be a personal reminder, I don't think putting them under your clothes was Yah's intent. But again, it doesn't give such specifics. All it says it that they are supposed to be on the four corners of your clothes (Deut 22:12), and it should have a cord of blue. Most whole testament believers have white and blue tzitziyot, but it doesn't have to have white. I've seen some masculine grey and blue, or black and blue. It's really up to the individual's style, creativity and preferences. I've seen some absolutely beautiful tzitziyot online with beads and multiple colours.
Orthodox Jews tzitziyot are all white, a tradition which I think is another example of putting a fence around Torah to protect it, only to end up violating it. Their tzitziyot are attached to their tallits, which has blue in it, so I guess that's where their blue comes in. It's not really following Yah's true mitzvot, though.
The Torah says the tassels themselves should contain a cord of blue. Jews also tie and knot their tzitziyot with a certain number of wraps, knots, etc., and the numbers are significant. Some whole testament believers do this too, but it isn't commanded nor does it matter.
I prefer to braid my tzitziyot, because the knotted cords may have a pagan origin.
Karaite Jews, which reject the Talmud and only follow the TaNaKh, do not knot their tzitziyot at all, and do not follow the Orthodox method of all-white tassels.
Some messianics reject attaching tzitziyot to belt loops because it mentions a four-cornered garment, thus necessitating wearing a tallit. That isn't my personal conviction, but I respect those endeavouring to obey the commandment. There are a couple scriptures that I love about tzitziyot: Mal 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. It has been said tzitziyot in scripture times were likened to wings. The following scripture in Mark may have been a fulfillment of this prophecy in Malachi. Mark 6:56 Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured. The tzitziyot are to remind us of the commandments, and scripture teaches when we obey the commandments we will have a more spiritually blessed life.
I think is healing to obey his commandments. Only Yahushua's sacrifice washes our sins away, but following his example of obeying Torah brings spiritual healing, because we are living as He intended us to live.
