David Koberstein
Active member
The LORD said to Moses, Speak to the Israelites and say to them: "Throughout the generations to come you are
to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel." Numbers 15 :37
To modern Christians, many laws of the Torah may seem arbitrary. One that may strike us as odd is the commandment
to wear tassels (tzitzit, pronounced "ZEET-zeet"). According to the Gospels, Jesus wore them (Luke 8:44) and so do
many orthodox Jewish men today, with the requirement that they must be visible, not hidden. Although it may appear
to us to be legalistic, when we dig deeper we find it has tremendous significance and a lesson for our lives as well.
In ancient times, tassels were a sign of nobility. Kings and princes wore ornate hems decorated with tassels. By wearing
them, the Israelites were wearing elements of a "royal robe," and were marked as God's chosen people. This would have
been quite a statement to the nations around them who recognized the regal nature of their clothing. The presence of
a blue thread in the tassel was a reminder of the blue priestly robes, having been dyed with the same rare, expensive,
tekhelet dye. It was if each Israelite wore threads of the high priests robe to remind him that he was set apart for serving
God. In later times, the tassels were also knotted in a pattern to remind the wearer of the commandments of God and
the need to obey them.
God had said, "You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:6) and the tzitzit was the "uniform"
he gave his people to wear to show their special status. Wearing them also caused them to be a witness to their faith,
because everyone else would see their tassels too. Every time they put them on, they were reminded that they were God's
representatives - a light to the world in which other nations sacrificed their children to false gods. They were to show how
the true God wanted them to live, and whatever they did, good or evil, was a reflection of the God they served. If they were
true to their calling, they would be a holy nation that the whole world would recognize.
What if Christians were required to wear tzitzit? Our faith is often very private, and our lives are like those of everyone around
us. While Gentiles were not given this command, the lesson of the tzitzit is that if we are also a kingdom of priests, as it says
in 1 Peter 2:9, we have also been set apart to reflect God's holiness, while serving others and bringing them closer to God.
We need to be obvious about living our faith so that others will see our "tassels," which are a little piece of the robe of our
high priest, Jesus Christ. Showing one's faith can bring on accusations of pride and hypocrisy, so we need to go out of our
way even more to be humble and kind. God wants to transform us into his representatives who reflect his love and cause
others to love him too.
Shalom Rav שלום רב
to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel." Numbers 15 :37
To modern Christians, many laws of the Torah may seem arbitrary. One that may strike us as odd is the commandment
to wear tassels (tzitzit, pronounced "ZEET-zeet"). According to the Gospels, Jesus wore them (Luke 8:44) and so do
many orthodox Jewish men today, with the requirement that they must be visible, not hidden. Although it may appear
to us to be legalistic, when we dig deeper we find it has tremendous significance and a lesson for our lives as well.
In ancient times, tassels were a sign of nobility. Kings and princes wore ornate hems decorated with tassels. By wearing
them, the Israelites were wearing elements of a "royal robe," and were marked as God's chosen people. This would have
been quite a statement to the nations around them who recognized the regal nature of their clothing. The presence of
a blue thread in the tassel was a reminder of the blue priestly robes, having been dyed with the same rare, expensive,
tekhelet dye. It was if each Israelite wore threads of the high priests robe to remind him that he was set apart for serving
God. In later times, the tassels were also knotted in a pattern to remind the wearer of the commandments of God and
the need to obey them.
God had said, "You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:6) and the tzitzit was the "uniform"
he gave his people to wear to show their special status. Wearing them also caused them to be a witness to their faith,
because everyone else would see their tassels too. Every time they put them on, they were reminded that they were God's
representatives - a light to the world in which other nations sacrificed their children to false gods. They were to show how
the true God wanted them to live, and whatever they did, good or evil, was a reflection of the God they served. If they were
true to their calling, they would be a holy nation that the whole world would recognize.
What if Christians were required to wear tzitzit? Our faith is often very private, and our lives are like those of everyone around
us. While Gentiles were not given this command, the lesson of the tzitzit is that if we are also a kingdom of priests, as it says
in 1 Peter 2:9, we have also been set apart to reflect God's holiness, while serving others and bringing them closer to God.
We need to be obvious about living our faith so that others will see our "tassels," which are a little piece of the robe of our
high priest, Jesus Christ. Showing one's faith can bring on accusations of pride and hypocrisy, so we need to go out of our
way even more to be humble and kind. God wants to transform us into his representatives who reflect his love and cause
others to love him too.
Shalom Rav שלום רב
