TZITZIT FOR WOMEN.COM
Copyright © 2011 Christy Anderson. All Rights Reserved.
In any case, the following are the most common objections I have come across as to
the reasons why women either have not or do not wear tzitziyot. In my research I
have found that there is ample evidence to suggest that if a woman desires to fulfill
this command, she is not forbidden to do so (although there are; however, some who
say women should not wear tzitzit, they seem to be in the very minority).
The ultimate
litmus test seems to be the view of her spiritual authority. In this case, for a
single woman, it would be Messiah. In the case of a married woman, her husband would
have the ultimate say. The problem that ultimately has caused the greatest confusion
over the issue seems to be the practical application of the command, i.e. for the
woman who desires to fulfill the command, how should she in practical terms fulfill
this mitzvah?
Below is both a list of the common objections given and also some of
the issues that raise the question of actual 'application' of this command. Hopefully,
this information will provide women with the information surrounding all the relevant
issues and ultimately, enable each woman to decide the specific method in which she
will use to fulfill the command to attach tzitziyot to her garments.
Objection #1
Over
the years it became customary halachah that women would become exempt from any commandment
that required certain 'time restrictions,' meaning, if the commandment was required
to be prescribed at a set time than a woman, because of her duties to the family,
was exempt from obligation to these commands. The command of tzitzit, according to
the sages, fell into this 'time restricted' command because it was limited to “daytime
only,” since one could not view the tzitzit in the dark.
Things to consider:
1. If
women are truly exempt from 'time restricted' commands, then it would stand to reason
that the moedim (God's appointed times) would fall more heavily in this category
than would tzitzit. But clearly women are not exempt from things like the Sabbath
even though it is “time restricted.”
2. Does applying tzitzit to a woman's garment
interfere with or enhance her ability to train up her children in the way in which
they should go?
3. Does the Scriptures include women in this command specifically
rather than exclude women (see our word for word analysis on our What the Scriptures
Say page)? And if women are specifically included, than would that mean that this
tradition stands in direct conflict with a stated command of God?
Objection #2
Deuteronomy
22:5 states that a man should not wear a women's clothing, nor a woman wear man's
clothing. This verse has been used by some as a 'proof text,' as to why women became
excluded from the command to wear tzitzit, since over time, the prayer shawl became
identified more closely as being a man's garment.
Things to consider:
1. If a woman
chooses to wear a prayer shawl in fulfillment of this command, does that automatically
mean she is wearing a 'man's' garment? Or, could it be that if a woman decides to
wear a prayer shawl as a 'method' of fulfilling the command to wear tzitziyot, and
ensures that her prayer shawl carries with it in it's natural design a distinctly
feminine appearance and quality, would this act provide both a method for fulfilling
the command to wear tzitziyot as well as allow her to also not violate the command
concerning cross-
2. If you saw a man wearing a distinctly feminine prayer
shawl, (like my personal one shown at the top of each page on this site) would that
man actually be the one who is violating the command related to cross-
3. Because men have traditionally been seen in common practice today as
wearing a tallit katan, would a woman who uses this 'method' violate the command
concerning cross-
Objection #3
It is often
stated in traditional halachah that the
Things to Consider:
1. At certain
times in history people believed the earth itself was flat. Of course we know today
that the world is in fact sphere shaped. As humans we tend to think two dimensionally,
and if we hear the word 'corners' almost everyone pictures a square in their mind;
however if we look at how God utilizes the word for corners in Scripture, He specifically
uses it in a three dimensional manner in reference to the earth, which is shaped
like a sphere. The term is also specifically used in the Hebrew language in such
a way that it assumes a generality of directions (north, south, east and west). The
actual Torah text itself does not mention anything about a requirement for the garment
to be square, but rather, that we simply place tzitziyot on the garments with which
we cover ourselves in the four directions. Since the command is to be eternal, and
because God knew our clothing styles would change, if we negate applying this command
based only on this tradition, then the tradition comes in conflict with a stated
command of God. However, this does not mean that we can not continue to apply the
tradition, it simply means we should not neglect to follow the command because of
the tradition, nor are we in violation of the command if we forgo the tradition.
Thus, it is more important to follow the command itself, than to follow a tradition
to the point that we neglect to follow a stated command of God.
Common Objections
A FEW QUICK THOUGHTS TO CONSIDER
Below are several comments I found on the Internet back in 2004 regarding various opinions regarding women wearing tzitziyot. But first, I offer you these few thoughts for your consideration.
It’s rather interesting to me that the men who often want to restrict women from
obeying the command to wear tzitziyot are the same men who are quick to blame women
for sin in the world based on the fact that Eve “went where her own heart and eyes
led her” in the garden. If Eve (going where her own “heart and eyes led her”) got
us all in this mess to begin with, wouldn’t it stand to reason that women even more-
With this in mind, either tzitziyot are for women as well as men, or these men are
saying only they (i.e. men) are ever tempted to “go where their own heart and eyes
lead them.” Numbers 15:38-
Finally, consider the fact that today our culture makes it quite impossible for men not to go through their day without being tempted to lust over women’s bodies often based on how the woman is dressed or other visual advertising. So if a woman is wearing tzitziyot, wouldn’t that also help remind the men to not lust after that woman (assuming she is already married or too young or otherwise unavailable for that man to pursue) . . . I think you get my meaning here.