TZITZIT FOR WOMEN.COM
Copyright © 2011 Christy Anderson. All Rights Reserved.
Below I discuss the following:
1. My Personal Perspective
2. Things you MUST consider before you commit to wear tzitiziyot.
3.
What if your husband does not want you to wear tzitizit?
1. My Personal Perspective
While
I realize that women wearing tzitziyot is unique in our modern world; after reading
about this Torah command in 2004, I felt a strong leading by the Lord to implement
this into my life. I can only speak to you from my personal experience and research
in this area. What I have found is that God could not have provided a better reminder
system for us. Implementing this command has allowed me to grow in all areas of my
walk. While I am certainly far from perfect, my heart was simply to be obedient to
God, and in doing so, encourage and enable others to follow His commands as well.
I have found that many people, particularly women, desired to fulfill this command,
but simply did not know where to start or how to do it. That is why I created this
website. In a world that 'loves' to glorify personal style and expression, I can
think of no other way to glorify God more in our choice of personal clothing styles
than to implement the command of tzitzit.
Sometimes it can be intimidating for people,
when they first begin to observe this command, because others may stop you to ask
what these fringes are all about that are hanging from your garments. Don't feel
that you have to explain yourself, unless you desire to do so and the person asking
you has the right intentions behind why they are asking you.
Ultimately, it is not
to any human being that we are required to give an account for our decisions, for
on the day of judgment, we will not stand before our earthly Rabbi or Pastor; we
will stand only before our God, and it is to Him alone that we will give an account.
Let us each strive throughout our lives to be worthy to hear our Master say, 'Well
done, my good and faithful servant!'
The Scriptures tell us that the command to attach tzitzit was to be for ‘ALL your generations.” It did not say to attach tzitzit only if your ‘clothing styles’ provide for square shaped garments (See more on this and related issues by Rabbi Hirsch on our What the Scriptures Say page), nor did it say, only if you ‘feel’ like it, nor did it specify that the garment need be shaped like a square or rectangle in order to have four corners. It simply states that we are to place four tzitiziyot on the ‘coverings’ specifically ‘garments’ that we wear to cover our naked bodies. The tzitziyot become like sprouts coming out from our clothing that bud or bloom forth like a flower from a vine and are supposed to specifically help us also bloom or sprout forth.
I believe the Master specifically left this command vague for a reason, so that we would not be restricted by time nor our variety and style of clothing. In this way, ‘ALL your generations,’ could fulfill the command.
The fact that the only cross reference we have for kanaph (which is translated “corners” in the English) is the earth, which is sphere shaped, yet has four corners, is further Biblical evidence that the traditional Rabbinic interpretation that limits the requirement to wear tzitzit to square garments alone as completely faulty in my view. The four corners can better be Biblically understood and supported to represent the four directions, north, south, east, and west. By placing the tzitzit in all four directions on our body, they are visible ‘signs’ on us of the commandments so that “you” plural Israel, will see them and react appropriately. This also follows the reasoning that when you (plural) ‘Israel’ see the tzitzit you (both the individual and other believers) will remember the Lord and His Commandments specifically so that you will “not go where your own heart and eyes lead you.”
There is a Biblical saying that sin begets sin; however, what is also true is that
obedience begets obedience. By applying the simple commands of Scripture to our life,
we begin to better understand and obey the deeper (and as Rabbi Shaul states), ‘weightier’
matters of Torah.
Thank you for visiting our sight, we pray that it will bless you,
educate you, and empower you to walk in greater obedience as a servant of the Most
High.
2. Things you MUST consider before you commit to wear tzitzit.
Before you decide to wear tzitzit, I strongly recommend that you carefully evaluate and understand the full implications of the commitment you are making.
First, by placing tzitziyot on your clothing you are proclaiming to others and God that you have placed yourself under the Headship of the Messiah, and as His servant, you will follow to the best of your ability and understanding all of His Commandments as detailed for us in the Torah.
Now before you get intimidated, if you are a sincere believer, you likely are already observing 90% of those commandments by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit who leads you into all truth. Many commandments are related specifically to the Temple and its service and do not apply to us today since there is no Temple in which to apply them, and most of us are not Levites.
However, what you may have neglected, due to either misinformation, ignorance, or lack of understanding are several important commands that are both easy to rectify and can become a major blessing in your life. These commandments provide natural and easy annual ‘trainers’ that prepare you for greater obedience in more difficult areas of obedience, such as loving an unlovely person.
What I am referring to specifically are:
1. Sabbath (true observance thereof according to the Scriptural definition, however, specific halachah can vary from family to family and also changes over time as you grow in understanding),
2. The Feasts of the Lord,
3. Biblical Food laws (Lev 11/Deut 14),
4. Removing pagan practices from your life, (i.e. Christmas, Easter, Halloween etc.)
5. And specifically for women, modesty (that does not mean you have to totally forgo style, it simply means that you need to carefully consider your garments and seek to reflect a woman of virtue whose body is for her husband, not other men to enjoy).
If you have not yet had a chance to prayerfully consider, study, and implement these specific areas of worship into your life yet, I would strongly recommend waiting and investigating these BEFORE you begin to wear tzitzit, or at least begin implementing these changes into your life in conjunction with your application of tzitzit.
Let me give you an example of why I make such a strong warning. For example, if you are at a restaurant, and you order a large ‘ham’ sandwich, and you proceed to eat that ham sandwich while wearing tzitzit, several things will occur. First, you will be profaning the name of the Lord by violating His Covenant by eating pig, something that is NOT considered “food” by God and is an unclean animal. Pig also happens to be the one animal, if sacrificed in God’s Temple, that Scripture refers to as an ‘abomination,’ (remember, you are also that Temple!).
By eating that ham sandwich you also place a stumbling block in the path of your brother, and in addition you have, by wearing the tzitziyot, opened yourself up for rebuke and correction by another believer, because tzitziyot are a reminder of God’s commandments to both the individual wearing them as well as other believers.
So if you are not prepared to forgo unclean food, observe the Sabbath biblically, observe to the best of your ability the Feasts of the Lord (God's Appointed Times), remove specifically pagan practices from your life (even if they are really enticing to the flesh), and consider your clothing in regard to reasonable modesty, than I ask you to please NOT wear tzitziyot.
I am NOT saying you have to ‘be perfect’ in terms of the Torah in order to begin wearing tzitziyot; however, you should at least implement the minimum standards for holiness in your outward life (listed above), which are easy to do, enjoyable, educational, and empowering.
3. What if my husband does not want me to wear tzitzit?
Because your husband is Biblically
in headship over you and your family, I would first discuss your desires with your
husband before you make any changes. If he is dead set on you not observing the command
of tzitzit, than I would personally honor your husband's desires first, and then
bring the issue before the Lord in prayer and ask the Lord to reveal the issue and
your heart's desire to your husband. Whatever you do, please do not let your observance
become a division in your marriage. The greater love walk of Torah would call for
you to express love and patience toward your husband, until such time that he feels
comfortable with your desire to wear tzitziyot and comes in agreement with you.
My Purpose & Perspective