are to be of equal length, but the eighth must be a great deal longer, which is designated by the Rabbies wow Shamesh, or servant; for they twist this long thread thirty-nine times round the rest, though we do not find a word of all this in the writings of Moses and the Prophets. The Rabbies assert that the above rule was איש מפי איש,delivered to them orally 66 one man from the mouth of another," as they call it, and the modern Jews digested it into one of the fundamental principles of Judaism, and have taken the liberty to style it "coeval with the institution of Judaism." (See "Voice of Jacob,' No. 12.) Every impartial investigator will think that the learned Dr. M'Caul's epithet is justly applied to the Oral law, viz. " Jewish Popery." They assert that there is an importance attached to every thread, and to every knot, belonging to the fringe. There are also 5 knots between the 39 twists; the first knot after 7 times twisting, the second after 8, the third after 11, the fourth after 13. The mysteries connected with these threads, knots, &c. are said to be 66 Great and terrible, and cannot * ונוראים ואין להעלות על הספר be described on paper." Some Cabalists are of opinion that Abel's death was caused through a controversy with Cain on the mystery of fringes. In Rabbi M'nachaim Harkanti's commentary on the Pentateuch we find the אמרו קצת בעלי הקבלה כי 8 .4 .following remark on Gen אמירת קין עם הבל היתה בפרשת ציצית "A few of the Cabalists said, that the conversation between Cain and Abel was on the section of fringes." Many of these mysteries are found in Talmud, Zohar and Medrashim, and a great many other Rabbinical writings. To quote them all would be almost impossible. I will, however, quote a few of them from Epshtein's Introduc ולענין הכריכות יש לנהג כזה :tion to the Modern Jewish Prayer Book באויר הראשון שבעה ובשני שמונה ובשלישי אחד עשר וברביעי שלשה עשר ואז הכל ביחד כמנין ליט כמנין יהוה אחד עולה טיל ומהרש"ל נתן כימי לזה טל אורות טליך הוא הטלית שבו K תליין ציצית כי אורות גי' תרי"ג והוא סוד גדול ונורא כי תרי"ג אורות תליין במצות ציצית לכן שקול מצות ציצית ככל תרי"ג מצות כאשר כתבנו לעיל - ומי שיש בו יראת שמים בשעת עשיית ציצית הן בטלית גדול הן בטלית קטן יכוין בשני כריכות הראשונות שהם ז' וח' כנגד אותיות יה כנכד אחד לל יהוה אחר : מהשם וכריכה שלישית יא כנגד וה מהשם ואחר כך יג ་་ : "And as regards the twists, we ought to conduct ourselves thus in the first space make 7, in the second 8, in the third 11, and in the fourth 13, and then they amount altogether to 39, according to the number of Y'hōvah Æchad, (i.e. One Jehovah.)* Talt (dew,) has also the same numerical value. And M'harshal, (i.e. Rabbi Solomon Luriah,) gave a sign upon it: Tal Orōth Talechah, ["Thy dew is as the dew of lights," Is. 26. 19,] that is, the Talith on which fringes hang, for the word ōrōth (lights) amounts to 613, according to Guimatria, [i.e. the 3rd Rule employed by Cabalists;] and this is a great and terrible mystery, for 613 lights are connected with the precept of fringes; therefore is the precept of wearing fringes equal to all the 613 precepts, as we have shewn above. And he in whom the fear of Heaven is, during the time of his making the fringes, either in the great Talith, or small one, must think of the two first spaces which are 7 and 8, amounting to 15, which is the number of the letters Yah, or Jah, of the Sacred name; of the third space which is 11, being the same number as Vah of the Sacred name; and of the last, which is 13, being the number of Aechad, (one). He means to say there is One Jehovah." The length of the fringes is to be 12 fingers breadth; 4 must be in the 4 spaces and 5 knots, and 8 in the rest; however, they may be made extremely long, only not shorter than 12 fingers' breadth. It is comsidered by the Jews as a mark of great piety to have their fringes very * See 3rd Rule of the Cabalists, page 14. Tal is composed of Teth (9) and Lamed (30). Being transposed by Rule 2nd, (page 14), these letters make the number 39. long. We find in Talmud, Tract Gittin, chap. 5, fol. 56, col. 1, an account of three rich Jews who endeavoured to support the inhabitants of Jerusalem, during the siege under Vespasian; one of whom in consequence of his wearing long fringes, is particularly distinguished by the בן ציצית הכסת שהיתה ציצתו name of Ben Tzitaith Hamath -He was called Ben Tzitzith Hax » נגררת על גבי כסתות ath, [the son of fringes of carpets,] because his fringes were dragged along on carpets." Rabbi S. Jarchi states also that his fringes were dragged along on carpets, in consequencs of their length. The Pharisees, being destitute of the life and power of the precept within, endeavoured to supply its place from without by enlarging their fringes, &c. and thus aimed at acquiring greater esteem among the common people. For these ostentatious practices they were reproved by our Lord Jesus, when He tabernacled among men—και μεγαλύνουσι τὰ κράσπεδα τῶν ιματίων αὑτῶν ; which ought to be translated “And enlarge the fringes of their garments." (Matt. 23. 5.) St. Jerome, in his commentary on Matt. 23. 5, gives us the following account relative to fringes: "Superstitiosi magistri captantes auram popularem, atque ex mulierculis sectantes lucra, faciebant grandes fimbrias; et acutissimas in eis spinas ligabant, ut videlicet ambulantes et sedentes interdum pungerentur, et quasi hâc admonitione retraherentur ad officia Domini, et ministeria servitutis ejus." "The superstitious teachers courting popular favour, and seeking profit from silly women, made their fringes long, and tied to them very sharp thorns, in order that when they walked or sat they might occasionally be pricked; and, as it were, by this admonition might be reminded of their duty towards the Lord, and of the ministrations of His service." Various reasons are also given for the number of threads, knots, &c. by the Rabbies. I will quote here the reason given in Baal Haturim, on Numbers 15. 38, 39, לכן צוהלעשות י ציצית בארבעה כנפות בגדיו: שכל מקום שיפנה יזכור: ובכל אחד ה' קשרים כדי שיזכור לחמשה חומשי תורה: ויש בכל אחד שמונה חוטין שימנע מלעשות עבירה בשמונה אברים המרגילים את האדם לעבירה "Therefore did the Lord command to make four fringes at the four corners of his garments, in order that he may remember whithersoever he turns, and on each fringe five knots, that he may remember the five books of the law; and there are in each fringe eight threads, that he may be prevented from committing any crime with the eight members, that man is apt to commit." The same Talith has also an by Atarah or crown, which is a band sewn on the top of the Talith; for without it the Jews might be apt to mistake the top for the bottom; which would be considered a great breach of מעלין בקדושה ולא מורידין,the following Rabbinical law "We are to progress in holiness, and not to retrograde in sacred things." For there is a far greater sanctity attached to the top which is on the head, than to the bottom. The rich Jews generally have a very expensive Atarah, embroidered beautifully with gold and silver, and consider it as a very meritorious act.* Even this Atarah is not exempt from many intolerable absurdities, which the Rabbies attached to it; though not a word about it is found in the writings of Moses or the Prophets. * A Talith, with a very expensive and beautiful Atarah, is presented by the bride to her bridegroom, on the day of their marriage, wrought by the bride herself. The fringes are added by the young men who come to receive the bridegroom; and as soon as the bridegroom puts it on the following passage is repeated with great joy, “Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon with the crown (Atarah,) wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals (or marriage) and in the day of the gladness of his heart” Cant. 3. 11 : for during the first week of his marriage the bridegroom is considered as a king, and the bride as a queen. Rabbi S. Jarchi thus comments on the above "O Ye daughters of Zion; children who are marked with circumcision, Phylacteries, and fringes;" for Zion signifies in Hebrew a Mark. שמצויינין במלה ובתפילין ובציצית : passage בנים |