1

Isaiah 28:9-10 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. 10For precept

must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: (KJV)

TZITZIYOT

Religious Symbols Religious symbols of faith are everywhere you look in these modern times. Do you wear a religious symbol? At any given moment you may see one of many religious charms being worn by many different types of people. Everything from the cross, the fish, the crescent moon to the six pointed star known as the star of David.

And now in these modern times we have the new craze known as the ―WWJD band‖ or ―what would jesus do?‖ band. Why do people wear crosses, etc? Why do people wear a WWJD band? The phrase "What would Jesus do?" became popular in the United States in the 1890s and again in 1990s as a personal motto for thousands of Christians who used the phrase as a reminder of their belief that Jesus is the example to be followed in daily life, and to act in a manner of which Jesus would approve. The WWJD has the alternative meaning "Walk with Jesus daily" also.

People are wearing these religious symbols to remind them of their faith and love for the god they honor and worship. Even the pope is now calling for Catholics/Christians to openly wear their symbols of faith. Here‘s an article called ―Wear signs of your faith, the pope tells Christians‖ by the Associated Press published on October 9, 2004:

―VATICAN CITY - Pope John Paul II exhorted Christians on Friday to display signs of their faith more forcefully, contending the practice neither infringes on separation of church and state nor breeds intolerance…‗"May there be more commitment, on the part of Christians, to give witness with more force to the presence of God in the world,"‘ John Paul wrote. ‗"Let's not be afraid to speak of God and to carry on high the signs of faith."‘

Do you wear a symbol to remind you of your faith? Do you wear something that reminds you to be like Jesus? Maybe you wear a cross or a fish, or maybe you wear the new craze WWJD band. Did you know that YHWH has His own symbol of faith? Yes it‘s true, YHWH (God) has

2

something he gave us to wear also to reminds us of our commitment to Him. The symbol that YHWH gave us is called a Tzitzit. The same reason people wear WWJD bands and crosses are the same reason why those who follow YHWH wear Tzitzits. The only difference between tzitzits and the religious symbols of the word is that while most of these religious symbols have there roots in pagan origins, the tzitzits originate from the Scriptures from YHWH Himself! He commanded us in His Word to wear tzitzits while there is no mention whatsoever about wearing a cross or the WWJD wristbands. I want get into the pagan origins of these other symbols in this lesson; instead we are going to look at the least known tzitzits.

What Are Tzitzits? So what exactly are tzitzits? To answer this question we must go to the Scriptures. Let‘s begin our studies in the book of Numbers.

Num 15:38 "Speak to the people of Israel, instructing them to make, through all their generations, tzitziyot on the corners of their garments, and to put with the tzitzit on each corner a blue thread. (CJB)

Here we see the command given by YHWH tzitzits are to be worn on the corners of our garments. Here in the Complete Jewish Bible we see the word tzitzit being used but this is not what you will see in a traditional English Bible. Let‘s see how this verse reads in a standard English version.

Num 15:38 "Speak to the sons 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. (NASB)

The KJV reads:

Numbers 15:38 Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: (KJV)

So we see here the word tzitzit is translated as tassel or fringe. Let‘s look at what the lexicon states.

Lexicon Results

Strong's H6734 - tsiytsith

Transliteration

tsiytsith

Pronunciation

tsē·tsēth' (Key)

Part of Speech

feminine noun

Root Word (Etymology)

From (H6731) TWOT Reference

1912

Outline of Biblical Usage 1) fringe, tassel, lock

Authorized Version (KJV) Translation Count — Total: 4

3

AV — fringe 3, lock 1 So tzitzit (plural - tsit tsiyot) are defined as tassels, fringes or literally means a "lock, braid, plait (as in hair – Eze 8:3)." Let‘s go to Deuteronomy to further define what a tassel is.

Deut 22:12 "You are to make for yourself twisted cords on the four corners of the garment you wrap around yourself. (CJB)

Here‘s that verse in standard English Bibles.

Deut 22:12 "You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of your garment with

which you cover yourself. (NASB)

Deuteronomy 22:12 ―Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture,

wherewith thou coverest thyself.‖ (KJV)

Now here we get an even more descriptive look at what a tzitzit or tassel is. Here we see it called a twisted cord in the CJB. Let‘s look at the word translated twisted cords, tassels, or fringes in this verse.

Lexicon Results Strong's H1434 - gĕdil

Transliteration

gĕdil

Pronunciation

ghed·ēl' (Key)

Part of Speech

masculine noun

Root Word (Etymology)

From (H1431) (in the sense of twisting) TWOT Reference

315c

Outline of Biblical Usage 1) twisted threads, tassels, festoons

a) tassels (on clothes)

b) festoons (on capitals of columns)

Authorized Version (KJV) Translation Count — Total: 2 AV — fringe 1, wreath 1 So the tassel is called gedil. Let‘s look at this word further in the Gesenius‘s Lexicon. The Gesenius‘s Lexicon states:

―…intertwined threads, twisted work, see the Root No. 1…plaited locks… (1) of the fringes…‖

So gedil means twisted threads, intertwined threads, braids or plaited locks. So tassels or tzitzits are basically braided or intertwined threads based on Numbers 15:38 and Deut 22:12. Here go 2 more versions of Deut 22:12.

Deut 22:12 ―Chains (Gedilim) shall you make for yourself on the four corners of your clothing which you cover yourself with.‖ Deut 22:12 ―You shall make for yourselves twisted threads (Gedilim) on the four corners of your garments with which you cover yourself.

So tassels or tzitzits are twisted, braided or chain-like threads. The strings of the tzitzit are to be tied/twisted into a chain-like knot or braid.

4

Fringe (Heb. tsitsith, tassel, lock), the tassel of twisted cords fastened to the outer garments of Israelites to remind them of their obligations as Israelites to be loyal to Jehovah (Num 15:38; Deut 22:12). – The Zondervan‘s Pictorial Bible Dictionary. Fringe Tassels of twisted cords fastened to the four corners of the outer garment, worn by observant Jews as a reminder of covenant obligations (Num. 15:38-39; Deut. 22:12; cp. Zech 8:23). – The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Furthermore, tzitzits also have a special thread:

Num 15:38 "Speak to the people of Israel, instructing them to make, through all their generations, tzitziyot on the corners of their garments, and to put with the tzitzit on each corner a blue thread. (CJB) Num 15:38 "Speak to the sons 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. (NASB)

So a tzitzit/tassel is a chain-like, twisted or braided cord with a blue thread or string

intermingled within it or on it. The blue cord is called Tekhelet (תכלת)

Lexicon Results Strong's H8504 - tĕkeleth

Transliteration

tĕkeleth

Pronunciation

tek·ā'·leth (Key)

Part of Speech

feminine noun

Root Word (Etymology)

Probably for (H7827) TWOT Reference

2510

Outline of Biblical Usage 1) violet, violet stuff

a) violet thread

b) violet stuff or fabric

2) (TWOT) blue (covering spectrum from brilliant red through deep purple)

Authorized Version (KJV) Translation Count — Total: 50 AV — blue 50

In the Greek Septuagint it has tekhelet translated as huakinthinos hoo-ak-in'-thee-nos

(Strong‘s G5191 - ακίνθινος) which means deep blue:--jacinth. Here are some examples of

what a tzitzit looks like.

5

The Purpose Of Tzitzits So what is the purpose of a tzitzit? No need to guess about it; let‘s go right into the Scriptures to find out what they mean.

Num 15:37 YHWH also spoke to Moses, saying, 38"Speak to the sons 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. 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, 40so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your Elohim. (NASB)

So Num 15:37-40 tells us that Tzitzits are specifically used to remind us of the following: · To remember all the Commandments of YHWH · To do all His Commandments · Not to follow after your own heart and eyes · Not to play the harlot (follow false gods and pagan ways) · To be Holy and set apart and not to be like people in the world.

This law came after the Most High gave the instructions pertaining to unintentional and intentional sins (Num 15:22-31). After a defiant act on the part of an Israelite (Num 15:32-37) the Most High felt the need to give a symbol to help keep the Israelites on track. This symbol was to serve as a reminder to all who follow YHWH! This is one of the easiest commandments the Most High gave us to keep which would help us to keep the rest of His Torah and ironically the most often ignored and blatantly broken one! If we can‘t keep this commandment how can we expect to keep the other ones this one was created to remind us of? It‘s one thing to be ignorant of this command versus just saying the hell with it. There are some who will wear tassels but only on the Shabbat. There are many excuses people give for not wearing them and we will address those in this article. How Are Tzitzits Worn?

6

So how are tzitzits worn, where are they worn and how many should we wear? Let‘s look at the Scriptures for this answer.

Num 15:38 "Speak to the people of Israel, instructing them to make, through all their generations, tzitziyot on the corners of their garments, and to put with the tzitzit on each corner a blue thread. (CJB)

The word translated corner is the Hebrew word kanaph.

Lexicon Results Strong's H3671 - kanaph

Transliteration

kanaph

Pronunciation

kä·näf' (Key)

Part of Speech

feminine noun

Root Word (Etymology)

From (H3670) TWOT Reference

1003a

Outline of Biblical Usage 1) wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt

a) wing

b) extremity

1) skirt, corner (of garment)

Authorized Version (KJV) Translation Count — Total: 108

AV — wing 74, skirt 14, borders 2, corners 2, ends 2, feathered 2, sort 2, winged 2, misc 8 Here‘s a further definition:

From kanaph; an edge or extremity; specifically (of a bird or army) a wing, (of a garment or bed-clothing) a flap, (of the earth) a quarter, (of a building) a pinnacle -- + bird, border, corner, end, feather(-ed), X flying, + (one an-)other, overspreading, X quarters, skirt, X sort, uttermost part, wing((-ed)).

Kanaph has the meaning of corner, border, quarter or hem of a garment, even the wings. This is where the tzitzits are to be worn on a garment. NOT belt loops or pockets. The Scriptures furthermore state:

Deut 22:12 "You are to make for yourself twisted cords on the four corners of the garment you wrap around yourself. (CJB)

So the number of tzitzits we are to wear are four and they are to be worn on the border/hem/corners/quarters of the garment that we cover ourselves with. Again, eliminating wearing tzitzits on belt loops and pockets. More proof of this can be seen by the word translated wrap around or cover in Deut 22:12. The

word is kacah , Strong‘s number H3680 and it means to cover or conceal. Belts and

pockets attach to garments we cover ourselves with, they do not have borders, corners, hems, edges, etc.

7

Flavius Josephus confirms that tzitziyot were worn at the bottom of garments when speaking about the priest garments!

The high priest is indeed adorned with the same garments that we have described, without abating one; only over these he puts on a vestment of a blue color. This also is a long robe, reaching to his feet, [in our language it is called Meeir,] and is tied round with a girdle, embroidered with the same colors and flowers as the former, with a mixture of gold interwoven. To the bottom of which garment are hung fringes, in color like pomegranates, with golden bells by a curious and beautiful contrivance; so that between two bells hangs a pomegranate, and between two pomegranates a bell.

And again he states:

There were also golden loops that admitted its fringes at each extremity of the girdle, and included them entirely. – Josephus, Antiquities Book III

Also, the garment that the tzitzits are to be worn on does not have to be something special. The Hebrew word for garment is a generic one and does not indicate a particular article of

clothing. The Hebrew word is beged which is Strong‘s number H899.

Short definition: apparel, clothes, garment. From bagad; a covering, i.e. Clothing; also treachery or pillage -- apparel, cloth(-es, ing), garment, lap, rag, raiment, robe, X very (treacherously), vesture, wardrobe.

It is taught that tzitzits can only be worn on garments with splits creating four vents or ends. This is stated because since some translations read ―four corners‖ in Deut 22:12 they believe our shirts must have four corners by putting slits or vents in the garment. In the world of Judaism it is taught that a special prayer shawl should be worn that has four corners. The word used in this verse for corners as we read earlier is kanaph. Let‘s look at this word kanaph in Scripture.

Ezekiel 7:2 "And you, son of man, thus says the Lord YHWH to the land of Israel, 'An end! The end is coming on the four corners (Heb. kanaph) of the land. (New American Standard Bible)

Surely the land of Israel doesn‘t have vents in does it? By saying four corners, the Most High is simply saying he is going to bring an end to the entire land of Israel, all four parts (north, south, east & west). Let‘s look at yet another verse proving this point.

Isaiah 11:12 And He will lift up a standard for the nations and assemble the banished ones of Israel, and will gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners (Heb. kanaph) of the earth. (New American Standard Bible)

In this verse we see the earth being described as having four corners, but we all know the earth is round and does not have corners. Let‘s look at this verse again in another version.

Isaiah 11:12 He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the

8

scattered people of Judah from the four quarters (kanaph) of the earth. (New International Version)

As we see in this verse, the word kanaph is simply describing the four quarters or sections of the earth (north, south, east & west). We are to place our tassels in four places on our garment, whether the shirt is vented or not. Here‘s a depiction of ancient Israelites going into the Assyrian captivity (which took place between 740 BCE & 722 BCE), notice the placement of their tassels.

Some groups teach we should wear garments made like the ones below with a blue ribbon around the border and a bunch of fringes going around the entire garment

However as we have read from Scripture, this is not correct. This is based on the faulty translation of the KJV. The Scriptures are clear, especially in the Hebrew, that we are to wear 4 braided cords (forming tassels) with a blue string directly on each tassel and not around the entire hem of the garment. Instead of people being able to place tassels on their everyday clothes now they have to go out of their way to try and have clothes made for them. Now instead of being able to obey this simple command they are forced to break it for

9

lack of funds to have special clothes made or not being able to make their own clothes. Whereas biblical tassels can be easily made with strings and placed on your clothes with a safety pin or even sown on. I spent a lot of money having clothes made to try and keep this commandment until I went and study the text closer and found out I was doing it wrong the whole time. Here are some good videos that show how to make tassels.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywWpNtoSx6E

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP84FMMqHCs

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfN0pOxPLUc

www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_Gh2y6ZJDA

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOWvL4DzmoM

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMtpW1DLNiA

As we read beforehand, the garment that we wear does not have to be made a special way. There is however one prohibition that we must adhere to. We cannot put tzitzits on a garment made of wool and linen mixed nor can the tzitzit be made of wool and linen mixed!

Lev 19:19 'You are to keep My statutes. You shall not breed together two kinds of your cattle; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor wear a garment upon you of two kinds of material mixed together. (NASB)

Deuteronomy gives us the specific type of material he doesn‘t want us to mix.

Deut 22:11 "You shall not wear a material mixed of wool and linen together. (NASB)

Fabrics like Linsey-woolsey we could not wear tzitziyot on!

―Linsey-woolsey (less often, woolsey-linsey or in Scottish English, wincey) is a coarse twill or plain-woven fabric woven with a linen warp and a woollen weft. Similar fabrics woven with a cotton warp and woollen weft in Colonial America were also called linsey-woolsey or wincey. The name derives from a combination of linen and woollen. This textile has been known since ancient times; the Bible twice explicitly bans Jews from wearing it.‖ – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linsey-woolsey

So no, the verses we looked at do not specify a specific garment but the verses do specify that the tzitzits are to be on the clothing "you cover yourself with." They do not have to be on every piece of clothing we wear, such as on the socks, underclothing, pants, sweaters or any other additional article we might wear. It is to be on the garment (not "garments") which covers us, this includes an undershirt, a shirt, a coat, a skirt, a robe, a thobe, etc. These are usually considered to be the garments that cover us. Last but not least, they must be visible so that they may be ―looked upon!‖

Now up till now we have only seen white tassels but there is no prohibition against the use of different colors as long as the tzitzit has a blue cord intertwined in it. Nor is there a special way to knot or braid a tzitzit. There are those in the Judaic world who insist on using gematria to determine how to tie and knot the tzitzit. The Ashkenazi Jews use wrappings to

10

create a number through gematria 7-8-11-13 which totals 39 (numerical equivalent) of the words: "The Lord is One" Deuteronomy 6:4).

The Sephardic tzitzit use 10-5-6-5 as the number of windings, a combination that represents the spelling of YHWH.

I use neither one, nor do I use any gematria number combination to tie my tzitzits. I like to be creative when making my tzitzits. I usually make mines to match the garment I am wearing at the time.

I found the picture below online. This is exactly what I do when I make my tzitziyot. I‘m not limited by manmade laws on how to design my tzitziyot as long as they fall within the guidelines of Torah!

11

By the time of the Messiah tzitzits became something to wear to show your prestige and social rank; a kind of badge of honor for those displaying them amongst the religious leaders.

Matthew 23:5-6 "But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. 6"They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, (NASB)

This is a distortion to what the purpose of tzitzits are for. YHWH does not tell us that the tzitzits are for prestige and to show how righteous one is. Rather, the tzitzits are given as a reminder to keep the commandments of YHWH by the wearer.

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, 40so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your Elohim. (NASB)

It appears men were looked upon highly who wore tzitzits in antiquity. Conversely, this is not the case today. Today, you will more than likely receive ridicule for wearing tzitzits. This is probably why those who profess to be followers of YHWH don‘t wear tzitzits, aside from not knowing better, because they wish to avoid being looked upon as being odd, different or religious in our modern culture. Men seeking the approval of others is one of the primary reasons for much of the current resistance to the commandments of YAH. Shaul speaks to this very thing.

Galatians 1:10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of Elohim? Or am I striving to

please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of

Messiah. (NASB)

We should not be ashamed of doing the things that YHWH asked us to do and Yeshua did. Yeshua said:

Luke 9:26 "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed

of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.‖

(NASB)

Yeshua also warns:

Matthew 10:33 But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. (NASB)

Yeshua‘s words in Matthew 23:5 are not telling believers not to wear tzitzits; rather, Yeshua condemns those who make extra-long tzitzits as a show of one‘s piety and self-exaltation. Tzitzit also can be used as an identifying mark to find like minded people on this walk with YHWH. Therefore do not be prideful or ashamed to wear your tzitzits. Rather, let it be a sign that you have chosen to live by the words of YHWH and Yeshua.

Women And Tzitzits Within Judaism there are some who teach women shouldn‘t or can‘t wear tzitzits and that this command was only given to men. This is taught because the Torah, depending on the version you read, states:

12

Num 15:38 "Speak to the sons 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. (NASB)

Since this verse reads ―sons of Israel (benai Yisrael)‖ it is taught, it is speaking only to the men of Yisrael. In this reference verse above the phrase "sons of Israel" is ambiguous and could be translated ―children or people of Yisrael.‖ Benai Yisrael, which is the male plural form of ben, is always used in Hebrew when addressing mixed groups of men, women and children. Ben (pl. benai) is Strong‘s #H1121. The Lexicon states:

Ben bane masculine noun From (H1129) 1) son, grandson, child, member of a

group a) son, male child b) grandson c) children (pl. - male and female) d) youth, young men (pl.) e) young (of animals) f) sons (as characterization, i.e. sons of injustice [for un- righteous men] or sons of God [for angels] g) people (of a nation) (pl.) h) of lifeless things, i.e. sparks, stars, arrows (fig.) i) a member of a guild, order, class AV — son 2978, children 1568, old 135, first 51, man 20, young 18, young + 01241 17, child 10, stranger 10, people 5, misc 92

Let‘s look at some examples in Scripture where the plural form of ben, benai, is used to speak about men, women and children.

Genesis 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children (benai); and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. (KJV)

The word translated as children here is benai which is the plural of ben. Surely women do not just have male children, so here benai is speaking of girls and boys!

Exodus 3:9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children (benai) of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. (KJV)

Men were not the only ones in Egypt in slavery! Again, we see benai speaking about all of Yisrael! Let‘s look at some more examples.

Leviticus 11:2 "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'These are the creatures which you may eat from all the animals that are on the earth. (New American Standard Bible)

Are men the only ones forbidden to eat unclean animals?

Leviticus 12:2 "Speak to the sons (benai) of Israel, saying: 'When a woman gives birth and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean for seven days, as in the days of her menstruation she shall be unclean. (New American Standard Bible)

As you can see here, although this verse uses benai Yisrael/sons of Yisrael, it‘s speaking to women.

Numbers 5:6 "Speak to the sons of Israel, 'When a man or woman commits any of the sins of mankind, acting unfaithfully against YHWH, and that person is guilty, (New American Standard Bible)

Men and women are called benai Yisrael!

Numbers 6:2 "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to dedicate himself to YHWH, (New American Standard Bible)

13

Again, men and women are called benai Yisrael! To say women do not need to wear tzitzits is to say women have no need of a reminder to keep the commandments and be holy unto YHWH. Tzitzits In Prophecy Something not well known is that tzitzits are a big part of one messianic prophecy.

Num 15:38 "Speak to the people of Israel, instructing them to make, through all their generations, tzitziyot on the corners of their garments, and to put with the tzitzit on each corner a blue thread. (CJB)

As we saw earlier, the word translated corner is the Hebrew word kanaph. This word is translated in other passages and contexts as "hem or border." It is the same word used for the wings of a bird, the wing or extension of a building (such as the temple), the wings of cherubs, figuratively of the speed of the wind (the wings of the wind), and in other figurative ways as well. It is the kanaph where the tzitzits are to be worn. Now this is the same word used in Malachi 4:2 which reads:

Malachi 4:2 But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.

Malachi 4 is a prophecy speaking about the coming Messiah of Elohim. So, the phrase ―sun of righteousness” was (and is) a metaphorical reference to the promised Messiah. The purpose of the metaphor is to graphically illustrate the appearing of the Messiah by comparing him to the rising sun. Side note: this verse has nothing to do with sun worship! Furthermore, this verse is telling us that when the Messiah appears on the scene, that he would bring healing in his "wings" or his ―kanaph.‖ What would be in these wings that would have the healing? The tzitzits hanging from his garment! Let‘s verify this in the evangels. Turning to the New Testament, let‘s go to the book of Matthew. With the understanding of Malachi 4 as a prophecy that the Messiah would appear with healing in his wings, let‘s look at the records of what happened when the Messiah appeared. Now those who were familiar with the prophecy of Malachi 4:2 as a reference to the healing in the Messiah's tassels would put their faith into action. There are several records of healing taking place when people who believed Yeshua to be the promised Messiah reached out and touched the tzitzits in the wings of His garment. Let‘s look at the first occurrence.

Matthew 9:20-22 And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak; 21for she was saying to herself, "If I only touch His garment, I will get well." 22But Yeshua turning and seeing her said, "Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well." At once the woman was made well. (New American Standard Bible) See also Luke 8:41-48.

Wow, did you see that? Yeshua wore tzitzits! This woman, by reaching out and touching the

tzitzit of Yeshua‘s garment, was expressing by this action that she believed Yeshua to be the

Messiah. This is yet another prophecy Yeshua fulfilled perfectly. The Greek manuscripts

describe the area of the garment she reached out and touched as "the fringe of his cloak."

The Greek word here, translated as ―fringe (translated border and hem in the KJV)‖ is

kraspedon.

Strong‘s G2899. κράζπεδον kraspedon kras'-ped-on of uncertain derivation; a margin, i.e. (specially), a fringe or tassel:--border, hem. AV — border (3), hem (2), NASB — fringe (4), tassels (1).

14

This is clearly a reference to the tzitzit (tassel/fringe) on Yeshua‘s garment, which all Torah observant Hebrews of his day wore in obedience to the command in Numbers. Even more proof that this word is referring to Yeshua‘s tzitzits can be seen in the Septuagint. The LXX uses the Greek word kraspedon as a translation for the word tzitzit in Numbers 15:38 and kanaph in Deuteronomy 22:12. The DuTillet, a Hebrew manuscript of the book of Matthew, contains "Tzitzit" (tassel) in Matthew 9:20 as well as other verses.

Matthew 9:20 ―And behold, a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the tzitzit of His garment…‖ (MRC)

The woman with the flow of blood was healed by touching the "tzitzit" on his garment. Here we have in this account is the faith of a woman who believed both the Scriptures and that Yeshua was/is the Messiah. In believing she touched his tzitzits and was healed. So not only did Yeshua wear the tzitzits, but YHWH used them to bring healing! This indicates the importance of wearing tzitzits to YHWH. In the Evangel accounts, we see many others who believed the same about the Messiah's tzitzit:

Matthew 14:34-36 And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. 35And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick 36and implored him that they might only touch the fringe (tassel G2899) of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well. (English Standard Version)

Mark 6:53-56 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored

to the shore. 54And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized

him 55and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds

to wherever they heard he was. 56And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or

countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might

touch even the fringe (tassel G2899) of his garment. And as many as touched it were

made well. (English Standard Version)

So again we see that YHWH used the tzitzits that Yeshua wore to display His powerful works of healing. People were begging to touch the tzitzits on his garment so that they also could receive healing. Some translations don‘t show the fact that Yeshua wore tzitzits and that this is what the people were touching.

―The woman suffering from chronic hemorrhage touched the tassel of Jesus‘ cloak (Matt. 9:20; Luke 8:44). The English translations (with the execption of the NRSV) obscure this point by using different terms to translate the Greek kraspedon when it refers to Jesus‘ outer cloak (hem, KJV; fringe, NASB; edge, NIV, TEV; simply garment, RSV).‖ – The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary under the heading ―Fringe‖

Yet another prophecy dealing with the tzitzits.

Zechariah 8:20-24 "Thus says YHWH of hosts, 'It will yet be that peoples will come, even the inhabitants of many cities. 21'The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, "Let

15

us go at once to entreat the favor of YHWH, and to seek YHWH of hosts; I will also go." 22'So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek YHWH of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of YHWH.' 23"Thus says YHWH of hosts, 'In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment (Heb. kanaph) of a Yehudim, saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that Elohim is with you."'"(NASB)

The context of this passage is the last days (Zech 8:3-8). People from all nations will come and grab the kanaph or tzitzit of an Israelites garment and will say that they will go with them because YHWH is with them. Tzitzit are an identifying mark that we are walking in obedience to the instructions of YHWH.

Objections Against Wearing Tzitzits The Blue Dye Is Lost Now some within rabbinical Judaism will say this commandment can‘t be carried out today. Some who say this will not wear tzitzits at all while others will wear just white strings. The reason for abandoning the commandment to wear tzitzits or to just wear white strings is because the so-called dye needed for the blue has been lost in antiquity – according to Jewish sources. However, nowhere in Torah does it state which dye must be used to create the blue strings. As a matter of fact, there is no mention of dye at all! So, any dye that produces the color blue is sufficient. It is manmade oral laws that teaches that there must be some type of special blue dye used. Again, let‘s look at the instructions on how to make a tzitzit.

Num 15:37 YHWH also spoke to Moses, saying, 38"Speak to the sons 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.

As stated, no mention of any special type of blue dye. The command is simple…a cord of blue. The Law Is Done Away With One of the oldest arguments against anything we are told to do in the Torah or even the Old Testament is that the Law was done away with. The saying goes, ―We don‘t have to keep those laws anymore, Jesus nailed them to the cross.‖ Yet not in one place will you find Yeshua (commonly called Jesus) saying the Torah was abolished! In fact, Yeshua states the exact opposite.

Matthew 5:17-21 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law (Torah) or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18"For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass

16

away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law (Torah) until all is accomplished. 19"Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20"For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Heaven and earth has not passed away and everything in prophecy has not been accomplished therefore the Torah still stands! Yeshua said don‘t even think he came to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. He even said unless your righteousness surpasses the scribes and Pharisees you wouldn‘t enter the Kingdom. The scribes and Pharisees wore tzitzits although for the wrong reasons (Mat 23:5). He also stated that those that break the Law will not be allowed in the Kingdom!

Matthew 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, (ESV)

Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' 23And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' (ESV)

Both the Tanakh (OT) and the Apostolic Writings (NT) testify that whoever loves YHWH ("God") will obey his commandments. The Tanakh echoes again and again that the greatest commandment is to love YHWH and that whoever loves Him will keep his commandments.

Deuteronomy 5:10 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. (English Standard Version) Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that YHWH your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, (ESV) Deuteronomy 11:1 "You shall therefore love YHWH your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always. (ESV) Joshua 22:5 Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of YHWH commanded you, to love YHWH your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul." (ESV) Nehemiah 1:5 And I said, "O YHWH God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, (ESV) Daniel 9:4 I prayed to YHWH my God and made confession, saying, "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, (ESV)

John also affirms our need to obey YHWH‘s commands:

1 John 2:3-5 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: (English Standard Version)

17

1 John 5:2-3 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. (English Standard Version)

Christians have no problem wearing ―what would Jesus do‖ bands and ―wwjd‖ bumper stickers to help them to remember to be like Christ yet will refuse to wear the one thing YHWH commanded us to wear to remember His commandments; the same ones Yeshua kept! What would Jesus Do? He would wear tzitzits! We are to be as he was and walk like him.

1 Peter 2:21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you,

leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. (English Standard Version) 1 John 2:6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. (English Standard Version)

The biblical and historical Yeshua kept the Torah and taught his disciples to do the same! We Have The Spirit, We Don’t Need Tzitzits The world we live in today is so corrupted sometimes we need that extra something to remind us to stay on track. It‘s good to have something visual to remind us and help us to focus on YHWH‘s things daily. Some try an argue, we have the spirit we don‘t need tzitzits to remember to obey YAH. This is not so! The apostles wrote numerous epistles to the brethren for the purpose of reminding them of various things. Not only that, the apostles charged their disciple to remind their students as well.

2 Peter 1:10-15 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Yeshua Messiah. Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. 13I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Yeshua Messiah made clear to me. 15And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things. (English Standard Version) 2 Peter 3:1-3 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. (ESV) 2 Timothy 2:13-14 13if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself. 14Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words,

which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. (English Standard Version) Titus 3:1-2 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. (ESV)

Who would rebuke the apostles for reminding others and telling others to remind people? What about this verse?

18

Luke 22:19-20 19And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 20And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. (English Standard Version)

Yeshua told his disciples that the holy spirit would remind them of all things yet he tells them to partake of this ceremony to remember his sacrifice. Would anyone argue that we shouldn‘t partake of this meal as He said do because it is said the Holy Spirit will remind us of all things? As a side note, the verse being used (John 14:26) has nothing to do with remembering to obey the Most High. CONTEXT IS KEY! The saints of the so-called Old Testament had the Holy Spirit yet they still wore tzitzits! Having the Holy Spirit did not negate their responsibility to keep this commandment. Are we greater than all the saints of Old? Having the Spirit of YHWH should not cause you to be disobedient to YAH's word, including the commandment to wear tzitzits. As part of the New Covenant, the Spirit leads us to walk in YHWH‘s instructions!

Ezekiel 36:25-27 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. (English Standard Version)

Proof of having the spirit is your obedience to YHWH‘s instructions!

Jeremiah 31:33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares YHWH: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (English Standard Version)

As part of the New Covenant, the Torah of YHWH will be written on our hearts! Tzitzits is one of those laws recorded in the Torah. Few realize that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit leads to careful obedience to YAH's statutes, commandments and ordinances! Thus, genuine New Covenant believers, having the Holy Spirit within them, should definitely be seeking to obey YAH's Torah, including His command to wear tzitzits, just as Yeshua did. Yeshua wore tzitzits (Mat 9:20)! If there‘s any question as to whether or not we should wear tzitzits while having the Spirit, we need only to look to the perfect example: Yeshua the Messiah. He had the fullness of the Spirit and if there were anyone who could claim to have no need of a reminder, it would be Him yet He wore tzitzits! I’m Not An Israelite The next argument that usually follows is, well that law was for Israelites. Those who are part of the New Covenant Body become Spiritual Israel and one with Israelites (Roman 11:11-26, John 4:22). All those who accept the Messiah are now engrafted into the Olive tree that is Israel. The New Covenant is with Israel only (Rom 9:4, Jer 31:33, Heb 10:16)! You must join yourself to Israel by means of Yeshua the Anointed to be a part of this covenant. Remember the New Covenant involves the Torah being written on our hearts! Plus, YHWH never intended for the Torah to just be for Israel. There was and has always been one law to govern Israel as well as those who joined themselves to Israel.

Exodus 12:49 There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who sojourns among you." (ESV) Numbers 15:16 One law and one rule shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you." (English Standard Version)

19

Numbers 15:29 You shall have one law for him who does anything unintentionally, for him who is native among the people of Israel and for the stranger who sojourns among them. (ESV)

Conclusion Like the WWJD bands, crosses and other symbols created by man, tzitzits are our reminders to us to be holy (1 Pet 1:16). As shown beforehand, tzitzits are to remind us to…

· remember all the Commandments of YHWH · do all His Commandments · Not follow after our own heart and eyes · Not to prostitute ourselves/play the harlot (follow false gods and pagan ways) · be Holy and set apart and not to be like people in the world.

Shalom & Blessings!

Amar Yisrael

larfy rma Updated 7/23/11