Tzitzit

Now here is a topic that is usually a conversation starter for my wife and I. The reason for this is because it is visible to other people. The wearing of Tzitzit (Tassels) is actually the only evidence to other people, who have never met you, about your faith. The Idea of wearing Tzitzit is a very simple, yet powerful idea. That is why the Creator commanded us to wear them. It is a Command, not a suggestion.

 “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and you shall say to them to make tzitziyot on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue cord in the tzitzit of the corners. And it shall be to you for a tzitzit, and you shall see it, and shall remember all the commands of יהוה (YHWH) and shall do them, and not search after your own heart and your own eyes after which you went whoring” (Num 15:38-39). The whole idea of wearing the tzitzit is to remind us of all the Torah of YHWH and not only for us to remember but also to do all the Torah.

The wearing of tzitzit in the Christian Church is non existent for the simple reason that the Christians follow the Church rather than the Scriptures themselves. The Church teaches that the Word of the Almighty does not apply to Christianity anymore but rather the man-made religious doctrines, and therefore, anyone who is obedient to the Creator and not to the Church, by wearing tzitzit is totally frowned upon and labeled as a legalist.

The word “Christian” means “to be Christ like” but Christianity does in no way look anything like “Christ-like.” The Scripture itself teaches us that we are to walk as the Messiah walked, “The one who says he stays in Him ought himself also to walk, even as He walked” (1 John 2:6). The Church even at a stage came out with “WWJD” arm bands that were a huge hit among the youth. What does “WWJD” stand for? “What Would Jesus Do.” This was a ploy to get the youth more devoted to the church and not really teaching them what the Messiah really did or would do if He were here with us now.

Let us for a moment consider what the Messiah would do if He were here with us today; He would firstly not be called “Jesus”, He would keep the Seventh Day Sabbath and not go to church on a Sunday, He would also eat only kosher foods and He would most definitely wear tzitzit among other things. He would basically keep the whole Torah of His Father who is in heaven. Did the wearing of the wrist band that said “WWJD” teach anyone to do these things? Certainly not. If we are to be believers in the Messiah and follow Him, then we are to walk as He walked.

Now as we saw, from above, that the Messiah would be wearing Tzitzit if He were walking among us today and did wear Tzitzit when he did walk upon the earth, some 2,000 years ago. We see this in the following verses: “And see, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the tzitzit of His garment, for she said to herself, “If I only touch His garment, I shall be healed. But יהושע (Yehoshua) turned, and when He saw her He said, “Take courage, daughter, your belief has healed you.” And the woman was healed from that hour” (Mat 9:20-22). Here is the record of the same event by the testimony of Luke, “And a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who, having spent all her livelihood on physicians, was unable to be healed by any, came from behind and touched the tzitzit of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped” (Luke 8:43)

Here are some other passages also speaking of tzitzit being worn by the Messiah, “And having passed over, they came to the land of Gennĕsar. And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding country, and brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him to let them only touch the tzitzit of His garment. And as many as touched it were completely healed” (Mat 14:34-36). “And wherever He went, into villages, or cities, or the country, they were laying the sick in the market-places, and begged Him to let them touch if only the tzitzit of His garment. And as many as touched Him were healed” (Mark 6:56)

So as we can see by what the Scriptures teach us, if we are to be followers of the Messiah, we too have to wear tzitzit on the four corners of our garments.

Now I have read an article claiming that only the men have to wear tzitzit as the Torah taught the Almighty was speaking to the men only. They get this from the following verse, “Speak to the children (bein) of Yisra’ĕl, and you shall say to them to make tzitziyot 1 on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue cord in the tzitzit 2 of the corners” (Num 15:38). The word used for children is from the Hebrew word “bein” which ultimately means son, however, when used in this context, the whole of Israel was being addressed as it can also refer to a nation, as there are more meanings to the word "bein", namely, "grandson", "child" or "member of a group", as is the same case in many other instances, when only the men are being addressed then the Scripture would more specific to that idea by using the word "ish" which means "man" or "husband".

So it is clear that we all have to wear tzitzit, whether man or woman, if we are to be called the followers of Y’hoshua the Messiah. It is also not a matter of achieving a certain level before one is able to wear tzitzit, but rather it is about obeying the Instruction of YHWH as it is commanded us to do.