The Tzitzit Conundrum
You guys will know what I'm talking about. You are getting pimped up, ready for a night out. You find your one good shirt that doesn't need ironing, slip on your bestest pants and slide into your finest shoes. Ready to shine, dressed to kill. Now do you or don't you leave on the Arba Kanfos?
Let's take it as granted that you don't have the stinky brown smelly things that are enamoured by Yeshiva Bochurim worldwide. The ones that poke out of their neck accusingly at you - look at me, they say, I'm being worn every day for years on end without any time to take me off and wash me (like the Rogachover legend about not getting his hair cut). Not those. If you have them - wash them please. Right now. On behalf of all mankind, thank you.
I'm also not talking about those of you for whom a night out entails you not being able to say Hamapil because you are Bemakom Ervah, vehamevin yavin. For you people I'm not sure whether to tell you davka to wear them (the mussary side of me) and it might prevent you, or to tell you to keep up the good work (the jealous side). Oh the joys of being conflicted.
I'm also not getting involved in the machlokes whether or not to wear them at night. Way too convoluted for this forum.
My question is, when we are getting ready to go out, do we leave them on? My personal minhag is when I'm feeling all frum and fuzzy then I will, if I am getting dressed to impress, then I won't. What's yours?
TRK
posted by TRK @ 7:33 AM
20 comments
20 Comments:
ok...so i think you mean primped, not pimped.
i must be naive --- i thought guys wore them all the time.
Scandalous! You mean guys don't wear their tzitzis all the time? :-)
K guys, 'fess up now....
I wear them all the time except to go to bed and take a shower.
If they smell, odd shall I say, I sprinkle some perfume on them.
Really helps:)
I like to see the tzitzis hanging out, it shows a lot of confidence... and I do luv that + the spirituality aspect.
I honestly would love to understand the implication behind;
"My personal minhag is when I'm feeling all frum and fuzzy then I will, if I am getting dressed to impress, then I won't."
Where does 'dress to impress' mean? Does it mean that you are going to some place where you will be chiling with girls and you are nervous of how they will peg you? or just a night on the town, where you want those hot shiksas to check you out and not think your shirt is threading and falling apat. run on sentence, but im sure you get my drift.
haha Mata, you just marked yourself as innocent. Good for you.
As for TRK's question: This is history for me now. I am married with 2 kids. I don't GO out all pimped up anymore.
BUT - I wear cotton tz's with a slit neck. As Joe said, no one can see em anyway so why not?
Bein a gal, I don't have this issue, obviously, but I think it's something that is so easy to do, so why not do it? We girls put up with a lot more - long sleeves in the summer, and it's alot harder to hide, if that's what you're tryin to do. Amongst my friends, I'm always the weird one who never shows cleavage or wears jeans...
But I agree with you, masmida, amongst gentiles, we're way too self-concious - they don't usually realize that you're dressing for religous reasons as opposed to style... Def less 'in your face' I'm Jewish.
p.s. Bout the Metro thing, I think I saw an ad for Tzitzit that are attached to a fitted undershirt, or something like that... I didn't pay too much attention to it :)
Its woollen, T-cut tzitzis all the way for me baby!
The question for me, is always do I wear them: in; out; or tucked in pockets?
Or do I wear the talis string ones? or the black stripe, or white on white?
Depends on situation. Even some dates will be different to others.
If you are wearing them completely in, then it doesnt serve much of a musser purpose, but at least you are getting a mitzva, whatever else you are doing.
I can nearly always tell a Jewish girl on public transport, or on campus. Its not only the long skirt and/or shaitel that give them away, but everything else as well.
I have never heard anything about the 4 angels - may be a kabbalistic / sefardi thing.
The undershirt tzitzis are called Neatzit(C). Like a T-shirt with corners and tzitzis all in one.
for whatever it's worth, i vote that you should wear them (are we allowed to vote?)
My husband used to tuck in his tzitzis until 9/11, then after that he started to leave them out. interesting, no? His Goyish co-workers are either used to his kippah and fringes, or are very curious and want to learn all about the "strings". I say wear them with pride, man!!!
At work I have never been asked "what those strings are for" (they are nearly always clearly visable) and it was only after 10 months did anyone mention anything about my kippa. I think they are more afraid of offending or not being PC by asking any questions,
re goyim: i was once asked while shopping stateside which 7th Day Adventists church i go to... at which point I looked at the woman like she was from mars until she explained that i "dress that way." "beanies" and strings hanging out are a bit less ambiguous.
as to tzitzit on a guy. i find visible tzitzit a plus if they are warn well (as opposed to well warn) and seems to fit the person/outfit, but that then that's just personal sense of aesthetics.
you should be so lucky, MH seems like a super catch,
the key to getting the drugs is act nuts then they will make you take them and they are covered by insurance
they tried to stone me but they could not catch me
ns - thank you so much for your kind words. the question is...how much is the opinion of a navi sheker worth :)
or perhaps it's just the prophesies i should worry about.
question for you - why do you call yourself by that name?
just tuck them in and dont wear the wool kind that smell
...ahem, goy alert...
Because I don't speak hebrew I don't know exactly what you asked but. I did grow up in a conservative orthodox community with an athiest-leaning but still knowledgeable Jewish Kid as a best friend. Therefore, I have knowledge of tzitzit beyond what I should.
My vote: go for it. Wear'em loud and proud. This from the muslim chick who will be out all night dancing with hijab intact.
you go.
peace/shlm/slm
TwennyTwo
re: tzitzis, this non-Jew knows what you're talking about. but maybe it's because I live in NYC and see it almost daily since moving to Williamsburg.
This may be a poor analogy, but in reference to dietgarage's comment, I know there are some Christians who feel the same about people wearing crosses.
Hey,
I wear my tzitzit tucked all the time even when I'm not wearing a kippah... I tuck them because I eat traif Chicken and Fish outside the home and don't want people thinking that frum kosher people do the same... That said, even though I'm conservadox, I want to fufill this particular mitzvah...
My question is this: I'm trying to have a hoodie with tzitzit on it manufactured. It would be a white pull over hoodie with slits on the sides to make it 4 cornered with reinforcements and eye holes on each corner. The tzitzit would be tied on and the hoodie would also have blue stripes on the outside of the hood and along the base of the sweater. There would be no cuff on the sweater... a) Would anyone wear this? b) Does anyone want me to make more? (Currently I'm just going to have a few made for myself.)
The real question is for those who want to start wearing tzitzit, but aren't ready to wear them out, and want to know if it's alright to go ahead and tuck them in. (To encourage people to try wearing a yarmulke, my father would always say, "Be scientific: try it.") There's a good article on the subject called "Tzitzit: Tucked in or showing?", including an interesting anecdote by Rabbi Berel Wein.
I do consider all of the ideas you've presented for your post. They're very convincing and can certainly work.
Nonetheless, the posts are too quick for starters.
May you please prolong them a bit from subsequent time?
Thanks for the post.
my web site :: the diet solution
Post a Comment
<< Home