Search results for: ""katan""
Talit Katan: Size
The minimum size for the garment of a talit katan is large enough to wrap your torso in, in front and in back: 17 inches (43 cm) wide and 17 inches (43 cm) long, from the top edge to bottom edge and so the total minimum dimensions will be 17 inches wide by 34 inches long. The optimal size is 24 inches wide and 24 inches long on each side (resulting in dimensions of 24 inches by 48 inches.
Talit Katan: Blessings: Shabbat or Jewish Festival Talit Katan
Situation You switch to a special talit katan right before Shabbat and Jewish festivals.
What To Do You do not need to say another blessing over the special talit katan if to switch:
What To Do You do not need to say another blessing over the special talit katan if to switch:
- Is your normal intention (even if you did not specifically intend to switch when you put on your talit katan that morning), or
- Is NOT your normal intention but you did intend to switch later that afternoon.
- Is not your normal intention and you also did not intend to switch when you put on the talit katan that morning.
Talit Katan: Blessings: Shema if You Wake Up Early
Situation You wake up early and want to say shema (in case you return to sleep and might miss the latest time to say morning shema).
What To Do
What To Do
- You need to wear only a talit katan (not a talit gadol).
- Say the blessing al mitzvat tzitzit, even if you normally would later put on a talit gadol and therefore would not normally say that blessing over a talit katan.
Talit Katan: Marking Front and Back
A talit katan do not need to be marked with a front and back, but some people have a custom to do so.
Talit Katan: Material
A talit katan (or a talit gadol) must be made from at least 51\% natural fibers.
Talit Gadol with Talit Katan
Wear a talit gadol even though you are already wearing a talit katan, as a means of honoring the prayers.
Tzitzit: Garment Disposal
Garments for talit katan and talit gadol have no special holiness (kedusha). But once used for a mitzva, the garments—like the tzitziyot themselves--must be wrapped before disposal, as above.
Talit Gadol: Material
A talit gadol (or a talit katan) must be made from at least 51\% natural fibers.
Tzitzit: When Hot
You do not need to wear a talit katan at any time when you would not wear a shirt, such as if it is too hot or if you are too sweaty. If you wear a shirt, you should also wear a talit katan.
What To Wear for Shema in Shacharit
Men should wear a talit katan (for married men, also wear a talit gadol) and tefilin in order to say shema in shacharit. However, if none are available, say the shema without them.
Tzitzit Checking: Before Blessing
You are not required to check tzitzit on a talit katan or talit gadol each day.
Reason We assume, based on the norm (chazaka), that the tzitzit are OK.
But it is a good idea to check them before saying the blessing over them each day.
Reason We assume, based on the norm (chazaka), that the tzitzit are OK.
But it is a good idea to check them before saying the blessing over them each day.
Tzitzit: Knots and Wraps
Tzitzit strings have five knots separating four wraps of strings. This applies to tzitzit whether on a talit katan or talit gadol. The minimum length for tzitzit strings:
• From the first to fifth knots--at least 4 inches;
• From the fifth knot to the bottom (lower end) of the strings—at least 8 inches.
The wraps go around the entire bunch of strings as follows:
• At top but below the first knot: 7 times
• Below the second knot: 8 times
• Below the third knot: 11 times, and
• Above the bottom knot: 13 times
Note The total of the wraps' gematria values (7+ 8+ 11 + 13 = 39) equals the gematria values of Hashem (one of God's names) Echad (is One), as follows:
Hashem (spelled: yud, heh, vav, heh) = 26
Echad (spelled: alef, chet, daled) = 13
Hashem + Echad = 26 + 13 = 39
Hashem (spelled: yud, heh, vav, heh) = 26
Echad (spelled: alef, chet, daled) = 13
Hashem + Echad = 26 + 13 = 39
What To Tear for Kri'a
When tearing kri'a, do not tear underwear, a coat or sweater worn for warmth, or talit katan. To avoid ruining good or expensive clothing, you may change to other clothes before doing kri'a.
You may tear the same garment more than once if you need to do kriya for more than one dead person or for seeing the Temple mount more than once (in more than 30 days).
You may tear the same garment more than once if you need to do kriya for more than one dead person or for seeing the Temple mount more than once (in more than 30 days).
Talit Gadol: What the Blessing Covers
Saying the blessing on a talit gadol, while intending to cover all other talitot (whether talit katan or talit gadol), will cover:
Example You say the blessing over your talit gadol on the morning preceding Yom Kippur. You may intend for your blessing not to cover the talit gadol that you will put on just before Kol Nidrei.
- All talitot that you already put on.
- All talitot that you will put on later that day.
- If you go out of whichever building you are in when you say the blessing on your talit, you must say a new blessing if you put on a talit (even the same talit) in a different building.
Example You say the blessing over your talit gadol on the morning preceding Yom Kippur. You may intend for your blessing not to cover the talit gadol that you will put on just before Kol Nidrei.
Note If you don't have a talit gadol, say al mitzvat tzitzit over your talit katan.
Note If you remove your talit gadol, go to a different building, and put the talit gadol on again, you DO say a new blessing.
Talit Gadol: Blessing Once Married
Once a man is married and wears a talit gadol, he stops saying the blessing on tzitzit on his talit katan; it is covered by the blessing on his talit gadol.