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Before donning a tallis one is supposed to enwrap himself in it and make a blessing. I have seen many different ways of performing this wrapping. What is the correct way to wrap yourself in a tallis?

Alternatively, if there are differing opinions or traditions, what are they, and what are the formal guidelines, rules, or steps within each system?

Seth J
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not-allowed to change my name
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    I think the reason you have seen many different ways is that there are many different customs. However, I'd also like to see some answers (perhaps "rules" for wrapping within various traditions), especially accompanied by photos or videos, because I always feel like my wrapping is a total mess. – Seth J Feb 08 '13 at 14:06
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    Source for the requirement to wrap differently for the blessing? If you fulfill the mitzva the regular way of wearing it, why can't you say a blessing on that? – Double AA Feb 08 '13 at 14:22
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    @DoubleAA the blessing specifies "to enwrap yourself" – not-allowed to change my name Feb 08 '13 at 14:26
  • @SethJ I think a video would be great. Maybe @ mekubal could do one like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nrhFFGytgOo – not-allowed to change my name Feb 08 '13 at 14:28
  • IIRC there is a sefer taamei haminhagim http://www.mysefer.com/product.asp?cookiecheck=yes&P_ID=1457&strPageHistory=related which I know has pictures of minhagim for tefillin but I I don't remember if it has tallis wrapping pictures. – rosends Feb 08 '13 at 14:34
  • @ichangedmyid So you mean that there is one mitzva of enwrapping which we say a bracha on but only perform briefly, and another mitzva of wearing which we do not say a bracha on and do for extended periods of time, and coincidentally always after performing the mitzva of enwrapping? – Double AA Feb 08 '13 at 14:40
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    dupe http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/11695/759 ? – Double AA Feb 08 '13 at 14:44
  • @DoubleAA, it might be a dupe, although the title in the other one implies otherwise, and msh210 seems to think they are related but not dupes. Chat? – Seth J Feb 08 '13 at 14:53
  • @DoubleAA correct - the bracha for wearing tzitzis is "al mitzvas tzitzis", but "lehisatef" covers both. Those who do not wear a talis gadol say "al mitzvas tzitzis" when they put on their talis katan. Those of us who wear a talis gadol have in mind to include the katan when we say "lehisatef". – yoel Feb 08 '13 at 16:16
  • @yoel Source? The rama writes that al mitzvas tzitzis was made up so that people wouldn't say a bracha levatalla of lisateif when they wore talis katans that were too small (DM OC 8). Now you say it's a separate mitzva? Which pasuk exactly tells us this mitzva of wrapping? If wrapping is a separate mitzva, why don't we do it for longer than 4 seconds, especially considering we're already doing the wearing mitzva under our shirts? Yours is not at all the response I was expecting. – Double AA Feb 08 '13 at 16:18
  • @DoubleAA I'll look for one, but that's just how I remember learning it. I've never heard that anybody says lehisateif on a talis katan, and that seems to me an astoundingly novel basis for creating a bracha. We do wrap for more than four seconds, though - long enough to walk four amos, if I recall correctly, and we say "mah yikar..." while wrapping. Perhaps others are not as careful to wrap the appropriate amount of time. – yoel Feb 08 '13 at 16:38
  • @yoel Sefardim and the Gra both say lihitateif on tallit katan (probably Temanim too). Also, how long does it take to walk 6 feet? If it takes 18 minutes to walk 2000 amos, then it takes 2.16 seconds to walk 4 amos. – Double AA Feb 08 '13 at 16:40
  • @DoubleAA today I learned. And maybe it's more than four amos, then. I could be remembering wrong. – yoel Feb 08 '13 at 16:45
  • @yoel You are right about 4 amos http://he.wikisource.org/wiki/%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%97%D7%9F_%D7%A2%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%9A_%D7%90%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%97_%D7%97%D7%99%D7%99%D7%9D_%D7%97_%D7%92 – Double AA Feb 08 '13 at 16:47
  • @yoel Apparently the Ari didn't distinguish the brachot either http://www.ottmall.com/mj_ht_arch/v14/mj_v14i12.html#CCA – Double AA Feb 10 '13 at 06:57
  • See Maaseh Rav of the Gra – sam Jan 05 '16 at 04:39

2 Answers2

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Sabbahillel, you write that

"While wrapping one’s self in the talis it should be pulled down to one’s mouth and the tzitzis should be thrown over one’s left shoulder"

Aruch Hashulchan (siman 8, para 8) explains that the initial wrapping around the head is done to satisfy the halachic opinion requiring Atifas Yishme'elim (Arab style headdress).

As such, I have seen other Seforim critique the manner of atifah that you quote described above "pulled DOWN to ones mouth". This is patently not how Arabs wear head coverings! Instead, they suggest (as per the Aruch H) it refers to the part of the Tallis thrown over the (left) shoulder, which should cover " UP to the upper lip", and as such closely resembles Arab style headdress.

To summarise, the top part of the Tallis covers the forehead, the lower part is bunched together and thrown over the left shoulder thereby concealing the mouth, and held in position for "hiluch arba Amos" (approx 5 seconds), to fulfil the opinion requiring atifas yishme'elim.

Eliezer B
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  • As you can see in my answer, that is a citation from the Mishnah Brurah. I also give other citations. – sabbahillel Feb 19 '17 at 00:39
  • Welcome to Mi Yodeya Eliezer. Thanks for the answer. Answers shouldn't be used to respond to other posts. That's for comments. When you have 50 rep. you will be able to comment on others' posts. – mevaqesh Feb 19 '17 at 00:44
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Hereis the quotationfrom the Mishna Berurah for the Ashkenaz custom. The Halacha Hightlights section of that page goes into more details and includes the Geonim, the Ba'al HaItur, the Shulchan Aruch HaRav, and the Ben Is Chai.

The pdf of the Shulchan Aruch

Siman 8 Seif 2: The manner of wrapping (עטיפה) is similar to the way people wrap themselves for work. Sometimes their heads are covered

and sometimes uncovered. It is appropriate that one cover his head with his talis

Wrapping one’s body is also considered “wrapping.” (M.B. 3)

One who wears his talis folded around his neck does not fulfill the mitzvah since this does not meet the requiremen t of “wrapping.” (M.B. 3)

Covering one’s head subdues his heart and leads one to fear of Heaven. Bach writes that one’s head should be covered from the beginning to the end of davening but at the very least one should remain wrapped for the time it takes to walk four amos. (M.B. 4)

Arizal covered his tefillin with his talis but we hold (See Shulchan Aruch 27:11) that at least part of the tefillin should be exposed. (M.B. 4)

While wrapping one’s self in the talis it should be pulled down to one’s mouth and the tzitzis should be thrown over one’s left shoulder. One should remain in that position for th e time it takes to walk four amos and then the talis should b e put in its place with two tzitzis in front and two in back. (M.B. 4)

The Gemara implies that unmarried men did not cover their head with their talis even if they were Torah scholars. (M.B. 4)

Halacha Highlights

According to the Gaonim the obligation to put tzitzis on a garment applies only when the garment is worn in a manner of wrapping. This is evident from the wording of the beracha — להתעטף בציציתto wrap in tzitzis. The manner of wrapping is what is described as the wrapping of the Yishmaelim which involves pulling the garment down over one’s face. Ba’al HaItur disagrees and maintains that wrapping one’s head is not a prerequisite for the mitzvah. The wording of the pasuk is — אשר תכסה בה that he will cover himself in it - and this teaches that covering one’s body with the garment is sufficient to generate an obligation of tzitzis and there is no need to cover one’s head. Mishnah Berurah סק"ג follows Ba’al HaItur and writes that covering one’s body is wrapping – עטוף Nevertheless, he advises that while davening one should wear his talis over his head since it generates submission to Hashem and leads to of Heaven ע' מ"ב סק"ד Furthermore, in Mishnah Berurah’s description of wrapping one’s self after the beracha סק"ד he mentions wrapping the talis around one’s head in order to fulfill the opinion of the Gaonim as well. One must be mindful, however, that during this wrapping the talis must be around one’s body as well for if one were to wrap only their head the mitzvah would not be fulfilled. Those who leave their talis folded and wrap it only around their neck do not fulfill the mitzvah since this is not considered עיטוף according to any opinion מ"ב סק"ג Shulchan Aruch HaRav כח:ח also criticizes those people who following the beracha wrap the talis only around their head. Ben Ish Chai, (שנה א' פרשת בראשית אות ה')however, writes that one should wrap the talis around his head and it appears that he is follow-ing the Gaonim’s position that one must wrap his head. This also seems to be the position of Bais Yosef סימן י סעיף יא

kouty
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sabbahillel
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