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On most Tallitot and Sephardi Tallitot Ketanot there are little knots on the bottom or side. What are they? Why are they there? What are their significance?

msh210
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Hacham Gabriel
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2 Answers2

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These knots help ensure that the front Tzitzises (which are holier) are not accidentally moved to the back.

ertert3terte
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    Good answer! But what aboht Talit Gadol (unless I'm missing how it works for Talit Gadol)? – Hacham Gabriel Dec 23 '11 at 22:08
  • Some of the tzitzit are holier than others? How do you figure? – Double AA Dec 25 '11 at 00:26
  • @ShmuelBrill I also have a request for the source for that presumption that the front ones are holier. Do you have one? And also I don't get how the Atara has to do with anything... – Hacham Gabriel Dec 25 '11 at 02:20
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    @DoubleAA, tzitzis should stay where they were (we learn this from the k'rashim (planks) of the mishkan, which had the same rule). (The baal haTanya says it's not necessary for tzitzis, which is why Lubavitchers don't have ataros.) I don't have a citation at the moment, but will bl"n try to find one. – msh210 Dec 25 '11 at 03:58
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    ... Mishna B'rura 8:9, and it's the Ari (citied there in the MB), not the baal haTanya. @H'Gabriel, courtesy ping. – msh210 Dec 25 '11 at 04:04
  • @msh210 I read I believe I read it in Ben Ish Hai citing the Ari – Hacham Gabriel Dec 25 '11 at 04:08
  • @msh210 Staying where they were and holier are two different things. The MB says nothing about holiness. – Double AA Dec 25 '11 at 07:30
  • @ShmuelBrill I've never seen any reference to the two front ones being holier. Do you have a definite source for this? – Hacham Gabriel Dec 25 '11 at 15:22
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    @DoubleAA, I agree. – msh210 Dec 25 '11 at 15:56
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The threads at the end of the garment are unfinished, so they get balled up and knotted. Is that for halachic reasons or practical ones, I have no idea.

Shalom
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    But some have them and some don't...Also, in modern times they couldn't come up with a way to make them not stick and not have to put the knots? – Hacham Gabriel Dec 23 '11 at 20:10
  • @ShmuelBrin The wife of the Lubavitcher rebbe did not like those knots and would cut them off. As a result Lubavitchers fold their tallis "backwards", hiding the knots under the tallis instead of having them visible on top. – Ariel Aug 07 '12 at 08:43
  • @ShmuelBrin I'm not sure, sorry. I was told the story only in passing to explain why the Tallis was folded under. – Ariel Aug 07 '12 at 22:15
  • @ShmuelBrin http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/18360/why-do-lubavitchers-fold-their-talisos-under-on-the-shoulders – Ariel Aug 07 '12 at 22:25
  • @Ariel - The real reason for the Lubavitchers tucking their tallis under itself is because the Lubavitcher Rebbe's father wore a white-striped tallis, and the Frierdiker Rebbe wore a black-striped tallis. Thus, the Rebbe tucked his tallis under itself to honor both minhagim. – ezra Mar 14 '17 at 02:40