A tallit is a prayer shawl worn by Jewish men and, in some denominations, by women. It is a rectangular piece of fabric with tassels at each corner. The way the knots and loops of the tassels are tied is intended as a reminder of the 613 commandments.

The Shema is one of the most important prayers in Judaism.  It consists of three paragraphs of the Torah and, amongst other things, it commands Jewish people to put tassels called tzitzit on any garment with four corners. Some Jewish people wear tzitzit on a small tallit under their clothes every day, while others choose to wear them on a tallit only while praying. Tallitot (plural) are often black and white, or blue and white, and are usually made of silk or wool. Jewish men and some Jewish women are buried in a tallit.

Click here for a video about the tallit,

and here for a video about how to tie your own tzitzit. 

 

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