A tallit is a prayer shawl that must be worn by all Jewish men from the age of 13, the age of religious adulthood. From then on, a young man is responsible for his own actions, observes ethical and religious norms and participates in the rituals of the Jewish community. For children under 13, some communities sew children’s tallits; they have no religious significance, but introduce boys to traditions.

In the Russian Empire, Ashkenazi Jews first wore a tallit for a wedding. It was usually made of sheep’s wool, linen, cotton and silk. According to the canons, the minimum length of fabric for a tallit should be such as to cover a child able to walk.

The tallit was woven from undyed material, with dark stripes added afterwards. For a festive tallit, a silver braid was sewn on the collar. Such gilt patches were called “atara”, which means a “crown”. The everyday tallit was devoid of ornamentation, with only a patch to define the outer and inner sides.

Since the old days, Jewish have worn a tallit under their outer garments. It can be covered with a shirt or coat, but it is strictly forbidden to tuck it into trousers. Tzitzit, braided fringes with knots tied according to the Talmudic rules, are attached to the four corners of the tallit. During prayer, the Jews hold the tzitzit in their hands and finger over the knots. “Tzitzit” in Hebrew means a “hair lock” or “scalp lock”. The Bible says,

Before putting on a tallit, men say the blessing:

Immediately after the blessing, the tallit is put over the head and most of the body and then it is placed on the shoulders.

During the morning prayer one presses the fringes of the tallit to the eyes and kisses them three times during the recitation of the last section of the Shema prayer, which speaks of the commandment of tzitzit. The tallit may also be part of the burial clothing and used to cover the body of the deceased while it is being carried to the cemetery.