What is a Tallit?

The Tallit (also sometimes spelled Tallith) is a Prayer Shawl worn by Jewish men and women (Orthodox women do not wear Tallit) after they reached their Bar Mitzvah (13th Jewish Birthday) for boys or Bat Mitzvah (12th Jewish Birthday) for girls. The Tallit is used during the morning prayer, on all weekdays (including Sabbath and other holy days). It is not worn for afternoon and evening prayers.

The Tallit itself is a white rectangular piece of fabric, which is usually made of wool, but sometimes is made of cotton, polyester or silk. On each of the four corners of the Tallit are special knots called Tassels (Tzitzit) in fulfillment of the biblical commandment. The purpose of the Tallit is to hold the Tassels, so the Tallit itself has no religious meaning. The purpose of the Tzitzit (according to the Torah) is to remind us of God's commandments.

The word Tallit originally meant "gown" or "cloak." It was a rectangular mantel that looked like a blanket and was worn by men in ancient times. Initially, the Tallit was worn as a daily habit, but after the exile of the Jews from Eretz Israel and their dispersion, they came to adopt the fashions of their gentile neighbors and the Tallit became a religious garment for prayer; hence its meaning of Prayer Shawl.