White-Striped Tallit: Beit Yosef, Malchut, Prima A.A., Hamefoar

The following is a series of questions and answers from a customer who bought a black-striped tallit from us in the past, and now wants a white-striped tallit for Shabbat. Since the distinctions from one white-on-white tallit to the next are subtle, I felt his insightful questions are worth posting.

Does the Malchut Tallit have a weave similar to the "box" or "waffle" weave found in Hamefoar, or more like that found in the Beit Yosef Talit?
The Malchut Tallit is very similar to HaMefoar.
 
Is the color of the Malchut more white, or more yellow/cream like the Beit Yosef Talit?
Both are very slightly off-white.
 
Are the stripes in the Malchut Tallit flat or shiny?
Matte, not shiny. The Prima A.A. and Hamefoar have shiny stripes.
 
I don't see an option for adding lining and side bands on the Malchut or the Beit Yosef, but assume that you can do that. Am I correct in that assumption?
Of course we can. Just keep in mind that it will add 2-4 days to processing time.
 
Can you confirm the dimensions of the size 80 for each of those two tallitot? I'm a big guy, and my weekday tallit is actually a 90, but it appears that the both are only available up to an 80, so I want to be sure about the size.
The Beit Yosef Talit is 170 cm x 200 cm. The Malchut Tallit is 180 cm x 200 cm.

Are Rambam tzitzit kosher?

We get a substantial number of orders for tzitzit (especially techelet) tied according to the Rambam, sometimes referred to as Yemenite tzitzit.

Recently a customer sent us the following remark:

Hi. I ordered a tzitzit from you with techelet tied Rambam style. A rabbi told me that it was not kosher because it didn't have 4 knots or something (I don't know much about the halacha of tzitzit). But it seems all Rambam strings are tied this way so I'm just wondering if you could as an expert explain to me how the Rambam style is kosher. Thanks

At first I was a bit peeved by the remark the rabbi mentioned above, but when I calmed down I realized that in the U.S. you are unlikely to ever see Rambam tzitzit tying.

 

The Gemara discusses how to tie tzitzit in Masechet Menachot, in a chapter called Hatchelet. It gives us several guidelines. Probably the most notable are the following:

1. The first and last windings must be white
2. There must be a minimum of seven chulyot and a maximum of thirteen.

A chulyah is usually understood to be a group of 3 windings.

The Rishonim interpret these guidelines in a number of different ways. Examples of many of them can be seen here.

Most of them do have five double knots (not four), but this is not mentioned in the Gemara. If you open up the Rambam (Hil. Tzitzit, 1, 6-8) you will see that he makes no mention of any double knots.

There are some Rishonim who say that one double knot is required by Torah law. Most hold that this is referring to the first double knot closest to the garment.

Can one rely on the Rambam? Many Yemenite Jews tie their tzitzit according to the Rambam (i.e. just like the ones we tied for you, except all white) to this day. In fact, I myself learned to tie Rambam by going to several Yemenite Jews in my neighborhood, who learned from their father. Some people claim that many of the traditions handed down by the Yemenites are the most faithful to the early masorah.

Rabbi Dov Lior holds that techelet should be tied according to the Rambam, regardless of whether you are Yemenite, Sephardic or Ashkenazi.

A few words on tefillin prices

Tefillin are not cheap. Part of the reason prices are high is because the materials are relatively expensive, but moreover because tefillin production is labor intensive and involves high-level expertise.

Basically tefillin are made up of three components: the parchments, the leather boxes that house them and the straps. The difference in cost between mediocre tefillin straps and quality handmade straps is not so significant.

Very bare-bones, barely kosher parchments cost around $100-$150. Top quality writing on good calibre parchment can run you $400 or $500. You pay not only for a sofer who is graced with attractive writing, but also for his reputation as a pious Jew who adheres carefully to halacha in writing the parchments, and keeps his body and mind pure throughout the writing process.

With the battim (the boxes), you pay for fine leather and good craftsmanship. There are plenty of shortcuts to take in making the boxes. If you want tefillin that will last (10-20+ years), you won’t want to buy Tefillin Peshutim, Tefillin Peshutim Mehudarim or even Tefillin Dakkot. Spend the extra money for Tefillin Gassot, which are made of super sturdy leather.

Bargain Tefillin

If you are shopping for budget tefillin, sometimes referred to as bar mitzvah tefillin or Tefillin Peshutim, be aware that if the tefillin are used on a regular basis, you probably will not wind up saving money in the long term, because inexpensive tefillin cannot be reshaped and may start to come undone after a few years of use.

Still, I realize some people are simply not in a position to lay down $500. Less expensive tefillin options include tefillin dakkot, tefillin peshutim mehudarim and tefillin peshutim, which range in price from $200 to $400.

If you are planning to buy tefillin online in this price range, you should be extra careful to buy from a dealer you can trust to ensure the tefillin you are getting really are reliably kosher. Beware if you come across tefillin for under $200. For bar mitzvah tefillin or an initial set of inexpensive tefillin, expect to pay at least $230 if you want to be certain they are really kosher.

What are “tefillin peshutim?” Tefillin peshutim are made using a simple design. The head tefillin (“tefillin shel rosh“) is made of several pieces of parchment to form the inner walls, and then glued within a slit square to divide it into the four required compartments.

The next caliber is “tefillin peshutim mehudarim.” Tefillin peshutim mehudarim can be roughly translated as “superior simple design.” The boxes are made from a single piece of hide, as required. When completed, tefillin peshutim mehudarim look almost identical to the more expensive cowhide type, but are less durable.

The next level up is “tefillin dakkot” (or “dakkos” or “dakkot ohr echad“). “Dak” means thin in Hebrew. Tefillin dakkot are made by stretching a thin layer of parchment over a structural base similar to the peshutim. This outer parchment forms the entire box of the tefillin, which is halachically preferable. Because of its thin design the tefillin can become halachically invalid relatively easily. The quality of the parchments inside is often the same as in tefillin peshutim mehudarim.

Today tefillin dakkot can be hard to find. But keep in mind that until 100 years ago all tefillin were tefillin dakkot.

Tefillin Gassot

For somebody who lays tefillin daily, tefillin gassot are the way to go. Have you ever heard the expression "I can't afford to buy cheap"? That can apply to a tefillin purchase as well.

When I bought tefillin before my oldest son's bar mitzvah, I had a hunch he would take very good care of them, but that still, in the care of a 13-year-old on a daily basis, they were not out of harm's way. Sure enough, somehow the corner got slightly dented within just a few months, but that proved quite simple to repair.

Good boxes cost $200-$300 and great boxes can cost $500-$600 or more. Top-end boxes are made with various stringencies (e.g. "ribua regel") that were very uncommon until the past half century, i.e., they are more kosher than the tefillin the Chafetz Chaim laid!

Typical prices for tefillin gassot range from $450 to $750. You can also find tefillin gassot with exceptionally beautiful parchments inside, superb craftsmanship and various halachic stringencies in the construction that will cost you upwards of $1,000.

Where to Buy Tefillin Online

Here are a few recommendations for reliable places to buy tefillin online from sellers in Israel, based on first-hand knowledge.

HaSofer – Located in downtown Jerusalem. Knowledgeable and reliable staff.
Ben’s Tallit Shop – Located outside Jerusalem in Givat Ze’ev. Affordable prices.
Oter Yisrael – In Jerusalem, straddling Har Nof and Givat Shaul. I bought my first tefillin gassot there 17 years ago.

Beit El – Located in Beit El, with an outlet store in Jerusalem’s Givat Shaul neighborhood.

All of the above online tefillin dealers ship around the world.

Blue Strand in Tzitzit

A customer recently ordered a set of handspun tzitzit. Upon receiving the shipment, he was quite surprised to find all white tzitzit, with no blue strand.

He sent the following inquiry:

My tsitsit arrived today.  Is there a reason why blue strands were not included?

 I was tickled by the innocence of his question. He may have come across various "blue strand tzitzit" products offered by non-Jewish Internet dealers at very low prices, probably made of synthetic or plant dyes.

"Most Jews do not use techelet," I explained to him. The reason is quite complicated. Instead, the tzitzit are all white. If you go to our Tzitzit Strings page all of the items listed are all white, except for the last two." I sent him there so that he would see that the difference in price between standard all-white tzitzit and techelet tzitzit is very substantial.

But he was not satisfied, and again asked a very innocent sounding question:

But Moses commanded that we are to have a blue strand.  Is there a Talmudic explanation for deviating from this?

Tzitzit with blue strand, Rambam tying custom

In Talmudic times techelet was still used. But subsequently, during the turmoil under Roman rule, if I'm not mistaken, the correct source of the techelet dye was lost. Over the past century various efforts have been made to recover the lost dye. In recent decades there has been a brisk debate over the authenticity of the findings.

There is a whole lot of material available on the topic. For an initial overview, you might want to take a look at this page.

Ptil Tekhelet has some very convincing claims. In Israel, the ultra-Orthodox community tends to be very resistant to new changes. Techelet is seen more frequently within the more modern Orthodox community and in the U.S.

Size 60 Tallit or Size 70?

We often get tallit size inquiries. Obviously it's a problem sizing someone for a tallit when he can't try it on. But fortunately, perfect tallit sizing is not critical. Since a tallit is worn loosely, you have some leeway. It's not like buying a t-shirt where you have to get the fit just right.

This week we received an inquiry from someone debating whether to buy a tallit in a size 60 or a size 70.

I think I want to order the blue Prima A.A. Tallit for weekdays and the Malchut Tallit for Shabbat. Both with thick Ashkenazi tzitzit. I am still worried over whether I should go with a size 60 or a size 70 tallit. If I get both tallits in a size 60, and I feel they are too small, can I swap for 70?  Thanks, Zach.

It's a good thing Zach asked, because since we are located in Israel, returns and exchanges are problematic. You have to pay for shipping three time (to you, back to Israel and again to you) and we do not refund the amount for the tzitzit we tie on. I suggested to Zach that he try to do either of the following:

1) Try to find someone with a size 60 tallit or size 70 tallit that you can try on. Remember, the difference between sizes is four inches.

2) Order the Prima A.A. Tallit in a size 60 and wait until it arrives. Then decide if you want to go with a size 70 for the Malchut Tallit. It's actually fairly common to have a slightly bigger tallit for Shabbat. The smaller size is more practical, the larger size more elegant.

I told him that that if he wanted to go with the second plan, we could send him a coupon for free shipping on the second tallit.

Go to Tallit Size Wizard>>

Choosing a White-Striped Tallit

Because we offer a wide selection of white-striped tallitot, often our customers have a hard time deciding which is best. They all look pretty much the same online. This week we received a typical question on the difference between the various white-on-white tallits for sale.

Are you able to give any more information to help me with choosing between the following white-on-white tallits?
1. Beit Yosef
2. Prima A.A. White Stripes
3. Hamefoar White Nonslip Tallit

They all seem much of a likeness to me. I am Moroccan Jewish if in any way that can help with my choice?

Thanks, Andrew H.

First I explained to Andrew that his family origins are not really consequential in buying a tallit. All Sephardic Jews tie the tzitzit the same way (except some Iraqi Jews who follow the Ben Ish Chai and a small number of Sephardim who tie 10-5-6-5 on their tallit gadol instead of 7-8-11-13).

Really the decision is just a matter of aesthetics and personal preference.

Prima A.A. - This is the white-striped tallit you probably have seen fairly frequently. The striping and atara (neckband) are shiny.

Hamefoar - This tallit has the same striping and atara, but the fabric has subtle texturing to it. This texturing gives it a slightly more supple feel and helps the tallit stay in place on your shoulders a little better.

Beit Yosef - This tallit has matte striping, on the the tallit, the atara and the corners, which lends it a very subtle, understated beauty. The vast majority of tallitot, including Prima A.A. and Hamefoar, have a synthetic atara with a shiny leaf and diamond design, whereas the Beit Yosef has a wool atara with integrated striping. The striping on the tallit, the atara and the corners is not a different material added on, but an integral part of the weave itself.

Lightweight Tallis

'Tis the season for lightweight tallit purchases. This week we received several lightweight tallit purchases and inquiries. One inquiry I found to be surprisingly insightful:

Hi,
I would like to get your advice on taleisim, since I can't actually see them when ordering online. I'm looking for a traditional black-stripe talis, as light weight as possible, except with the top part reinforced for putting it over your head. Can you recommend one? I find having a little extra weight on the top part help it stay on my head.  It tends to fall off frequently when it’s unlined. 

I was looking at the page for the Kalil Tallis, and I’m curious as to why it is made narrower than other taleisim.  Do you know why they do that, and how different that feels practically?  Are there any lightweight taleisim that are sized normally?
Thanks, David

David is very right. A year or two ago I happened to have an extra Beit Yosef atara, and had it sewn on my Shabbos tallis, and then noticed that adding a bit of weight there does improve "tallit stability."

The Kalil is narrower so that you have less tallit bunched on your shoulders. Thin fabric, doubled up, is no longer very thin.

Just about every other tallit is sized normally. I suggested to David that he consider the Tashbetz. But if you want to stick with a very conservative black-striped look, you should know that up close the Tashbetz fabric looks very slightly different from standard black-striped tallits. 

Another option would be Hamefoar. Here in Israel it's marketed as Pe'er Kal (kal means lightweight) and it is a smidge lighter than your standard tallit. I would say it breathes a bit better than a standard tallit, but not quite as well as the Tashbetz.

          Go to Lightweight Tallit page>>