Can women wear tzitzit? Here’s what you need to know!
Among Torah observant women, one of the questions that often comes up is “Should women wear tzitzit?” For those who haven’t come across this yet, tzitzit are tassels that Jewish men wear on their clothes. Women now have begun wearing them too. Is this wrong? Here's your answer! This practice originates from a command in Scripture,
“You shall make tassels on the four corners of the clothing with which you cover yourself.” Deuteronomy 22:12
The word in the original text that is translated as ‘tassels’ is the plural Hebrew word ‘gedilim’, twisted threads. It is Strong’s H1434 and comes from a root meaning to grow in size by twisting, like how a cord becomes bigger as you add more threads.
In another verse, we get more detail,
“Again YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of YHWH and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined, and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God.’” Numbers 15:37-40
The word used in Numbers is the familiar Hebrew word ‘tzitzit’ צִיצִת, Strong's H6734 root meaning a floral or wing-like projection. It is translated the same as in Deut 22:12, as either tassel or fringe.
Moses was to give this command to the ‘children of Israel’, and many argue that if the command was given to the entire congregation then it applies to the women too. Others say that the term meant only the sons of Israel so it’s only for men. The truth is, whether it was given to the entire congregation or just to the men, the answer is the same… this commandment is for men only.
For those who think it applies to both men and women because it was spoken to the entire congregation, you must understand that when God speaks to the nation of Israel as a whole, some things would be known to be just for men.
An example is the 10th commandment (Exodus 20:17) which was spoken to ALL. It says ‘do not covet your neighbor's wife’. Do you think this was for both men and women? This command is about wanting your neighbor’s possessions for your own.
“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.” Exodus 20:17
This command was speaking to men, God was not saying a woman might take someone’s wife. A woman in God’s structure cannot take a wife. A woman might covet the possessions of another man’s wife or may covet another women’s husband, but not a man’s wife.
Some will try to twist this command by changing the meaning of ‘coveting’. This term ‘covet’ is not the same as wanting to be like someone. Admiring the way someone is, is not coveting. Coveting means you want that specific item to be in your possession. You want that wife to be your wife. Coveting leads to theft and many other sins. In the case of King David, he coveted Uria’s wife which led him to adultery and then murder (2Samuel 11:1-27).
So, you can see that some things were just understood to be for men even though it was spoken to the whole congregation. It’s not that tzitzits for men is a discriminatory command, it’s only for men because this is integrated into the pattern of ‘covering’ another. When a man takes a woman for a wife, she is now under his ‘covering’, his protection and authority. The women don’t need to wear tzitzit because each respective husband is already wearing them. An example of this is in the book of Ruth,
“And he said, “Who are you?” So she answered, “I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative.” Ruth 3:9
Ruth is asking Boaz to take her as a wife, she is asking to be covered by the wing of his garment. This is a symbolic action of her being accepted under his protection and authority. Here is an example of that covering authority in action,
“But if her husband overrules her on the day that he hears it, he shall make void her vow which she took and what she uttered with her lips, by which she bound herself, and YHWH will release her.” Numbers 30:8
And, before marriage, a woman is under her father’s covering, so again she doesn’t need to wear them because her father is already wearing them. She is under her father’s covering and authority. It is the same pattern and concept,
“Or if a woman makes a vow to YHWH, and binds herself by some agreement while in her father’s house in her youth, and her father hears her vow and the agreement by which she has bound herself, and her father holds his peace, then all her vows shall stand, and every agreement with which she has bound herself shall stand. But if her father overrules her on the day that he hears, then none of her vows nor her agreements by which she has bound herself shall stand; and YHWH will release her, because her father overruled her.” Numbers 30:3-5
The tzitzit are attached to the covering that the men wear. Only the men wear them because they do the covering.
There is a hierarchy of authority and protection, God covers Christ (his Son), Christ covers man (Israel, His bride), the man covers his wife (man’s bride), and finally the wife alongside her husband will cover the children. But, she does not wear tzitzit because it is her husband’s authority that she wields to cover her children, she is not the authority of that household.
“But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” 1Corinthians 11:3
The tzitzit are like feathers, and the covering is like a wing.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” Matthew 23:37
God had wanted to bring them under His protection and authority, but they were not willing.
“He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge…” Psalm 91:4
If a woman is widowed or divorced then she is left uncovered. This doesn’t mean she can wear Tzitzit, it just means she is without the protection and governance of a man until she remarries. An orphan is also left uncovered, without governance and protection. This is why it is so important for the community to look after orphans and widows.
If you understand ‘covering’ then you will understand why tzitzit are for men only. Women don’t cover men, men cover women. Tzitzit are a part of a man’s covering which in the old days had 4 corners. For a woman to wear tzitzit, it would be wearing male attire which is forbidden in the Scriptures.
“The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto YHWH thy God.” Deuteronomy 22:5
Women who wear tzitzit probably have no idea they are transgressing the Torah. There is no commandment that says tzitzit are for men only, and that’s because one isn’t needed if you understand the structure of authority which is the pattern set by God in the Torah. This pattern was set very early on and is reinforced by a law which many overlook.
"To the woman He said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you." Genesis 3:16
And that is the same reason why prayer shawls called tallits are for men only. Traditional coverings give the wings under which a woman is covered. Today during Jewish wedding ceremonies, the tallit is often used for the covering under which they are married, sometimes the couple will even wrap themselves in a tallit during the ceremony.
In the New Testament, the tzitzit were probably translated to ‘hem’, the Greek word ‘κρασπέδου’, pronounced kraspedon. It is Strong’s G2899 meaning the extremity or prominent part of a thing, edge, skirt, margin; the fringe of a garment, and a little appendage hanging down from the edge of the mantle or cloak, made of twisted wool; a tassel, tuft.
Christ, who was obedient to all God’s Laws, definitely wore tzitzit, see Matthew 9:20; 14:36; 23:5, and Mark 6:56, and Luke 8:44. Bibles have it translated as hem, border, edge, etc. Many healings happened because the afflicted were putting themselves under His wing, by faith they were entering into the marriage covenant of God.
So although many women may be wearing tzitzit with the intention of showing their love and obedience for YHWH, they have made an unfortunate error. If they want to enjoy tzitzit then I encourage them to make some for their husband or father, or even for their sons. The day their sons start their own household and cover their wife, they should be wearing tzitzit. There are many ways for women to show love and obedience to YHWH but wearing tzitzit or tallits isn’t one of them!
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