Tzitziot

[38] Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribbon of blue:
Blue - heavenly color, the servants were to be heavenly in obedience and character and separate from earthy desires.
Bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments - These were narrow strips, in a wing-like form, wrapped over the shoulders and on various parts of the attire. "Fringe," however, is the English rendering of two distinct Hebrew words - the one meaning a narrow lappet or edging, called the "hem" or "border" (Matt. 23:5, and Luke 8:44), which, in order to make it more attractive to the eye and consequently more serviceable to the purpose described, was covered with a band of blue or rather purple color; the other term signifies strings with tassels at the end, fastened to the corners of the garment. Both of these are seen on the Egyptian and Assyrian frocks; and as the Jewish people were commanded by express and repeated ordinances to have them, the fashion was rendered subservient, in their case, to awaken high and religious associations - to keep them in habitual remembrance of the divine commandments.
This was in reference to the prayer shawl worn by the observant Jews of Y'Shua day and today. They were wound in such a manner as to remind the Jews of the 613 Commandments. Each tzitziot (fringe) consists of 5 double knots and 8 threads, a total of thirteen elements. The number added to six hundred, the Hebraic aerial value of the word tzitziot points to the 613 commandments of the Torah.
Following knot I there are 7 wrappings and following knot 2 there are 8 Tapings. The total of these two wrappings is 15. The number 10 in Hebrew is designated by the letter or consonant, (yodh). The number 5 in Hebrew is designated by the letter or consonant, (hey). Thus the two letters represents the number 15 in Hebrew. Following the third knot there are 11 wrappings. Six wrappings plus five wrappings equal (11) wrappings. We must then designate the number 11 in Hebrew. The number sic in Hebrew is the letter or consonant, (vav). Therefore, the seven wrappings, the eight wrappings, plus the eleven wrappings represented by six plus five spell out the following word: Jehovah. Following the knot four there are 13 wrappings. The numerical value of these wrappings is somewhat more complicated. One wrapping plus eight wrappings plus four wrappings equals 13 wrapping. One in Hebrew is designated by the letter or consonant, (aleph). Eight in Hebrew is the letter (cheth) while the number four is designated by the letter (daleth). The Hebrew word formulated by the 13 wrappings of one plus eight plus four is: One. The two words formed by the knots and wrappings are translated Jehovah is one. Therefore, it can be clearly seen that the knots and the wrappings of the tallit not only represent the 613 Torah Laws, but bring into reminder that the L-rd thy G-d is one. This statement is called the Shema from Deut. 6:4-5, Hear, O Israel: The L-rd our G-d is one L-rd. And thou shalt love the L-rd thy G-d with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
So we are united, joining ourselves together, wrapping around G-d.
The Law of the fringe is a Biblical concept that begins in Torah and weaves its way though the entire Old Testament and well into the New. There are several concepts revealed within the fringes that go far beyond just observing the Law that are relevant for us as believers today. The Law given at Sinai, were 613 Torah Laws that were given to Moses. Of these 613 Torah Laws, there are 365 negative Laws (thou shalt not) and 248 positive Laws (thou shalt). The command was that each man was to wear the fringes in order to remember and do all of the commands of G-d. It fail was sin, sin must be atoned for. So there is a picture of grace in the prayer shawl (tallit) or in the fringes (tzitziot) themselves. The fringes were gathered in the hand as the Shema was recited in the morning service or prayers. The Shema is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Hear, O Israel: the L-rd G-d is ONE L-rd: and thou shalt love the L-rd thy G-d with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. It is interesting that the strands, knots, and wrappings not only spell out Shema but event total 513 making reference to the 613 Oral Laws. The numerical value of the tassels (TXX), tzitziot is 600. This is derived by understanding that each Hebrew letter has a numerical equivalent. Going from left to right, T has a numerical value of 400. The y has a numerical value of 10, the X has a numerical value of 90. The number 600 is then derives as follows:
X numerical value of 90 Spelling the word (tassels)
Ynumerical value of 10 There are five knots and eight stands which total 13.
Xnumerical value of 90 Therefore the numerical value of the tzitziot, the knots
Ynumerical value of 10 and the strands is 613.
Tnumerical value of 400 This is the number of the negative and positive Oral Laws.
______________________ Total 60
Not only was the tallit (prayer shawl) important for the fastening of the tzitzit (tassels), but it was also a symbol of authority. In 1 Sam. 24, David cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe (it was the tzitzit) demonstrated that David had stripped away Saul’s authority. When the woman with the issue of blood reached out and touched the hem of Y'Shua’s garment, she was instantly healed. She touched his authority. The hem of his garment was the tzitzit that was attached to the prayer Shaw. Mark 5. In Lev. 15:19-28 is the law having an issue, she was unclean and therefore should not have been there, she was separated from people and if anyone touched her they were unclean. She had a strong desire to be healed and who the Great Physician was.
The tallit was to be made of lamb’s wool. Even the fringes were to be made from lamb’s wool except for the single strand of blue and that was to be made of linen. According to law, one could not perform an act of shatnez or mixing linen and wool. The only exception to this was the single strand of blue that was allowed to be made of linen. The blue dye for this strand was very expensive. It was made from the hillazon snail found near the coast of Phonexia. According to tradition, it took 3,387,000 of these snails to produce one pound of blue dye. One was forbidden to wear this royal blue unless he was of royal blood. There is, in essence, two violations of the law here; one was the wearing of the blue, and the other was the mixing of the linen and wool. The reason was because G-d allowed these two apparent violations that He was saying symbolically that every man was a king and a priest before Him. (Rev. 1:6).
The construction of the fringes was completed by taking four strands of thread and weaving them into a string. Four strands were made after this manner. According to the code of Jewish Law, if one does not take four separate strings, but takes one long string, folds it into four, puts it through the aperture, makes a knot, and thereafter cuts the strings, it is invalid. Once the four strands are put through the aperture, two knots are made. (The number 4 represents the G-d head and you; we must all wrap our lives with the life of the L-rd.) Then the longest strand, called the shamesh, or helper strand, is used to make the wrappings. According to the Code of Jewish Law, the strands of the tzitzit are to be twisted, and if any strand becomes untwisted, it is considered as cut off and nonexistent. The fringes were there not only to remind them to perform the commands, but to remind them not to live their lives after their own heart and after their own eyes. With such detail it is fascinating to learn that the Jews were not told how tightly they had to intertwine the threads of the strands. They were told that if the strands became unwound, they were of no use and had to be cut off as though they were nonexistent. We are told to wrap our lives with the Father, how tight we are bind to Him is individual choice.