Jesus...Judaism...and the fringe

blog#22,
Jesus...Judaism...and the prayer shawl

Moses had written and commanded Israel under Gods direction, that every male should have “fringes” (KJV), on the border of his garment. The English Translation wording is found in Numbers 15:38-40, as follows:

“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 ribband of blue: And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that you may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them.”...

The Hebrew Bible term for fringes is tzitzit (plural tzitziot). The verses refer to a garment known today as “tallit katan” (small prayer shawl), differentiating between the “tallit gadol,” which is the larger tallit and used mostly when praying. The smaller tallit is worn during the day by observant male Jews. Looking on a fringe or tzitzit (some render it tassel), was to be a constant reminder to the Jew, to remember and to do all the Lord’s commandments, as given by Moses from God.

A good question is: Did Jesus wear the tzitzit garment? Does the Christian Bible provide any information which indicates that Jesus kept or obeyed that teaching? The simple answer to both questions posed is yes. I will provide some verses, but we should first learn some important detail related to the word tzitzit.

The Talmud relates in Nedarim 25a, the wearing of the tzitzit equals the observe of the whole Torah. How can that be? Explanation is found in the knowledge that the Hebrew language also has a numerical value for each alphabet letter. The number value of the word tzitzit is 600. Sages then added the number of threads and knots in one of the four corners of the garment, which is 13 (eight threads and five knots), and the sum is 613. This is also the exact number of Torah commandments. Thus, the Talmudic statement about tzitzit, and Torah commands, equal the same in number value.

In Mark 6:56, an account is given of Jesus and his followers: “And whithersoever he entered, into villages or city or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched it were made whole.”

Notice the terms “border of his garment.” Then we should examine the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, under the italicized number 2899, for a link to the Greek word rendered border. The word is “kras’pedon.” The definitions are listed as; fringe or tassel.

Similar gatherings and events are mentioned in the Gospels (see Matthew 9:20-21, Matthew 14:36, and Mark 5:27-28). In each case the separate gospel authors used the same root term “kras’pedon.” How can we doubt that this was simply the fringe or tzitzit?

Jesus was wearing the fringed garment, and the people were crowded around him, pressing and surging forward to touch it. And in the process, folks were being made well and healed.

More evidence exists beyond the gospel verses. The translation word used in the Septuagint Greek, that is rendered from the Hebrew text in Numbers 15:38-40, and refer to tzitzit, is the same as used in Christian Greek Testament copies. The word is “kras’peda.” Keep in mind that the Five Torah books are reported to have been made around the date 285 BCE, for Jews of Alexandria, who possibly had lost the use of their mother tongue.

In Jesus’ early ministry, many people sought healing from him. Some trusted any word he might say to them. Others wanted him or his disciples to lay hands on them and anoint and pray. But in numerous gospel narratives, and perhaps because of huge crowds, they sought only to touch the hem of his garment, and as many as touched “it,” were made whole. Heaven rewarded the faith of those who reached and touched.