Why would a Christian wear a Prayer Shawl?

[JaumeJ]

My mind goes to New Jerusalem when I pray. Sometimes I face the earthly Jerusalem as a manner of honoring the King, but I do not feel it necessary since it is written He is in all places from the deepest depths to the highest heights. It is wonderful knowing and believing this.
I do, out of custom, pray for Jerusalem daily, however it is the New Jerusalem, not this horrible Jerusalem now in this age.

Praise God, He is worthy, not we.

 

[JaumeJ]

Many denominations under the Umbrella called Judaism, have their faithful dress in a specific manner.
The Chasid's are the most ridiculous, followed by th beanie folks. It is like saying "look at me, I am holier than you are." It would be laughable had these types in all religions not made it such a wicked and lying world. But this is meant to be before our blessed Savior returns. All love to all in Yeshua-Jesus

 

[DorothyMae]

My mind goes to New Jerusalem when I pray. Sometimes I face the earthly Jerusalem as a manner of honoring the King, but I do not feel it necessary since it is written He is in all places from the deepest depths to the highest heights. It is wonderful knowing and believing this.
I do, out of custom, pray for Jerusalem daily, however it is the New Jerusalem, not this horrible Jerusalem now in this age.

Praise God, He is worthy, not we.

All those outwardly ritualistic things are fine as long as the believer has been forgiven etc. and doesn’t think this is any better then not doing them. It’s a personal matter like praying regularly at night or in the morning. Makes no difference.

 

[Nehemiah6]

...Speak unto the children of Israel...

The children of Israel were the twelve tribes of Israel, and this directive was given to them.

The Church consists of both Jews and Gentiles, but God has done away with distinctions among the children of God. So quite obviously this directive does not apply to Christians. Also Christian men must not cover their heads during worship (which is the practice among ultra-Orthodox Jews).

The fringes and border of blue were to remind the Israelites that they had become idolaters in Egypt, and they must cease and desist from idolatry and obey all God's commandments. Indeed the fringes represent the 613 commandments of the Torah

 

[Lucy-Pevensie]

Give me a break.

The Bible says clothes, garment.

I marvel at people who go into greek and hebrew languages to meddle with the scripture for foolish things like this

Find me a translation that says that Jesus was wearing a "shawl".

It's not meddling with scripture. It's doing a deeper dive into the meaning of the words in the original language. One could say translating scripture to English is "meddling with scripture" in the first place. I don't think that's the case.

A 1st century Israeli rabbi from the tribe of Judah who taught in synagogues and in the Temple area. It's far more likely that he did wear the garment than didn't. It seems none of the Pharisees ever criticised him for not wearing the tzitzit. They were quite critical of him concerning other aspects of the the Law. It was a direct command from God The Father and Jesus fulfilled everything.

Numbers 15 (NASB)
37 The Lord also spoke to Moses, saying,
38 “Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue.
39 It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot,
40 so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God.
41 I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the Lord your God.”

 

[GandalfTheWhite]

Luk 8:44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.

To answer this question we need to go back to Israel about 2000 years ago. We have to remember that Jesus was a Jew, he was dressed like a Jewish male would dress 2000 years ago and therefor he would have a tallit (prayer shawl) around his shoulders and from the corners of the tallit there would have been the tassels.

The Bible teaches us that the women went for the border or hem of his garment. Why the hem? Why not his shoe or his hand? Noting in the Bible is there just because. It is there for a reason.

If you do a very simple study you will see she went directly for the tassel of His garment. Why? Why would this even be important?

The Hebrew word for the tassels is kanaph (Numbers 15) and actually means wings (as in wings of a bird) and it became known as the wings of the shawl.

When we read Malachi 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

The Bible taught the Jews that the Messiah (Jesus / Yeshua) would have healing in his wings. So if this lady was a Jew, going to the Synagogue on Saturdays, she would know what stand in Malachi. She would have known that there is healing in His wings and that is why she would have touched His tassel because she understood the prophecy. She reached out in faith and was healed.

God bless my friends

 

[GandalfTheWhite]

Jesus said in Matthew 23:4~7 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called 'Rabbi' by others.

Many of His comments directed against the Jewish religious leaders
of His day were aimed against outward shows of righteousness.

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness." Matthew 23:25-28

The heavy burden is the Talmud.

The Pharisees tried to outdo each other by increasing the length of their tassels and being more important.

 

[garee]

It’s a clothe.

What is the purpose that God intended for the cloth? And why the color blue. How is the color blue used in parables?

 

[DorothyMae]

It's not meddling with scripture. It's doing a deeper dive into the meaning of the words in the original language. One could say translating scripture to English is "meddling with scripture" in the first place. I don't think that's the case.

A 1st century Israeli rabbi from the tribe of Judah who taught in synagogues and in the Temple area. It's far more likely that he did wear the garment than didn't. It seems none of the Pharisees ever criticised him for not wearing the tzitzit. They were quite critical of him concerning other aspects of the the Law. It was a direct command from God The Father and Jesus fulfilled everything.

Numbers 15 (NASB)
37 The Lord also spoke to Moses, saying,
38 “Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue.
39 It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot,
40 so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God.
41 I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the Lord your God.”

Jesus was not a trained Rabbi. It is seriously doubtful he would donned the garb of one.

It’s clear you like your physical garment and grant it special
something. No bible verse associates a garment with prayer. The passages referring to tassels says they were there NOT FOR PRAYER but to remind them
if God’s commands. It was a matter of how they were to behave NOT RELIGIOUS DUTIES.

You’re not going to convince many that this is biblical nor that tantamount reverence for a piece of material is even good. They asked Jesus about prayer and he failed to mention prayer shawls as a recommended item. Most of us think we should do as he recommends.

 

[DorothyMae]

What is the purpose that God intended for the cloth? And why the color blue. How is the color blue used in parables?

To remember the commandments about how to treat others.

 

[DorothyMae]

The heavy burden is the Talmud.

The Pharisees tried to outdo each other by increasing the length of their tassels and being more important.

Similar to claiming one has a special prayer material others lack, perhaps.

 

[GandalfTheWhite]

Jesus was not a trained Rabbi. It is seriously doubtful he would donned the garb of one.

Jesus was a Torah keeping Jew... and all Jews dressed like that

 

[garee]

Luk 8:44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.

To answer this question we need to go back to Israel about 2000 years ago. We have to remember that Jesus was a Jew, he was dressed like a Jewish male would dress 2000 years ago and therefor he would have a tallit (prayer shawl) around his shoulders and from the corners of the tallit there would have been the tassels.

The Bible teaches us that the women went for the border or hem of his garment. Why the hem? Why not his shoe or his hand? Noting in the Bible is there just because. It is there for a reason.

If you do a very simple study you will see she went directly for the tassel of His garment. Why? Why would this even be important?

The Hebrew word for the tassels is kanaph (Numbers 15) and actually means wings (as in wings of a bird) and it became known as the wings of the shawl.

When we read Malachi 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

The Bible taught the Jews that the Messiah (Jesus / Yeshua) would have healing in his wings. So if this lady was a Jew, going to the Synagogue on Saturdays, she would know what stand in Malachi. She would have known that there is healing in His wings and that is why she would have touched His tassel because she understood the prophecy. She reached out in faith and was healed.

God bless my friends

Thanks for that. Moved by faith that worked in her to both will and do the good pleasure.

It would seem that because the believer has always been the living temple of God not made with human hands. The tassel revealed the unseen work of the Spirit that dwelt in them.

Blue seem to represent the temporal used to hide the eternal golden rule as the law of faith,. Like wings of a dove.

 

[Lucy-Pevensie]

Similar to claiming one has a special prayer material others lack, perhaps.

I can't see where anyone including the OP was suggesting anyone lacked anything.
No one has insisted a prayer shawl is a necessary item. There is also nothing wrong with liking them, having one or using one.

Two posters (post numbers 13 & 14) wisely advised that Romans 14 applies here.
Do you want to have a read of it?

The OP said this:

A prayer shawl is not prayer, any more than a stove is the food we eat,

 

[DorothyMae]

Jesus was a Torah keeping Jew... and all Jews dressed like that

Then there’s no special dress for Rabbis such as you mentioned, no prayer shawl for Rabbis.

 

[DorothyMae]

I can't see where anyone including the OP was suggesting anyone lacked anything.
No one has insisted a prayer shawl is a necessary item. There is also nothing wrong with liking them, having one or using one.

Two posters (post numbers 13 & 14) wisely advised that Romans 14 applies here.
Do you want to have a read of it?

The OP said this:

It’s a silly metaphor because the idea of prayer is TALKING to God, a living Being, not performing a rite that needs assistance. God is not a matter one “cooks up” as it were and needs therefore some material item to function.

 

[GandalfTheWhite]

Then there’s no special dress for Rabbis such as you mentioned, no prayer shawl for Rabbis.

How does one become a rabbi? What are the requirements?

It is an important question because Jesus' followers called him Rabbi.

 

[Lucy-Pevensie]

It’s a silly metaphor because the idea of prayer is TALKING to God, a living Being, not performing a rite that needs assistance. God is not a matter one “cooks up” as it were and needs therefore some material item to function.

There are different kinds of prayer. One needn't be labelled as wrong. Honouring God formally or in a ceremonial fashion can be just as valid as offering as private confession.

I don't know how many different ways I can reiterate that this isn't a matter of a right or wrong way of praying.

 

[Lucy-Pevensie]

Then there’s no special dress for Rabbis such as you mentioned, no prayer shawl for Rabbis.

The tzitzit was for all Jewish men, not only teachers. But Yeshua was indeed a teacher. There isn't any serious doubt about that.
The ethnic and national heritage of the one we call Lord is the general historical and cultural context of the Gospel narrative.

If you don't have an interest in that aspect of the Biblical setting that's fine. To me it's very interesting.

 

[garee]

It’s a silly metaphor because the idea of prayer is TALKING to God, a living Being, not performing a rite that needs assistance. God is not a matter one “cooks up” as it were and needs therefore some material item to function.

It could be considered as silly But in a persons own privacy it could be away of one reminding their love ones of the unseen power of God as a personal ceremonial law. . No law against that .

But ones that God has designed to the church they are a sign to the whole world . I see it as the wedding invitation to the word.

Its focus is on a representative glory . . The glory covering for the woman and unconverted in respect to male. As a shadow it is likened as a wedding invitation. Focusing on two working as one. .

Hair is used to speak of the hidden glory of God as well as nails. Two dead lifeless rudiments (hair and nails) as one witness. A old tesetemmt ceremonial law applied when a woman from another nation would desire to enter in. Her nails must be cut off and hair shaved to show a sign of humbling once self under the hearing of faith . .

The reformation had come . Men and woman(mankind) from all the nations could gather together .Previously Kings in Israel a high wall separated the Jewish woman and and another wall the gentiles. Only the Jewish men were allowed to participate in the ceremonies . As a result of the name change for Israel to Christian new laws were set up as a vision to the world. (the true woman's lib law) it has lost most of its effect to be used as a sign to the world many have dismissed it as fashion design for the time. And not the glory God has given to her to represent his unseen , She is the glory of man .
He did not leave woman without her own representation that must be mixed with the ugly one(LOL) .