Tzitzit — Fringes
Hebrew: צִיצִית
Tzitzit are fringes attached to four-cornered garments. The Torah commands: “You shall see it and remember all the commandments of God.”
The Inner Dimension
Four Corners: The Four Worlds
The four corners of the garment correspond to the four worlds (Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah). Wearing tzitzit is a constant reminder that Divine presence permeates all four levels of reality.
The Knots and Windings
The specific pattern of knots (5) and windings (8+5+11+13=39 — the numerical value of “YHVH Echad”, God is One) encodes the Divine unity in the physical garment.
Tekhelet: The Blue Thread
When the blue thread (tekhelet, from the Chilazon creature) was available, one thread was dyed blue. The Zohar explains: tekhelet is the color that resembles the sea, which resembles the sky, which resembles the Divine Throne of Glory. It draws the eye from the physical to the spiritual to the Divine.
Sources
- Alter Rebbe, Shulchan Aruch HaRav — Laws of Tzitzit