THE TASSEL AND THE BLUE CORD

BENJAMIN G0ODNICK

There is a well-known quotation “apparel oft proclaims the m an”

— and, of course, th e woman. T here 1s no denying th a t one*s
external appearance can m ake a strong in itia l im pact on the
beholder. It is true th a t often our judgm ent of the worth and character
of the individual may be shaped by the façade of an enveloping outer
garb.
In p a s t epochs one’s costum e was significant for pragm atic
purposes; to establish or “advertise” one’s field of endeavor, w hether
physician, ta ilo r, or tra d e s m a n .1 The m ilitary were readily
distinguished in all periods by th eir uniforms, defensive arm or and
offensive weapons. F urtherm ore, an individual's socio-economic
status in society was and still is proclaimed by richness of raim ent.
Religious functionaries of all faiths have always had their special
dress, m aintained in some fashion up to the present. The Temple
high priest, for example, was laden with unique attire (breastplate,
ephod, and mitre), the symbols of his station. Indeed, biblically, not
only the spiritual leaders b u t all Israelites, presumably as befitting
m em bers of a holy people, w ere com m anded to w ear th e
distinguishing characteristics of the fringes on th e edges of their
outer clothing with an additional purple-blue cord. (Being adorned

1 In the Great Synagogue at Alexandria the various craftsmen (e.g., tailor,

weaver, carpenter, etc.) grouped together, being distinguished from each other by
marks on their clothing. See Γ. B. Sukkah 51b and Γ. J. Shabbat 1:3.

Benjamin Goodnick, Ph.D., a diplomate of the American Board o f Professional

Psychology, is a consultant to governmental agencies and private religious schools.
He is engaged in private practice in the Greater Philadelphia area. His articles have
appeared in Jewish and professional journcds.
100 B E N J A M IN G O O D N IC K

in this color has apparently always been seen as a prerogative of

nobility and royalty .2(
As in other respects, Jew s throughout the ages have shown a
rem arkable ability to adapt themselves to their surroundings even
in m atters of dress. Outwardly, they adopted the civil behavior and
appearance of the general population while retaining th e ir own
culture in all its integrity. On the street or in the workplace today it
would be difficult to distinguish Jew s from other groups by th eir
a ttire .3
There were times, of course, when Jew s (and other groups) were
forced to w ear outlandish, drab or inferior clothing or p u t on
distin gu ishin g m arks (e.g., a peaked, duncelike yellow cap or
yellow patch) in order to denigrate and set them aside from the
dom inant group .4
,C hanges in g arb over the g enerations and m illennia h av e
however, led to problems in religious observance. Thus, the Bible
commands the attachm ent of dangling threads, variously named, to
the edges of garm ents (Num. 15:38; Deut, 22:12). It is evident th a t
today our outerw ear, particularly in W estern culture, has been so
.ta ilo re d as to m ak e th e h a n g in g of ta ss e ls u n fe a s ib le
.Accommodation to the prevailing outer style has become the norm
In early ages (from the pastoral era through the days of the F irst
,Temple) this presented less difficulty. The outermost garm ent w as
it seems, a straig h t strip, possibly worn folded as a shawl over the
shoulder, called simia — ‫) שמלה‬Deut. 22:5), which may also have
been spread out to serve as a covering a t night, called kesuth — ‫כסות‬

In the Jewish tradition these adjuncts to normal garments, discussed here, were 2
intended to have morally elevating as well as socially enhancing goals (Num .
15:39-40(.
Admittedly, exceptions exist. Hasidim are still garbed in the costume of 3
seventeenth-centuiy Poland; today's yeshiva students have the comer tassels of the
;tallit katan (small fringed undergarment) peeping from beneath their suit-jackets
,and numerous orthodox Jews wear a skull-cap at all times, at home or at work
In our own “civilized 4‫ ״‬age, the Nazi-imposed shield of David enclosing the word
Jude sewn on the outer garment of the Jew is an obvious example.

JEWISH BIBLE QUARTERLY

 ΙΟΙ
T H E TA SSEL AND T H E B LU E CORD

)Deut. 22:12). So it was possible to make the required adornm ents a t

.the ends of the outer apparel
O ther garm ents fitting over th e body, such as tunics or loose long
shirts, ketoneth — !‫) כתני‬Ex. 38:39) and perhaps beged ‫) מ ד‬.Gen
h ad no corners to use. Nor is the word “four" found in the )39:12
major biblical source (Num. 15:37-41) commanding the placem ent
of tassels or fringes on clothing. Indeed, the Hebrew word usually
translated as “com er ‫ ״‬may have other valid meanings — ju s t as the
well-known expression athe four com ers of the earth can readily
refer to the extremities of the earth (or land (.6
Artifacts, bas reliefs and paintings exist which display Hebrews
__ and, sometimes, other groups — with tassels on the hems of their
long tunics or outer garm ents and distinct dyed girdles about their
bodies. It appears th a t officials and persons of status donned sashes
about th eir waists. In one of the earliest discovered representations
o f Israelites, for example, King Jeh u of Israel is seen dressed in a
waist girdle with a tassel, as is the Assyrian monarch to whom he
offers trib u te.6 Often, these cords would indicate the token of the
‫ף‬
rank of the individual.
Such conformity in dress apparently endured through the time of
the early kings. With the continuing impact of foreign contacts
during the Teigns of the later kings of that epoch, dress changes
began to occur — though prophets raised their voices, ineffectually —
against these influences.8

6 In this reepect, it is noteworthy that today’s tallit (prayer-showi) in addition to the

prescribed comer tassels also has decorative fringes along the sides which are an
extension of the cloth for a wool tallit and an added adornment for a silk tallit.
6 Section of The Black Obelisk. British Museum 118885. The same costume is
shown on Israelite prisoners captured by Tiglath-Pileser ΠΙ (745-727 B.C.E.) at the
city of Astartu. British Museum 1189G8.
7 Note, for example, that Tamar requested of Judah as part of his pledge ‫״‬your seal
and your cord” (Gen. 38; 18), the signet apparently hanging on the sash about his
waist. The cord and seal were worn as insignia of his social rank.
8 Note, for example, the outcry of the prophet Zephaniah: A nd on the day of the
Lord's sacrißce I will punish the officials and the king's sons, and all who don a
foreign vestment (1:8).

Vol. 21. No. 2, 1993

102 B E N JA M IN G O O D N IC K

Experiences, in tu rn , w ith Babylonian, P ersian, G reek and

Roman cultures and on to the p resen t inevitably affected th e
external, clothed appearances of Jew s in those countries. Such
situations, in turn, brought about creative adaptations in the use of
religious gannents. After all, a biblical law cannot be abrogated.9
Let us now analyze one biblical source for th is com m andm ent
regarding external wear (Num. 15:38-40):
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the Israelite
people and instruct them to make for themselves fringes on
the comers of their garments throughout the generations;
let them attach a cord of blue to the fringe at each corner.
That shall be your fringe; look at it and recall all the
commandments of the Lord and observe them, so that you do
not follow your heart and eyes in your lustful urge. Thus
shall you be reminded to observe all My commandments
and to be holy to your God. I am the Lord your God, who
brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I, the
Lord your God.10
O ther translatio ns of this Hebrew passage offer slight shifts in
wording b u t give essentially the same m eaning with respect to
verses 38 and 39: Fringes were to be made a t the [four?] corners of
each garm ents and a blue thread was to be added w ithin each
fringe.11
This common understanding, then, of blue threads intertw ined
with white threads and attached to the corners of the outer garm ent
h as come down to us through the ages as the assum ed original
practice in the view of practically all commentators, traditional and

9 The reference here is to the tallit and tallit katan, which am not discussed in this
article.
10 The Torah (Fhila‫ ״‬JPS, 1962) pp. 276*27?. This is the third paragraph of the mw,
the core of the daily service, repeated morning and evening.
11 The talmudlc schools of Hillel and Shamxnai differ as to the number of blue
threads required. T. B. Menakot 41b.

JEWISH BIBLE QUARTERLY

‫״‬T H E T A S S E L A N D T H E B L U E C O R D 103

modem. The blue cord has not been used for about two millennia; it
is suggested th a t the source of the blue color was a mollusk unavai-
lable since the talm udic period,12 though th ere have been a few
differing opinions as to the nature of this blue dye.13
There are other possible interpretations of the verses containing
this com mandment. It can be contended th a t th e fringes a t th e
‫״‬corners” and the blue cord may have initially been intended as
sep arate elem ents of dress. W ith the changes in costum e th e
distinction between the tassels at the edges of garm ents and the blue
cord (with its tassel) may have been gradually lost (i.e., during the
early Second Temple period) through the unsuitability of wearing a
separate blue cord (girdle or sash) and the difficulty and cost in
obtaining the blue dye.
Indeed, it requires only minor word adjustm ents in the transía-
tion, without any need for restructuring the original Hebrew text, to
present this alternative perspective:
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the Israelites
and instruct them to make for themselves a tassel on the
edges of their garments throughout their generations. They
shall place above the edge tassel a blue cord, Y m Æ Él use if
with a tasaeL so that vou mav see it and recall all the
commandments of the Lord and observe them, and do not
follow your heart and your eyes in lustful urge . . . .
Let us now examine the underlined changes.
In most English versions the term “fringe” is commonly used to

The Talmud names the mollusk 12 ‫חלזון‬, apparently a shellfish of the murex
,family, described as resembling a fish. It was said to appear only once in 70 years
probably the result of being hunted to extinction- Its rare purple dye was highly valued
and sought by the nobility (Γ. B. Menahot 42b and 44a). Quite likely this very rarity
,)and costliness led to permitting use of white threads alone (Menahot 38a
Gershon Hanokh of Radzyn, Petit Techelet (1888) stated that the color was a 13
blue-black dye originating in cuttlefish, and advocated a return to the use of the blue
threads .

V ol. 21, No. 2, 1993

104 B E N JA M IN G O O D N IC K

translate the Hebrew word ‫צי צ ת‬. A more appropriate term m ight be 14
,tassel.” Fringe would appear to refer to threads, usually loose “
,forming a continuous margin or border.15 Tassel, on the other h an d
would seem to imply an adornm ent made up of th reads bundled
together to form a specific pattern (perhaps flower-shaped h ere (.16
Sim ilarly, th e word “corner ,‫ ״‬a frequent tra n sla tio n of ‫כנף‬,
originally m eant “covering.” From th is Hebraic origin, th e word
would refer to a wide expanse rath e r than to a narrow area (i.e., a
corner). Accordingly, th is term , in its biblical contexts, h as been
variously tra n sla te d as “wing” (Is. 10:14),17 “border,” “side,” or
end,” (Job 37:3, 38:13), “edge” (Hag. 2:12), and “skirt” or “flap” (I“
,Sam. 15:27, 24:5, Ruth 3:9). The neutral term “edge” is used here
.though “skirt” and “flap” would be ju s t as appropriate
W hat is equally im portant, however, is th a t the Hebrew twice
employs the singular, i.e., one edge and one tassel,18 in referring to
these words. While in the first mention the plural is used to relate to
m any “corners” on m any garm ents, it does not necessarily mean
each individual garm ent had more than one edge or flap. In fact, the
opposite seems to be true: the passage intends one lower tassel and
.one flap
The phrase ‫) ונתנו על‬.They shall place above . . .) is interesting
The usual rendering of the triliterate root ‫ נתן‬is “give.” Yet it very

See first translation above from The Torah. The wording in The Holy 14
Scriptures (Phila ‫ ״‬JPS, 1917) varies minimally (va, 15:38): Speak unto the children
o f Israel, and bid them that they make them throughout their generations fringes in
the comers o f their garments, and that they put with the fringe o f each comer a thread
o f blue. “Fringe *‫ ״‬is also the word used in both Philip Birnbaum» Daily Prayer Book
New York: Rabbinical Assembly of America, 1949) p. 78 and Weekday Prayer Book(
New York: RAA(, 1962(.
*.Fringe: “An ornamental border or trimming of hanging cords, threads, etc 15
Standard College Dictionary (New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1968) p. 535, See The
International Critical Commentary , The Book of Numbers p. 185 on this verse.
16 ‫ציץ‬, the source of ‫ציצת‬, is frequently defined as "flower.” See Is. 27:16 and 28:1.
Note that “wing" is the original symbol of a natural covering, equivalent to 17
protection of one's young. We find the same expression in English where “under
”.one’s wing* means figuratively “under one’s protect ion
The plural of 18 ‫ ציצת‬is ‫ציציות‬.

JEWISH BIBI JE QUARTERLY

T H E T A S S E L A N D T H E B L U E CO RD 105

often m eans to put in position: e.g ., ‫ — ויוון אתט ברקיע השמים‬A n d

He] set them in the expanse of the sky (Gen. 1:17), or a high [
placem ent ; ‫ ולווווך עליון ע ל כל העמים‬And place you high above all
nations (Deut . 26:19 (.
Thus, in th is textual interpretation, the word ‫ על‬was rendered
above,”10 one of its legitim ate m eanings (perhaps closer to the *
Hebrew than the words ‫ ״‬to ‫ ״‬.)and “with" often used in translations
In this form, the quotation would strongly suggest that, first, the
making of a garm ent tassel was completed, and then a separate blue
,cord was prepared, set high, and adorned with its own distinct tassel
.probably worn a t waist level
The gram m atical structure of the sentences would appear to bear
out this contention. First, the word “it” (part of the verb ‫ (והיה‬m ust
refer back to its direct antecedent, “blue cord.” Second, the gender
and num ber of ‫ והיה‬and ‫ אתו‬are masculine singular, which would
make it agree with ‫) פתיל‬cord); the gender of ‫“} ציצת‬tassel” or
fringe”) is feminine and therefore could not be intended. Thus, the *1
major focus of this commandment is not on the fringe as such but on
the blue cord, placed in a more visible position where it could serve
as a symbol, an obvious rem inder and challenge, leading to control
of one’s passions .20
T his description closely m atches the early tunic, a shaped
garm ent; indeed, the word beged — ‫ בגד‬is used in this context. This
piece of apparel was formed by leaving a head opening in the middle
of the cloth (and perhaps m aking extensions for sleeves) during the

While 19 ‫ על‬is commonly translated as 1*on” or "upon/ it has the meaning of

above,*,” *‫״‬high ,‫ ״‬and even “high above.” Observe, e.g., among its uses: (1) as noun «
‫״‬height‫ ״׳‬or "elevation1*; (2) as adverb, "on high” or “highly ‫ ;״‬,and (3) as divine name
The Highest” (Hos“. 11:7(.
It is evident that this passage contains a syntactical shift from the third person 20
They shall place above , , .*) to the second person (“You shall use “( . . .‫(״‬. ,However
this is not unique in the Bible. Note, for example, a similar change in relation to
Jacob*s dream of the heavenly ladder. The passage proceeds (Gen. 28:21-22): . if I
return safe to my father's home — the Lord shall be my God .. " and ends with ‫ ״‬, , , of
all that You give me, I will always set aside a tithe for You,”

Vol. 21, No. 2, 1993

 lu o B E N J A M IN G O O D N IC K

weaving. The fabric, cut from the loom, was then folded in half to
juxtapose the two sides. The free ends of the warp threads of the two
sides were plaited into twine and joined to finish the tunic while
leaving the threads near the hem open, thus forming a flap and a
tassel through weaving together the free threads. Obviously, this
gown would not have any corners.21
In short, the blue cord would be clearly dissociated from the
low-hanging adornment and serve as a band or sash about this
garment while prominently displaying its own tassel.22
By contrast, the Deuteronomic reference (22:12) states succinctly:
‫גרליט תעשה לך על ארבע כנפות כסותך אשר תכסה בה‬. in translation, it is
usually read: You shall make tassels on the four corners of the
garment with which you cover yourself. More appropriately, the
verse seems to say: You shall form tufts on the four sides . . . . Since
,four” is mentioned, it is evident that the verse refers to a flat “
square or oblong product of the loom that can be used as an outer
covering or night sheet. The snipped-off edges, as the fabric is
removed from the loom, could be gathered and braided into groups to
,form a continuous edging of rows of tufts
Note, however, that this biblical reference to ‫ גדליס‬makes no
mention whatsoever of an added blue cord. Such an omission would
be considered critical if, indeed, blue threads were to be incorporated
with the end tassels (tufts). However, if we were to look upon the blue
cord as a separate object having an existence and “sanctity" of its
own, such a seeming lacuna would be understandable, since the
cord would serve in its own right and for its distinct goal.23

L. Bellinger, ‘Cloth’ In International Dictionary of the Bible (New York 21, 1962(,
1‫נ‬650‫־‬655.
.See Ex. 39:29. The high priest and his sons wore girdles about their tunics 22
Friedrich Delitzsch, in Julius H. Greenstone, Numbers With Commentary 23
p. 16. suggests the reading of ,)1939( !‫ לאלו‬instead of ‫לציצת‬, . . :rendered in English
let them place above the edge tassel a blue cord, and it shall be for a sign .. * Such an
interpretation, requiring a word change in the biblical text, would make the verse
parallel to associated passages (Deut. 6:8, 11:18): . . and you shall bind them as a
sign upon our hand . , This proposed textual emendation would actually reinforce
our contention that the focus was on the blue cord. Our rendering appears satisfactory
.by giving the blue cord its own tassel and elevating it to the plane of the phylacteries
By their position these items, blue cord and tassel and phylacteries, became highly
.visible, sacred adornments

JEWISH BIBLE QUARTERLY

T H E T A SSEL AND T H E BLU E CORD 107

Equally rem arkable, the passage reveals no attribution a t all to

these tu fts (which are usually tran slated “tassels”) of any m oral
value or even of the objective of seeing them so as to recall all the
commandments . . . and observe them. . , . These omissions tend to
confirm the view presented here th a t the investm ent of the power of
·recall and of sanctity resided only in a distinct blue cord
Prom the above discussion it appears quite likely th a tp a t least ab
initio, the tassel or tufts were an extension of the cloth itself rath e r
than, as has always been assumed, being composed of foreign fibers
superim posed upon the garm ent.24 Observe th a t the same verb for
m a k e "‫ (עשה) ״‬.)is found in both biblical references to tassels (tufts
In neither commandment is the word “attach” or “place ‫ ״‬applied to
the appendages. The in ten t of the biblical passage could be to the
,effect t h a t . . . when the Israelites make [or: weave] their clothing
,they shall form tassels [tufts] at the ends
The ‫פתיל‬, on the other hand, whether or not dyed )!‫(תכלו‬, could not
have been a flimsy thread or two to blend with the th read s of the
ta s s e l.25 Its applications seem to dem and a su bstantial, strong
twisted cord: support for a seal (Gen. 38:18), a band for a high p rie sts
weighty m itre (Ex. 28:37), shoulder supports for his breastplate and
ephod (Ex. 28:28 and 39:21) and a m easuring line (Ez. 40:3). In a
like form, it would be suitable for us as a sash wrapped about the
.outside garm ent while displaying its tassel
To carry the comparison of priestly with lay dress to its ultim ate, it
is reasonable to assume th a t the tassels and the blue cord of the garb
of the average Israelite were intended as a modest parallel of the

It is written (T, S. Menahoi 42b) that “if a man made [the tassels] from the 24
fringes of the cloth , ,. they are invalid .‫ ״‬The reason given (Menahoi 40b) is that ‫״‬The
Torah has said *Thou shalt make ‫ ״‬and not ‫ גו‬se what is already made .‫ ״‬To our
understanding, this reasoning does not seem to apply ‫ י‬since nothing has been “made *‫״‬
until the fringes are gathered and formed into a tassel. In any event» by this period
,there were undoubtedly changes in types of clothing worn
The root ofVnö is 25 ‫ יפתל‬which means to twist or twine; this again would point to
the strength and thickness of a blue cord having many threads ,

Vol. 21, No. 2, 1993

 108 B E N JA M IN G O Ö D N IC K

symbolism and sanctity displayed by the priestly raim ents, the blue
color reflecting the heavens and divine kingship .26
Moreover, it could be claimed th a t tying a band about the body
would dem and active involvement of the person {including visual
focus) through handling the cord and its tassel. This function is
comparable to the m anipulations required in placing phylacteries
on the head and arm (Deut. 6:8, 11:18) with their symbolic inten t
i.e (. ‫ — או ת‬.sign) as well as their high visibility
An existing parallel to this former practice of wearing a blue cord
)as a sash is the hasidic custom of tying a *gartle” (waistband or belt
about the w aist du rin g services. While there is, obviously, no
historical or religious continuity from ancient tim es to this present
act, the symbolic in ten t may have been comparable: to prepare
]oneself to address the divine by “separating the upper [spiritual
from the lower [physical] drives/regions .”27
The above discussion 1s not intended to be conclusive, b u t does
suggest an alternative approach to the interpretation of the biblical
passages relating to the commandment of the wearing of fringes or
ta ss e ls .

,Observe th at the sacred furnishings of the Tabernacle (e.g., the ark 28

candelabrum, golden altar, and table of the show-bread) were wrapped in ‫בגו* הכלת‬, a
.blue fitted cover {Num. 4:6, 7, 8, 9, 12) during the journeying in the wilderness
Oral quotation offered by an anonymous Lubavitcher rabbi for wearing the 27
gartle — without benefit of proof-text.

JEWISH BIBLE QUARTERLY

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