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Prague · 28 Cheshvan 5787

Shabbat this week · 16:02–17:11

Garments and ritual objects

Clothing and Ritual Objects

Awaiting expert review

Some elements of dress derive directly from the Torah (the tzitzit fringes, the prohibition of mixing wool and linen), others are halakhah or custom (the kippah, head covering for married women), and still others are the cultural tradition of particular communities (Hasidic dress). Practice varies by movement and community.

01

Torah commandments

Bible

Fringes, tzitzit (צִיצִית), are worn on the corners of a four-cornered garment as a reminder of the commandments; today they are worn on the tallit and on the undergarment tallit katan.1,2

Bible

Tefillin, leather boxes containing parchments, are placed on the arm and head during the weekday morning prayer.3,4

Bible

The prohibition of shatnez: clothing made of a mixture of wool and linen.5,6

02

Head covering

Minhag⁂ To verify

In traditional practice men wear a kippah; it is not a biblical commandment but a custom expressing reverence before God that has acquired halakhic weight.7,8

Halakhah

In Orthodox practice married women cover their hair with a scarf, a hat or a wig; the Mishnah classes this as "Jewish custom" (dat yehudit). The extent and form vary between communities.9

03

Communal and cultural dress

MinhagAshkenazim

Some Ashkenazi men wear a white kittel on Yom Kippur, at the seder and at their wedding; they are often also buried in a kittel.

Folk customAshkenazim

Hasidic dress (e.g. the fur shtreimel on Shabbat) is a cultural tradition of Eastern European origin, not a general halakhic requirement.10

Minhag

The value of tzniut (modesty) shapes dress in Orthodox circles; specific norms vary considerably between communities.

FAQ

Is the kippah obligatory?

In Orthodox practice men wear it at all times; in Conservative and Reform congregations usually during prayer. It is a custom with halakhic weight, not a biblical commandment.

Do women wear a tallit and tefillin?

In Conservative and Reform congregations, yes, if they choose to; in Orthodox circles it is exceptional and contested.⁂ To verify

Sources

See also