What are we commanded to wear on our garments, why are we commanded to wear this, and what can we learn from this?
Answer From The Annual Reading Schedule - Week 35 Notes For Numbers: Tsiytsit (Numbers 15:38), braided cords (Deuteronomy 22:12), upon the wings of our garments with a blue cord upon it, to look at and remember all the commands of Yahweh and not search after our own heart and our own eyes, so that we remember and do all His commands and be Set-Apart unto Him. What we can learn from this is that remembering and doing all the commands of Yahweh is part of being Set-Apart (Holy) unto Him (Numbers 15:37-41).
Although Numbers 15:38 says to make Tsiytsit, Deuteronomy 22:12 specifies that we are to make Gediliym. Gediliym appears to mean "braided cords/threads" or "braids". The only other place the word Gediliym is used is 1 Kings 7:17 where most translations translate it as "wreaths". A wreath is round, but is also of an interwoven design. I don't think this word has anything to do with round wreaths, so I would consider perhaps "braided cords", "braided threads", or just "braids" to be more accurate for describing what Gediliym probably is referring to – an interweaving of sorts – braids or braided cords/threads. So it appears to me that the Tsiytsit are supposed to be braided.
In addition, after reconsidering how Numbers 15:38 is written, it appears to be two commands:
2. Put a blue cord upon the Tsiytsit
It appears, therefore, the Tsiytsit is supposed to have already been made before you get to the step of putting the blue cord upon it. So I am reconsidering doing my Tsiytsit for my garments in a way where I braid white thread and make Tsiytsit of braided white thread, and then after that is already completed, then wrap a blue cord around it in such a way that the braided Tsiytsit is still visible but the blue cord is securely wrapped upon the Tsiytsit also. I may post a video or pictures on the website at some point if I do this to show an example. Technically, it doesn't tell you what color the Tsiytsit is to be, only that a blue cord/thread is to be put upon it. It was likely back then that the Tsiytsit would be whatever color the garment was as it was probably made out of the same material as the garment. However, there is no instruction requiring it be white or any specific color, or not any specific color. It seems it would probably not be blue though, or the blue cord/thread upon it would not stand out as it seems it is supposed to.
In addition, I believe since we're supposed to look at the Tsiytsit, it is clear it is the outer garment upon which these should go. However, if we don't know which garment will be our outer garment on a given day, we can put them on all our garments. For example, in the summer we may not need a jacket and so our tunic may be our outermost garment. In that case, you would want them on your tunic or t-shirt. However, in the winter you might wear a long warm jacket and want to put them therefore also on the corners/wings of that jacket as well. I also believe it was the outer garment because in Matthew 9:20 a woman who needed healing touched the Tsiytsit of Yahushua's garment. I don't think she could have done this so easily had this been his inner garment and not his outer garment.
Related Topics
- Torah Reading Notes & Related Verses For Week 35 of The Annual Reading Schedule
- Week 161 of Sabbath Assembly Reading Schedule Covering Numbers 15:37-16:15
- Week 213 of Sabbath Assembly Reading Schedule Covering Deuteronomy 22:1-22:30
- Week 242 of Sabbath Assembly Reading Schedule Covering Matthew 9:18-9:38