Q&A: Large Tallit or Small Tallit
Large Tallit or Small Tallit
Question
With God’s help,
Hello and blessings, Rabbi. I hope you are well.
Suppose a person has enough money to buy either a small tallit or a large tallit.
Assume the size of the small tallit is 2 cubits by 1 cubit (not including the neck hole), which as I understand is the minimum size for a valid tallit.
Is it preferable to buy a small tallit that he will wear all day, or specifically a large tallit, since with that one he can actually wrap himself with his head and most of his body covered, and therefore a large tallit is preferable?
Which is better?
Thank you in advance.
Answer
It is hard to answer. A large tallit is a custom (though a source is found for it in the Rosh Hashanah passage, that when a person asks for mercy he should wrap himself in a tallit). A small tallit is also a custom. There is room to prefer a large tallit, because with a small tallit you are not obligated unless you have a four-cornered garment, and that is only putting yourself into an obligation. There is no such obligation. True, there is a custom to put oneself into the obligation, but I do not see a difference between that and the custom of a large tallit.
Discussion on Answer
Rabbi, could you explain why there is reason to prefer a large tallit if both are custom and neither is an obligation?
Thank you.
Thank you very much, Rabbi. With your permission, a follow-up question.
Seemingly, with a small tallit I fulfill a commandment every moment that it is on me, and in practice the tallit is on the person for most of the day. By contrast, a large tallit is used only during prayer. Isn’t that a consideration?
Maybe yes. I was dealing with the obligation side (how much I am obligated to have one or the other), and you are talking about the benefit side (if I have one or the other, what do I gain). Agreed.
Hello Rabbi. I saw that it says, “though a source is found for it in the Rosh Hashanah passage, that when a person asks for mercy he should wrap himself in a tallit.”
Could I get an earlier source?
With God’s help I am writing a book, and I wrote there that the numerical value of tallit, with the four letters, is the same as the numerical value of the word ‘protect.’
You can find all the sources here: https://yhb.org.il/shiurim/tallitgadol/
And also here: https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%98%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%AA
As for the numerical value, I did not understand why this game is relevant. ‘Protect’ minus the three letters has the numerical value of ‘jackal.’ So should we keep a jackal at home so it will protect us?
I once heard the claim that a small tallit does not require tzitzit at all, because it does not function as a garment but as an item of sanctity. What does the Rabbi think about that?