Putting Tallit prayer shawl & tefillin
The Tallit is a 4-cornered prayer shawl with specially knotted fringes, called tzitzit, worn as a reminder to live a mitzvah-centered life. The tallit is a portable spiritual home in which you can wrap yourself at home, in synagogue or when you are away on adventures and desire time for prayer, reflection or healing from a sore spot in your life.
In the Talmudic and post-Talmudic periods the tefillin were worn by rabbis and scholars all day, and a special tallit prayer shawl was worn at praying time; hence they put on the tefillin before the talit, as appears in the order given in "Seder Rabbi Amram Gaon" (p. 2a) and in the Zohar. In modern practice, however, the opposite order is considered more "correct". Based on the talmudic principle of Tadir V'She'ayno Tadir, Tadir Kodem, (תדיר ושאינו תדיר, תדיר קודם). Meaning, when one performs several mitzvot in order, those that are performed more frequently should be done first. Since tefillin are not worn on the Sabbath and holidays while the talit is, one is obligated to put on the tallt first.
The Kabbalists considered the talit as a special garment for the service of God, intended, in connection with the tefillin, to inspire awe and reverence for God at praying (Zohar, Exodus Toledot, p. 141a). The talit is worn by all male worshipers at the morning praying on week-days, Shabbat, and holy days; by the hazzan (cantor) at every praying while before the Ark; and by the reader of Torah, as well as by all other functionaries during the Torah service.
The Holy One, blessed be, surrounded Israel with the commandment of Tephillin for their heads, Tephillin for their arms, tzitzit for their clothing and mezuzot for their doors. Talmud Menachot 43a-b
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