Sunday, July 18, 2010

Ancient and newIn m

A few months ago (or was that a couple of years ago now), someone told me about prayer shawls, and suggested that I might be interested in creating one or two.

I knew then of the Jewish custom of wearing a prayer shawl for certain times of prayer, but I was also curious to find out more, so I've done a bit of research and found out that the garment is called a tallit (pronounce it tal-lit) with the accent on the final syllable.

The use of these garments can be traced back almost 4000 years, and still continues today.  They have traditionally been presented as gifts from father to son, from mother to daughter, and in more recent times, as tangible reminders of prayer that is offered for friends, relatives and those in special need.

In my case, they've been made for family members, for a new-born niece, and for friends and acquaintances from far and near who are in special need.  These are the kinds of things that one does not ask for.  They just seem to appear, along with a little bit of explanation and a whole lot of prayer.

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