Symbols, Tzitzit, and Everyday Reminders

Rabbi Joel Fleekop

Friday, June 20, 2008

A donkey is just a donkey. Unless it is colored red, white and blue. Then it becomes a symbol for a political party and all we associate with that party. And of course the same is true for an elephant.

Scales can be used to represent justice. A rainbow can suggest gay pride. A horseshoe means luck, and a cracked bell means liberty.

Symbols provide us with a shorthand; a graphic representation of complex ideas.

Of course the choice of some symbols makes more sense than others. The cheetah is a great icon for speed. But is an owl really that much wiser than other animals. And while we know that a string tied around an index finger means don’t forget, we have absolutely no idea what it is that we are supposed to remember.

At the close of this week’s Torah portion, Shlach Lecha, we come across an ancient form, if you will, of the string tied around the finger. We are commanded to tie fringes, or tzitzit to the corners of our garments. Wearing tzitzit is a command, but also a symbol for remembering. As Numbers 15:39 asserts, “look at it and recall all the commandments of the Eternal and observe them, so that you do not follow your heart and eyes in your lustful urge.”

וּרְאִיתֶם אתוֹ וּזְכַרְתֶּם אֶת כָּל מִצְוֹת יְהוָה וַעֲשיתֶם אתָם וְלא תָתוּרוּ אַֽחֲרֵי לְבַבְכֶם וְאַֽחֲרֵי עֵינֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם זנִים אַֽחֲרֵיהֶם

So central is the notion of tzitzit as a reminder that it even affects the rules for wearing a tallit or other garment adorned with fringes. For example, with a few exceptions, a tallit is not worn by the congregation at night because when it is dark, one cannot see and thus be reminded by the tzitzit.

Tzitzit are worn as a reminder. But unlike the proverbial string tied around the finger, a tzitzit symbolizes not the act of remembering but rather the remembering of something specific. A tzitzit symbolizes and represents remembering all the Torah’s commandments, a point made clear by Rashi in his commentary on this week’s portion.

Responding to the phrase, “all the commandments of the Torah,” the great French rabbi explains the letters that form the word tzitzit have a numerical value of 600. And that each fringe is tied with eight threads and five knots. When added these elements of a tzitzit total 613. 613 - the number of commandments tradition teaches are found in the Torah. 613 – the number of commandments recalled by each individual tzitzit.

As a symbol for the holy commandments, the sight of tzitzit, like that of a Torah scroll, can be a call to live up to our highest ideals.

The Talmud, in Masechet Menachot 44a tells the story of a religious man who was very scrupulous about his observance of the commandments, including the wearing of tzitzit. Nevertheless, when word reached him of a beautiful prostitute who had come to a town nearby, his interest and desire became overwhelming. He sent ahead her fee of 400 hundred gold dinars and arranged a time to meet with the woman.

When the day arrived he came and waited at the door. Finally her maid told him to enter and he found before him seven beds, six of silver and the last of gold, with stairs of silver between each bed, with the stairs leading to the highest bed forged of gold. The beautiful woman went up the stairs, from bed to bed, finally lying down on the highest bed, the bed of gold.

The man, full of desire went up after her. But as he reached the highest bed, the strings of his tzitzit flew up and struck him across the face. He immediately fell down to the floor and refused to move.

The woman came and sat beside him on the ground. She asked what was wrong with her that he had lost his desire. He explained, that it was not that his desire had gone, but rather that the sight of the tzitzit had reminded him of God’s role in his life and the obligation to be holy. As suggested by Numbers 15:39, the tzitzit helped him overcome the lust of his heart and eyes. The tzitzit, according to the story, inspired not only him, but also the woman - who became a convert, and later his wife, to live according to the ideals of Torah.

This story and other rabbinic teachings on tzitzit emphasize the importance and power of having visual reminders of the Torah’s commandments and ideals in our lives. Yet, as Reform Jews most, dare I say all of us in the congregation, have chosen not to wear a tallit katan, a shawl with tzitzit under our clothes.

And so we must ask ourselves, if it isn’t tzitzit, what are the symbols and objects that will not only remind us of our obligations but direct and inspire us to live a life of holiness.

We can draw inspiration from Judaica and Jewish themed jewelry. Just as some of our more traditional co-religionists don tzitzit each morning, many of us put on a mezuzah, chai or Jewish star necklace as part of our morning ritual. So what if we actually made that a ritual? Taking a few seconds each morning to think about what the symbol hanging around our necks’ represents can help us focus on the things that are important, that add holiness to our lives.

Similarly, we can fill our homes and offices with objects that remind us of Jewish traditions and values. Beautiful seder plates, candle sticks, and tzedakah boxes fill our homes. Can we learn to see them as symbols of freedom, human dignity, and our commitment to tikkun olam?

Another source of inspiration can be the special people in our lives. Last night I had the opportunity to have dinner with some of the congregation’s college students. If decades past are any indication, I am sure that in addition to tapestries and witty posters, we might also find in their dorm rooms posters and bumper stickers with sayings from people who inspire them: John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Albert Einstein.

For generations, college students have drawn their inspiration and idealism from transcendent figures, but in truth the individuals who offer the greatest inspiration are those closest to us, our spouses, parents, siblings, and children. Whether sitting across from us at the table or in a cherished photo from days gone by, the images of our loved ones’ can be the symbols that inspire us to live according to our highest ideals?

All around us there are symbols: symbols that represent ideas and ideals, symbols that help us find our way through the world. May it be that we find the symbols that will guide and inspire us to live according to the values of our tradition, to live lives of holiness.

Shabbat Shalom