Origins of the Word Tallit

The word “tallit” itself does not occur in the Torah (though the verb talal appears and means “to cover over” (Nechemia 3:15, Genesis 19:8). Ruth asked Boaz to “cover” her with his garment because he was a near kinsman (Ruth 3:9).

The base word tal means “dew” and the word "tallit" may have been chosen because it alludes to the morning dew in the wilderness that covered the manna (Exodus 16:13-14, Numbers 11:9). The unity of brethren is also likened to the dew (Psalm 133:3) as well as the favor of God (Prov. 19:12).

The tallit as a prayer shawl was devised about one millenium ago due to changes in clothing styles over the centuries. At one time garments typically had corners from which fringes could be displayed. Later, however, such garments were not worn, and the tallit was introduced to enable Jews to keep the Torah’s commandment to wear tzitzit (Numbers 15, Deuteronomy 22:12).