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On most Tallitot and Sephardi Tallitot Ketanot there are little knots on the bottom or side. What are they? Why are they there? What are their significance?

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  • Makes sense. But that would mean they are largely superfluous if you wear a tallis katan with a T-opening in front.
    – Ben of Ben's Tallit Shop
    Commented Dec 9, 2013 at 10:55

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These knots help ensure that the front Tzitzises (which are holier) are not accidentally moved to the back.

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    Good answer! But what aboht Talit Gadol (unless I'm missing how it works for Talit Gadol)?
    – Hacham Gabriel
    Commented Dec 23, 2011 at 22:08
  • Some of the tzitzit are holier than others? How do you figure?
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Dec 25, 2011 at 0:26
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    @DoubleAA, tzitzis should stay where they were (we learn this from the k'rashim (planks) of the mishkan, which had the same rule). (The baal haTanya says it's not necessary for tzitzis, which is why Lubavitchers don't have ataros.) I don't have a citation at the moment, but will bl"n try to find one.
    – msh210 ♦
    Commented Dec 25, 2011 at 3:58
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    ... Mishna B'rura 8:9, and it's the Ari (citied there in the MB), not the baal haTanya. @H'Gabriel, courtesy ping.
    – msh210 ♦
    Commented Dec 25, 2011 at 4:04
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    @DoubleAA, I agree.
    – msh210 ♦
    Commented Dec 25, 2011 at 15:56
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The threads at the end of the garment are unfinished, so they get balled up and knotted. Is that for halachic reasons or practical ones, I have no idea.

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    But some have them and some don't...Also, in modern times they couldn't come up with a way to make them not stick and not have to put the knots?
    – Hacham Gabriel
    Commented Dec 23, 2011 at 20:10
  • @ShmuelBrin The wife of the Lubavitcher rebbe did not like those knots and would cut them off. As a result Lubavitchers fold their tallis "backwards", hiding the knots under the tallis instead of having them visible on top.
    – Ariel
    Commented Aug 7, 2012 at 8:43
  • @ShmuelBrin I'm not sure, sorry. I was told the story only in passing to explain why the Tallis was folded under.
    – Ariel
    Commented Aug 7, 2012 at 22:15
  • @ShmuelBrin judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/18360/…
    – Ariel
    Commented Aug 7, 2012 at 22:25
  • @Ariel - The real reason for the Lubavitchers tucking their tallis under itself is because the Lubavitcher Rebbe's father wore a white-striped tallis, and the Frierdiker Rebbe wore a black-striped tallis. Thus, the Rebbe tucked his tallis under itself to honor both minhagim.
    – ezra
    Commented Mar 14, 2017 at 2:40

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