Tzitzit In A Professional Setting

4/5/2018

Recently Torah for Women was asked for suggestions on wearing tassels in a professional situation when having them hanging long is not possible. Many sisters work in offices that have strict dress codes. Although it might be possible for some to claim religious exemption and still attach their tzitzit dangling longer, this is not the case for every woman.

Because of this we asked our followers for suggestions on how to wear tzitzit, while still maintaining a professional and fashionable office style. These are some of the suggestions we received from the ladies who have also found themselves in this situation.

1) Pinning or gently attaching them to the inside of the waistband of skirts or pants.

2) Wearing a scarf with their business attire helps several ladies be fashionable and still wear tzitzit. Some wear the scarf as a belt around the waste, while others will wear it as an accessory around the neckline.

3) Make them short enough to be hidden under a blouse that is not tucked in.

If these options are not compliant with the office or work setting, the following ideas are more discreet and could also be used by those who must keep them hidden for safety purposes.

4) Pin them around the bottom band of the bra. They will be completely hidden but can still be a reminder to the ladies.

5) Because a woman's slip tends to be a bit shorter than a skirt tends to be, several women pin very small tzitzit to the hem of their slip, under their skirt. Another sister pins them to the waistband of the slip.

6) Attaching them in some way to the bottom edge of a camisole worn under a top or blouse. The camisole can be worn outside, untucked, or even tucked in and the tzitzit would be tucked inside the skirt or pants.

A truly great idea was suggested called “break away tzitzit.” One husband works in a situation where he would be at risk of injury if his tzitzit got caught in machinery. These break away tzitzit are attached around his belt using snaps, and when tugged on they will break off his belt, allowing him to ensure his own life and limb are not harmed. We truly love this idea for those who work in manufacturing settings!

We hope these ideas will help for those who are seeking innovative ideas to help follow Yahweh’s commandments in scripture. A special thank you to all the sisters who contributed with these great ideas. I know that I plan to use a few of them myself in the future.

Shalom!

Olive Tzitzit created and shared by Larry.
See the comment below for his testimony.

2 Comments

Larry Acheson link

4/7/2018 10:12:36 am

Shalom, Yehudit! My wife and I truly appreciate your desire to serve and honor our Heavenly Father by wearing tzitziyot. For many years I was the only one in our family who wore tzitziyot, but no one else outside of our family knew about it because I wore a tallit katan undershirt. Five years ago a woman named Carol challenged me to wear them on the outside of my clothing, more or less calling me a coward for wearing them under my outer clothing. I told her this wasn't about being cowardly; rather, I view wearing tzitziyot to be a deeply personal practice, between myself and Yahweh. He commands us to wear them in order that WE (the wearers) may look upon them and remember to do His commandments; technically, they are not for others. When I affix the tzitziyot to my clothing, I try to use those private moments to do some introspection and I ask Yahweh to give me strength and to help me remember and do His commandments -- and to forgive me for those times that I let Him down. However, Carol had a point that I could not overlook: Yeshua wore tzitziyot on the outside of His clothing (see Hebrew Matthew 9:20-22), as evidenced within the account of the woman who had the issue of blood for 12 years. His tzitziyot were long enough to be seen and touched. Since He is my Example, I decided to "go outside." Another reason I was hesitant about wearing tzitziyot on the outside of my clothing had to do with my exposure to those whom I had overheard ridiculing various individuals who wore these long, mostly white tzitziyot on belt loops. The critics called them "wannabe Jews," which although it was in poor taste, I nevertheless got the message that others will regard me as flaunting my tzitziyot if I wear them on the outside. I wanted to send a more subtle message to those who might observe me wearing tzitziyot. The only thing they need to know is that I strive to obey Yahweh's commandments. To that end, it occurred to me that the only basic color requirement is the "ribband of blue," so I thought if I could match the other threads to my shirts, I could achieve my goal. This is what my wife also does and so far no one has criticized us or suggested that we have a "holier than thou" attitude. I will e-mail you a photo, just in case you'd like a visual aid. In summary, I am persuaded that our primary concern should be that of using tzitziyot for their intended purpose: looking upon them and remembering to obey Yahweh's commandments. However one chooses to achieve that goal should remain between them and Yahweh. May Yahweh bless you as you seek His truths.

Yehudit (Judith)

4/9/2018 02:12:56 pm

Larry, thank you for your testimony of tzitzit and the story of your and your wife's journey. We are grateful to be able to help and pray that the ideas in this article may solve some of the needs for you both.

Thank you as well for sharing the photo of the tzitzit you have made to match your clothing. Great idea that we can share with our other followers.

Blessings and Shalom!

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Lead Author (Bio)

Yehudit (Judith)
CEO and founding partner of a recruiting firm.
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Former real estate agent
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Former Captain and
Deputy Commander of a
U.S. Air Force-AUX squadron
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Served as educator and board member of an educational academy.
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Co-Founder and joint partner of an international Messianic ministry.
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Host of an international Messianic radio program
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Author of several books.
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Judith has studied at:
Tel Aviv University
University of Pennsylvania
And currently working toward a Master of Theology
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Judi is a a true disciple of Yeshua following his teachings and the instructions of his apostles. She is able to connect the root of these teachings to the heritage of her Hungarian-Jewish family.
***
She views the TorahforWomen.com websites as a ministry that has the potential to change lives in women and families for generations. She does not take her calling lightly, but sees herself as a steward of Yahweh's truth. With that stewardship comes accountability to Yahweh to cut through the error seen online and only deliver facts as clearly affirmed by scripture.

Associate Author

Jim, (Judi's husband), has Sephardi Jewish ancestry and is a minister and head of Shofar Productions. Jim was a denominational pastor, hospital chaplain, and former director of a non-profit community organization.

He has studied at:
- Park University
- Berean School of the Bible/Global University
- World Harvest Bible Training Center
- UCMI
- And currently involved in advanced studies into New and Old Testament Textual Criticism and Archaeology.

Jim has also served in the U.S. Army as an Intel Analyst, a commander in the Civil Air Patrol and leader of search and rescue teams.

Jim often writes articles and books and will join Judith in writing for the TorahforWomen.com website. Judi feels it's important that a man's view point be included on the site for balance and perspective. Jim has researched many of the issues about women and has shattered the error of traditional doctrines with scriptural evidence. Like Judi, Jim also has a passion for truth and the teachings of Yahweh.

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