When I recently purchased a new Shabbos tallis, I realized I had to keep numerous variables straight. The weight of the fabric – would I suffocate under a heavy wool tallis in the Dallas heat, or should I go with cotton? I wanted a non-slip tallis, but I was concerned about quality while also not wanting to overspend.
And then, there were the patterns, which leads to a veritable tour of the Jewish world. Many of us are familiar with the white-on-white pattern favored by the Sephardic community, and by many Ashkenazim as well. There is also a distinctive stripe pattern worn by Chabad chassidim, who roll the garment over their shoulders. There is the Yemenite pattern, marked by extremely thick black stripes and a distinctive silver embroidered atarah. There is a pattern associated with Vizhnitz chassidim, and another identified with Belz, which is navy blue. Some like multicolored talleisim, which isn’t my style. Even a “simple” striped pattern offered choices – thin black stripes or thicker ones. And then the atarah – do I choose the Chassidic gefluchtene (embroidered) pattern, or a standard silver atarah with rows, or something a little more modern? I don’t originate from a chassidic family and there is no Sephardic or Yemenite blood coursing through my veins – I wanted something different, yet the plethora of choices was overwhelming.
I choose a more lightweight version of the tallis I replaced, with the identical pattern, and cleaned and remounted the atarah I had been wearing. Cowardly? Indecisive? Perhaps. I was grateful for my foray into different tallis traditions, but in talleisim, and in Yiddishkeit, you can’t beat your own tradition. Besides, my weekday tallis will need replacing soon, and I already have a headache…