CHAPTER VII.

Fringes a precept of the ceremonial law, and therefore used by our Lord; but the Rabbies blended the simple precept with extravagant superstition.

N the preceeding chapters we have investigated the Phylacteries of the modern Jews, and have come to the conclusion that they have not the least shadow of scriptural authority, but are a pernicious invention of men. We will now investigate the second fundamental principle of modern Judaism, viz. n'y Tsitsith, or Fringes.

Before we proceed to investigate the nature of the Fringes, we must bear in mind that they are altogether different from Phylacteries. The former are indeed a divine institution, but the Rabbies have according to their usual perverseness corrupted it. It is also evident that the Lord Jesus Himself wore them at the corners of His garments, as we shall have occasion to prove in the progress of our investigation.

The order for making fringes upon the borders of the garments was nothing more than a remembrancer to them of their duty, that they might not sin through negligence. The Jews, being a peculiar people, were thus distinguished from their neighbours in their dress as well as in their diet, and taught by such little instances of singularity not to be conformed to the customs of the heathen in greater things. The necessity for such marks of distinction is evident from the proneness of the Jews to adopt the practices of surrounding nations; as we find

it expressly mentioned in Ps. 106. 35, "But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works."

Let us, in the first place, consider the order of fringes as we find it recorded in God's holy word:

"

אל משה לאמר: דבר אל בני ישראל ואמרת אליהם ועשו להם ציצית על כנפי בגדיהם לדרתם ונתנו על ציצית הכנף פתיל תכלת והיה לכם לציצית וראיתם אותו וזכרתם את כל מצותי ולא תתורו אחרי לבבכם ואחרי עניכם אשר אתם זונים אחריהם למען תזכרו ועשיתם את כל מצותי ויהיתם

:DON'S DTP "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: and it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them: and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: that ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God." (Num. 15. 37-40.) Again, we find in

גדילים תעשה לך על ארבע,another part of God's word

כנפות כסותך אשר תכסה בה:

"Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself." (Deut. 22. 12.)

An attentive perusal of these passages will convince the reader that the Israelites were commanded literally to wear "fringes in the borders of their garments." The particulars connected with the precept evidently shew the same, and for the very reason recorded in the above mentioned passage. For, after the repetition of some ceremonial appointments, the chapter closes with that great and fundamental principle of true religion, “Be holy unto your God," i. e. Be separate from sin and sincerely devoted to His service; and that great reason for all His commandments is again and again inculcated, "I am the Lord your God." Did we more firmly believe,

and more frequently and seriously consider, that God is our Lord and Redeemer, we should see ourselves bound in duty, interest, and gratitude, to keep all His commandments.

Some argue that the Clergy ought for this reason always to wear their canonicals, that they might not fall into open sin; but there is no necessity for such remembrancers to the Christian Minister who has God's law written on the tables of his heart, and who can say with the Apostle, "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." (Rom. 8. 2.) However, the Lord Jesus, who was "made under the law," observed this precept according to the law of Moses. This will appear from the Gospel of St. Luke (8. 43, 44.) Καὶ γυνὴ οὖσα ἐν ῥύσει αἵματος ἀπὸ ἐτῶν δώδεκα, ἥτις ἰατροῖς προσαναλώσασα ὅλον τὸν βίον, οὐκ ἴσχυσεν ὑπ ̓ οὐδενὸς θεραπευθῆναι, προσελθοῦσα ὄπισθεν, ἥψατο τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου αυτού. "And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, came behind Him, and touched the border of His garment." The word paπedov, craspedon, which is derived from the Chaldee, and which is translated in the English version "border," signifies literally fringe. The same word occurs in Matt. 23. 5, where our Lord reproves the Scribes and Pharisees for doing "all their works to be seen of men:” καὶ μεγαλύνουσι τὰ κράσπεδα τῶν qariwv avtŵv, “and enlarge the borders [literally, fringes] of their garments.

Onkelos, in his translation of the Pentateuch into Chaldee, uses the same word, craspedon, in Num. 15. 38, 39,

מלל עם בני ישראל ותימר להון ויעבדון להון כרוספדון על כנפי כסותהון: לדרהון ויתנון על כרוספדא דכנפא חוטא Speak unto the children » דתכלתא ויהון לכון לכרוספדון

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of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a

ribband of blue: And it shall be unto you for a fringe." He also translated it thus, in Deut. 22. 12,

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Thou shalt make * לך על ארבע כנפי כסותך ותתכסי בה :

thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself." In the above passage n'y is rendered in Chaldee, and pασπedа in the Septuagint.

It is very likely that the poor woman mentioned in St. Luke 8. 43, 44, entertained the same notion which prevails still amongst the most superstitious part of my nation, concerning the efficacy of the fringes, and the virtue that emanates from them; and, as Jesus was esteemed a superior person, she actually thought within herself, "If I may but touch the fringe of His garment, I shall be whole." We have every reason to believe, therefore, that the Lord Jesus Himself wore fringes. Thanks be to God, for sending us His only begotten Son, to take the law and its curse upon Himself, and for "clothing us with the garments of salvation," and giving us Christians a witness within ourselves, that we need not those beggarly remembrancers, but with His help can shew, by our conduct and conversation, to whom we belong.

The unbelieving Jews, however, who are as yet ignorant of the righteousness of Christ, and are always anxious to establish their own righteousness, still wear fringes, and moreover mix up the simple precept with many superstitious fables, and absurd observances. When we investigate this system only for a moment, our hearts must be filled with joy and gratitude to Almighty God that Christ is "made unto us wisdom and righteousness," and that we have no desire to establish our own righteousness according to the teaching of the Rabbies, whose wisdom is foolishness with God. At the same time it must be confessed that there are a great

many ideas connected with the precept of Fringes worthy of the Christian's attention, and which, I trust, will not be confounded with its superstitious observance. I will at once, therefore, proceed to state the rules laid down by the Rabbies with regard to the nyy or Fringes, and the reasons adduced by them to prove the divine appointment of these rules.

From the above mentioned passage, "Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself," the Rabbies at first concluded that the fringes should be put in the upper garment, as it is particularly stated "wherewith thou coverest thyself;" and laid it down as a rule of faith. But at a later period the Jews were ordered to make an especial garment for the purpose of putting fringes on it, which is commonly called by Rabbinical writers no Talith, which signifies a vestment, but is generally applied to that particular upper garment, which has the fringes in its four corners. It resembles a napkin, or a shawl in shape, and is made of white sheep or lamb's wool. The Rabbies are very particular as to the whiteness of the Talith. They order it to be of the same whiteness as the garment of the "Ancient of days," which "was white as snow." (Dan. 7.9.)

As the Rabbies assert that Jehovah wears Phylacteries, so do they maintain that He is arrayed in a Talith. Rabbi Sadiah Gahon comments on Dan. 7. 9,

לבנה כשלג כדי להלבין חטאינו כשלג

Thus

נטלית ומתעטף

“And He is attired in a white Talith, like snow, in order to make our sins white as snow."

In Talmud, Tract Rosh Hashanah, fol. 17, col. 2, we find the following perverted comment on Exod. 34. 6, may”

יהוה על פניו ויקרא א"ר יוחנן אלמלא מקרא כתוב אייא לאמרו מלמד שנתעטף הקב"ה כשליח צבור והראה למשה סדר תפלה אמר לו כל זמן שישראל חוטאין יעשו לפני כסדר