As this subject has so many wonderful facets to it, pondering on the details of 2 familiar stories will help us to gain deeper insights and enlarge our understanding of things we thought we knew and really didn’t fully appreciate.

(Continued from last post Life On The Fringe.)

Mark 5 tells the story of the woman with the issue of blood. Here we find the scripture about touching the hem of His garment, which was the tzizit/tsitsit of His tallit. The Scriptures refer to tzizit / tsitsit because, the Jewish translators who translated the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek, use the Greek word kraspedon for tzizit / tsitsit and kraspedon is used in the Gospels where tzizit / tsitsit would be appropriate.

The action in this story was not an isolated incident just for the woman with the issue of blood and is only part of the picture.Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid their sick in the marketplaces and begged Him that they might just touch the border of His garment.

And as many as touched Him were made whole. (Mark 6:56)..and why so many sought to touch the tzizit/tsitsit of His tallit and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well. Matthew 14:26

In Numbers (Bamidbar) 15:37-41; The children of Israel were instructed by God to wear fringes (tzi-tzit) which were put on the hem of their garments to remind the people of the Torah/God’s Word.

When the woman with the issue of blood, (by the law, she was unclean), came to Yeshua, (the High Priest of God), to touch the hem (tzi-tzit) of His garment and be healed (Matt. [Mattityahu] 9:20-22);it was a picture given to us by God, to communicate to us, that she believed Yeshua’s word by faith, (emunah) and was made well because of that faith.The concept of the blue tassel on the fringe, spoke directly to Israel of Messiah’s power and authority.

That is why the woman touched the fringe of Messiahs garment, she wanted to touch the symbol of His authority.

“Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.  She said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.’”  (Matthew 9:20–21) and … came from behind and touched the border of His garment and immediately her flow of blood stopped. Luke 8:44 

The Jewish New Testament Commentary explains about this passage:

“A woman who had . . . a hemorrhage approached him from behind and . . . touched his tzitzit. (Fringe of His prayer shawl) She was in a state of ritual impurity because of her hemorrhage. She touched the holiest part of Yeshua’s garment. No wonder she approached from behind, she was afraid; this is also why she hesitated to answer Yeshua’s question, “Who touched my clothes?” (Mark 5:29-33) For normally the impure defiles the pure (see Haggai 2:11-13; also the Talmud, Toharot.)

But in this case, the opposite happened:

the purity of Yeshua the Messiah and of His tzitziyot (“tassels,” or “fringes, of Yeshua’s prayer shawl.”) remained uncompromised, while instead the cause of the woman’s impurity was instantly removed. In the following incident, the raising of Jairus daughter, this principle is exemplified even more strongly, since Yeshua himself initiates contact with what is regarded in Judaism as the primary source of all impurity, a body (v.25) . . .” (comment on Matthew 9:20).

The New Testament contains the teachings and life and times of the Messiah, but we should remember that the Old Testament law was still in effect until His atoning death, resurrection and ascension.

When the veil of the temple was rent in two, it symbolized that the sacrifice of His life gave us access to enter into the presence of God. Messiah Himself, was born under the Law. The scriptures tell us it was His custom to go to the synagogue. Many times Messiah Jesus/Yeshua haMashiach would quote from the Law, but He would also expound upon the spirit of the Law and here Leviticus 15:19-28, applied.

The law on this matter meant that she was unclean and this created a huge problem.

“And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even. And everything that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean. everything also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean. And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. And whosoever toucheth any thing that she sat upon shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water; and be unclean until even. And if it be on her bed, or on anything whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it, he shall be unclean until the even … And if a woman have an issue other blood many days out of the time other separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she shall be unclean …. But if she be cleansed of her issue, then she shall number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. And on the eighth day she shall take unto her two turtles, or two young pigeons, and bring them unto the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for her before the Lord for the issue of her uncleanness. “

According to the Old Testament law, the woman with the issue of was ceremonially “unclean.” If she touched anyone, they would be unclean. It would have been perfectly natural for the Jewish people to view Messiah as “unclean” if she reached out and touched Him.

They would not have expected that such a man would be performing miracles by the power of God.

Unless this woman reached out by revelation to touch Messiah, she would not have wanted to touch Him.

But she did…

She pressed through the crowd to receive her healing because in spite of consulting many doctors and spending all she had trying to find a cure, she grew worse not better and she was desperate.

This was more than just a woman making a decision to be healed.

As her condition rendered her ceremonially unclean and according to the Law, she was to stay separated from people and if anyone touched her, or if she touched anyone, she made them unclean as well. If she made someone unclean due to her touch, she was committing a very serious sin.

Once she touched someone and made them unclean, that person would have to bathe, wash their clothes, and wait until the evening before being declared clean. Furthermore, if that person was unclean due to her touch, it limited what they were allowed by law to do, or in turn, who they could touch.

When the woman with the issue touched Jesus, He immediately felt strength go out of Him. Jesus asked the question, “Who touched me?”

At the very moment, Jesus knew that something had happened. He perceived that virtue had gone out of Him.

This was the bigger MIRACLE…for in this case, the opposite happened. Instead of Him becoming unclean from her touch, the purity of Yeshua the Messiah and of His tzitziyot (“tassels,” or “fringes, of Yeshua’s prayer shawl.”) remained uncompromised, while instead the cause of the woman’s impurity was instantly removed.

CLEANLINESS left Him.

In Greek the word for virtue (dunimis) and it is defined as power. We get our word dynamite from this Greek word.

In Hebrew, the word for virtue brings us a clearer definition or idea. Virtue in Hebrew is “gevorah” and it is from the root “gabar” and it means “strength, due to binding, twisting, hence a rope.“

The twisted cords are the tsitsit of the prayer shawl.

The passage further states that He looked around about to see her that had done this thing. “But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before Him, and told Him all the truth.”

This was a very serious act that this woman deliberately chose to do and even though she received her healing, she tried to disappear back into the crowd.

Why was she so fearful that she was trembling? Probably it was that she knew that what she had done had broken the law of God knowing that she had made Him unclean.

To our thinking, this does not seem like such a serious act because we touch other people all the time BUT for the children of Israel it was an extremely serious sin. Because of our lack of understanding of the context, we miss the deeper meaning and see only the miracle of healing. Which in itself is remarkable but is only part of the picture.In spite of all those in the crowd pressing around Him, Messiah perceived the instant that she reached forth her hand. He also perceived her faith and in saying, who touched me, it taught a lesson to the observers.

It took great faith for this woman who had just been healed, to step out and say in front of this crowd:

It was me.. I did!

For by the custom of the law, she had knowingly and deliberately committed sin.

 Jesus knew power had gone from Him and why at once she was healed!

Yeshua said she was healed because of her faith and rather than condemn or rebuke her for defiling His garment said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.” (Matt. 9:22) Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole, go in (shalom) peace, and be whole of thy plague. “

In Greek:  πίστις pē’-stēs, meaning faithfulness, not a passive belief, but

a deep, abiding, steadfast conviction that is evidenced by fidelity, character, and action. 

In Zechariah 8:23 the phrase “skirt of him that is a Jew,” speaks of the “wing” of the tallit. This phrase “God is with you,” is similar to the concept of Immanuel, meaning “God with us.”

She would have also surely known the old Testament reference to healing in His wings from Isaiah and that it was referring to His tzizit.

Also in the book of Malachi, one of the most prophetically messianic books in the Bible, the following can be found:

“But to you who fear My Name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings.” Malachi 3:20

Ve•zar•cha la•chem yir•ey sh`mi she•mesh tze•da•ka oo•mar•pe bich•na•fe•ha viy•tza•tem oo•fish•tem ke•eg•lei mar•bek.

Many Christians accurately see a reference to the Messiah in this verse. Judaism also recognizes this as a messianic prophecy:
“Moses asked: ‘shall they remain in pledge forever?’ G-d replied: ‘No, only Until the sun appears’, that is, till the coming of the Messiah; for it says, But unto you that fear My name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings.” Exodus Rabbah 31:10, Soncino Press Edition

 The phrase, “Sun of righteousness,” is a picture of Messiah, who is the “Bright and Morning Star.” The fact that Messiah wore a tallit with tzitzit or fringes, like other Jewish men, is clearly understood from such scriptures as Matthew 9:20, and Matthew 14:36.

When you wrap the tallit about you, holding two of the corners out, it forms “wings.”

 Many times, the Lord speaks in scripture, of His dependence upon His Father, and as our Redeeming Lamb, were He not the obedient Servant, He would not be the “Light of the World.” (John 8:12) He came in the glory of His Father. His prayer life was so profound, that His disciples observing Him, said: “Lord, teach us to pray.” (Luke 11:1)Because Yeshua wore his tallit, the border or hem of Yeshua’s garment had a particular appearance to it, due to the way in which the tallit was folded. This caused the corner tassels of the fringe to hang down. Taking hold of the “skirt” of him that is a Jew, speaks of taking hold of this outer or extended “wing” of the garment, which holds such deep significance. Why? Because it speaks of prayer.

Because of the understanding of the visual meaning of the Tallit, the scribes and Pharisees were known for extending the zit zit tassels on their garments, to make themselves look more holy and this is what Jesus was referring to in Matthew 23:5.“But they do their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries, and lengthen the tassels of their garments”. Everything was done to attract the approval and attention of others. The approval of God took a back seat.The Pharisees would dress distinctively in garb that would symbolize their righteousness. It was more important that they appeared righteous to others than whether they were really righteous or not. 

In addition to their distinctive dress, the Pharisees loved places of honor at banquets, chief seats in synagogues, respectful greetings such as “Rabbi”, “Father” and “Leader”. Anything that would tend to exalt them in the eyes of men.

The account of the woman who touched His tzitzit must be combined with that of Jairus (Yair).

Jairus was one of the synagogue rulers, his daughter was dying. Jairus saw Jesus and falling at His feet, he begged Him to come and lay hands on his daughter believing she could be healed. Jesus agreed to go with him, and a great crowd followed them.

Within that same crowd was the woman just referred to.

Jairus has convinced Jesus to go with him to heal his daughter who is sick to the point of death. As a synagogue ruler he certainly knew the law. He knows that at the moment that this woman touched Jesus, He is rendered unclean and the moment he realized what had happened his heart must have sank because now Jesus would be unable to go to his daughter for these people would not have ignored this law.

The Jewish New Testament Commentary explains about this passage:

In the following incident, the raising of Jairus daughter, this principle is exemplified even more strongly, since Yeshua himself initiates contact with what is regarded in Judaism as the primary source of all impurity, a body (v.25) . . .” (comment on Matthew 9:20).

After Jesus declaration to the woman, certain people from the home of Jairus/Yair came to tell him to not trouble the master any longer because his daughter had just died. To these statements, Jesus responds by telling Jairus/Yair to not be afraid, only believe.

This is important to the rest of the story. It was forbidden for a rabbi or priest to touch a dead body and remove his state of cleanliness.

Through no fault of His own, but in the sight of all, He became unclean.

When Jesus reached Jairus house, He was told that the girl was dead. Jesus states the she is only asleep and they laugh Him to scorn, Mark 5:40. Why did He make this statement? Because He wanted them to know she was dead and He was going in. 

Jesus did not allow anyone to follow beyond that point except for Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.

“But when He had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with Him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.”Why was He able to go into the room with a dead girl? The dead are considered to be unclean, and going into the same room with a dead girl and touching her would have made Jesus unclean. However, Jesus was already unclean due to the touch of the woman with the issue of blood. Then the passage tells us that, “He took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.

The Greek says talita coum!   Then included is a statement saying: which is translated, girl I say to you rise, or maid arise (kjv) or, my child get up (niv). The Greek word translated maid, or child, is talitha, the Greek spelling of tallit. Coum is the Hebrew word for rise, or get up.

The translators tell us it means “damsel, arise” but If the statement “talitha cumi” really meant, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise, why was it left untranslated? Something was said in that room that caused Jesus/Yeshua to instruct them to tell no man what was said or done!

Verse 41 in Hebrew (transliterated English):

Hu achaz eth yadah shel hayahda veamar eleyha talitha qumi shetargunno maarah qumi ani omer lach

The interpretation of this verse is: “He grasp hand belonging to the girl and said, elyha, talitha arise, is interpreted, young girl get up, I say to you.”

Notice that two words have been left un translated in this verse.

This is because it is difficult to translate the proper understanding of the two words (eleyah tallitah) into English. Without an understanding of these two words, it is impossible to clearly see what was happening here. It is because of the presence of these two words that Jesus/Yeshua told them not to tell anyone what had happened.

“He grasp hand belonging to the girl and said..

This is a strange interpretation of this word. The normal way to express “to her” in Hebrew would be, (shelah) and not (eleyah). Even if one chooses not to use the Hebrew word “(shelah) to indicate “to her” (othah) could be used. (Eleyah) could in very rare situations be used to mean “to her.”

However, it was considered to be a Holy word.

(Eleyah) is a compound word. (El) is a name for God.

We see this is such compound words as El-Shaddai (God the source, porvider, breast) or Bethel (house of God). Therefore, (eleyah) is the abbrevidated form of “yodh, hey, vav, hey ” the proper name of God (Yaweh). Therefore, (eleyah) is a combination of two of the names of God. In fact, these same four letters with different vowel markings means God is Jehovah. Considering the belief that the Jews held concerning the use of the name of God (eleyah) would hardly be used to indicate “to her.”

(Please keep reading, a conclusion will be made shortly.)The next word to be considered is (tallita). We know by the interpretation that tallita cannot mean girl, young girl, or maiden (see Hebrew above).

So what is being said here?

It cannot be as simple as Damsel, l say unto thee arise.

So to put these two words in the proper context we will restate the verse with the direct translation. “He grasp hand belonging to the girl and said “God speaking to (female under) tallit, get up.”

Jesus was speaking as God.

He was not speaking to the tallit but to the girl under the tallit.

This is understood by the feminine ending on the word tallit.

Could it be possible that Jesus was proclaiming Himself to be God?

That is precisely the point.

Jesus was also making the statement that He had perfectly performed the Law of the Fringe and was the person spoken of in Zechariah 8: 23,

“Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you. “

This was a messianic passage of Scripture.

Jesus was in fact, declaring Himself to be the Messiah.

What Jesus/Yeshua actually said was more like –

Girl in the Tallit, God says arise!

This is why He said not to tell what had happened.

The people knew she was dead and would just as surely know she was now alive. What He did not want them to know as yet was the fact that He walked, lived and functioned on earth as God and in fact was God! He knew it and those in the room knew it, but He did not want anyone else to know it at that point in time.It is clear that Jesus/Yeshua was wearing a talitt at the time because of the reference to it regarding the woman with the issue of blood and it would seem that Jesus/ Yeshua used His prayer shawl in the raising of Jairus daughter.

We have another indication of this very idea in Deuteronomy 8:2-3 when He told them to give the little girl something to eat.

 ” And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. “

Was Jesus making reference to this verse when He gave the instruction for the little girl to be fed? She had already been provided with spiritual food, (raised from the dead), and now it was time to give her physical food.

Tallit a Kum

Some Greek texts say coumi, the feminine form, which is the correct word for this verse, since talitha it’s a feminine noun. There is an Aramaic word similar to talitha that was taken for talitha. That is talyetha instead of talitha in all the manuscripts.

We know that His use of the tallit in this miracle would have been appropriate and would have been understood by those with Him.Jesus would have been speaking Hebrew, so the word talit is the closest word to the Greek transliteration.

This purports to be a translation of talita coum (in Hebrew is ‘prayer shawl rise’) and must have been added by a well intentioned translator or copier who did not understand. They mistook talitha, which is the Greek spelling of the word tallit for the Aramaic talyiata, meaning young woman.

Some scholars say in that case He would have placed his prayer shawl over the girl, then spoken to the prayer shawl. There is another Aramaic word that some say is the correct word for this verse. It is taly’tah, meaning lamb. This would have had Jesus address her as lambkin, which is not an unreasonable assumption.

Coumi would also be the correct verb because it is the same in Aramaic and Hebrew.

There is also a reference to people bringing ‘handkerchiefs’ and ‘prayer cloths’ for Him to pray over and they were a point of contact to take to those too sick to travel. Lost in translation, these were no doubt the traditional prayer shawls/tallits.

Rabbinic training is required to make prayer shawls. Paul, Priscilla and Aquilla had this kind of training. Acts 18:2, 3 Making prayer shawls is an occupation that Paul could have pursued in any area without having to take with him various tools and supplies as he travelled. So this is very likely prospect.

The Greek word skenopoioi translated prayer shawl makers or tent makers, is not found anywhere else in Scripture or in secular Greek writing. Perhaps Luke coined the word or possibly skenopoioi was used by Greek speaking Jewish people when speaking of making prayer shawls. Jewish men referred to the prayer shawl as a tent or prayer closet because it was placed over their head to shield the eyes while praying.Another reference to the prayer shawl, often overlooked, is in Matthew 25:35, 36. The verse says and I was poorly clothed and you clothed me. The Greek word for you clothed is periebalete, referring to putting on the outer garment, which would have been the prayer shawl of a Jewish man.

Ancient and modern

The fact that it was just the outer garment to be put on, shows that the person had not been naked, as some translations say, but the stranger was poorly clothed. The fact that it was a prayer shawl indicates that the person who gave the garment ministered to the spiritual needs of the stranger while also meeting their material needs.

1 Corinthians 11:15 is another reference to the prayer shawl. This Greek word is peribolaiou, which means wrapper or covering, something thrown around; in reference to a garment.   Deuteronomy 22:12 says, you will make for yourself fringes upon the four corners of your covering, prayer shawl, with which you cover yourself.

Though the word translated covering, is k’sootkha, and means simply, ‘ your covering’. There are no alternative meanings for k’soo(t) ( the kha suffix is the pronoun your). In the Septuagint peribalou is the word used to translate k’soo(t) in Deuteronomy 22:12.

In light of this, Paul was probably saying that women were given long hair instead of a prayer shawl.

But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. 1 Cor. 11:15

The word k’soot-ho, meaning ‘ his covering’ is used in Exodus 22:26 where it shows the use of this large garment as a blanket.

These are just some ofInterestingly, in the English language the only difference between tough and touch is a g or a c. When you are having a tough time, remember that as many as touch the hem were made well. Many say they trust God but have never pressed in to know Jesus nor understand what He did for us the cross. Press in to touch the hem of His garment to both get through and to transform your tough time.

Shalom!