Hayom Yom 5 Elul - Our custom in putting on the Tallis

The daily Hayom Yom with Rabbi Yosef Katzman

מִנְהָגֵנוּ בִּלְבִישַׁת טַלִּית גָּדוֹל

Our custom in putting on the tallis:

מַנִּיחִים הַטַּלִּית גָּדוֹל מְקוּפָּל עַל כָּתֵף יָמִין וּבוֹדְקִים הַצִּיצִית

The folded tallis is placed on the right shoulder [with the four tzitzis in front],

בְּשַׁעַת הַבְּדִיקָה אוֹמְרִים בָּרְכִי נַפְשִׁי גו

and one checks the tzitzis while reciting [the two verses beginning] Barchi nafshi.

אַחַר כָּך לוֹקְחִים הַטַּלִּית מִן הַכָּתֵף

The folded tallis is placed on the right shoulder [with the four tzitzis in front],

פּוֹשְׁטִים אוֹתוֹ

The tallis is then unfolded and opened wide.

מְנַשְּׁקִים שְׂפַת הַטַּלִּית

After kissing its [upper] edge,

מַחֲזִיר אוֹתוֹ מִכְּנֶגֶד פָּנָיו לַאֲחוֹרָיו

it is swung around from the position in which it is held in front of the worshiper until it is hanging behind him.

וּמַתְחִיל בִּרְכַּת לְהִתְעַטֵּף בְּצִיצִית

At this point the blessing lehisateif betzitzis is begun,

סִיּוּם הַבְּרָכָה סָמוּךְ לִכְרִיכַת בּ' כַּנְפוֹת יָמִין סָבִיב צַוָּארוֹ לַאֲחוֹרָיו בְּצַד שְׂמֹאל

and it is completed as one is about to bring the two right-hand corners of the tallis in front of the neck and over the left shoulder. [Thus all four tzitzis are now on the left side, two in front and two behind.]

(עַיֵּין שְׁאֵרִית יְהוּדָא, אוֹרַח חַיִּים סִימָן א, דִּבְרֵי נְחֶמְיָה, אוֹרַח חַיִּים סִימָן ט).

(see Sheiris Yehuda, Orach Chaim ch. 1, Divrei Nechemia, Orach Chaim ch. 9).

Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English

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