Tallit: The Atara

Many individuals attach an "atara," a decorative border or frame, to the top of their tallit. In addition to its beauty, often consisting of silver ornaments and artistic embroidery, the atara also serves to ensure that the tallit is worn the same way every time. This is because the tzitzit strings which are worn in the front and those which are worn in the back should not be interchanged. The presence of an atara allows one to quickly identify which way the tallit should put on.  Some individuals choose to reserve an atara for the tallit which is worn on Shabbat. Indeed, one is advised to reserve a more beautiful tallit for Shabbat use than that which is worn throughout the week.[1]

Atarot come in a number of different designs. Sometimes they are merely modest pieces of embroidery. Other atarot include pictures and scriptural verses inscribed on them. Yet others are extremely fancy, as well as costly, often being made out of silk,[2] gold, and silver. Many authorities praise the latter variety of atarot, declaring them to be a fulfillment of "this is my God and I will glorify Him",[3] a principle which teaches that all our mitzvot should be performed in as beautiful a manner as possible.[4] Some people have the custom to kiss the atara on their tallit prior to putting it on.[5]

The preference for a tallit to always be worn in the same direction is derived from the assembly of the Mishkan. We are taught that the boards, which formed the walls of the Mishkan, were required to be assembled in the same position each time the Mishkan was erected. This is because boards which were positioned closer to the Holy of Holies were imbued with more holiness than those which were positioned further away.[6] Similarly, the tzitzit which are positioned in the front of one's tallit for all to see are said to be imbued with more holiness than those which are at back. So too, the portion of the tallit which is worn over one's head is holier than the portion which hangs closest to the floor.[7] Ultimately, however, one is not truly required to wear one's tallit in the same manner each time[8] although as a general rule it is always preferable to keep consistent in the performance of mitzvot.[9]

It is interesting to note that placing an atara upon one's tallit is actually subject to some surprising opposition, as well. The Arizal writes that there is essentially no need whatsoever to ensure that one's tallit is always worn in the same direction, and therefore there is no real need for an atara.[10] Furthermore, it is argued that a parallel cannot be drawn from the positioning of the boards of the Mishkan to the wearing of a tallit. It is explained that the reason the boards had to be assembled in the same position each time was because each individual board was considered to be an independent entity which served a specific purpose. A tallit, however, it is considered to be a single entity in its entirety. As such, there would be no need to distinguish between up and down or front and back.

There is also a concern that the widespread use of elaborate atarot may lead ignoramuses to believe that the most important component of a tallit is the atara. This, of course, is not true, as it is the tzitzit strings which one must be most concerned about.[11] Yet other authorities, who are of the opinion that a tallit should always be worn in the same manner, suggest that some kind of sign be made on the inside of a tallit for this purpose rather than using an elaborate atara.[12] There is a custom in some Chassidic communities to also place some sort of silver decoration in the center of the tallit, as well.[13]

[1] Magen Avraham 262:2

[2] Magen Avraham O.C. 8:6, Shulchan Aruch Harav O.C. 10:9

[3] Shemot 15:2

[4] Shabbat 133b, Bava Kama 9b, Shir Hashirim Rabba 1:15

[5] Minhag Yisrael Torah 24:1

[6] Yerushalmi Shabbat 12:3

[7] Olat Tamid to O.C. 10:9, Levush to O.C. 10:11

[8] Magen Avraham O.C. 8:6

[9] Chatam Sofer O.C. 28

[10] Shaar Hakavanot, Tzitzit, Shulchan Aruch Ha'arizal

[11] Aruch Hashulchan O.C. 8:10

[12] Aruch Hashulchan O.C. 8:10

[13] Minhag Yisrael Torah 8:5