On the importance of Tzitzi'ot

"'Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them throughout their generations fringes in the corners of their garments, and that they put with the fringe of each corner a thread of blue. " (Bamidbar/Numbers 15:38)

A fellow Blogger told a story the other day about the importance of wearing tzitzi'ot (fringes).

The story inspired me, not only to start wearing tzitzi'ot myself on a regular basis (i.e every day) as opposed to when I remember or when I feel comfortable wearing them (yes, yes, SHAME on me, violating Torah and all...) it also inspired me to look at WHY I grew lax on fullfilling this mitzvah.

Fear.

Fear of being identified as Jewish, fear of shaming Torah, because I often fail to live up to it's standards, fear of attracting attention in a non-Jewish area, where I am often harrased for being Jewish.

The story inspired me to look at the Mitzvot of Torah (Commandments) not at tasks that have to be fullfilled, because that's what a Jew is supposed to do, but as something that is tied in with Life itself. Wearing tzitzi'ot literally saved the life of the man in the story. And even if I don't think I will ever have to rely on my tzitzi'ot that way - it probably will help me improve my life as a Jew and as a person. And isn't that what observing Torah is all about?

Betterment of self.

Shalom!