מִנְהָגֵנוּ בִּלְבִישַׁת טַלִּית גָּדוֹל: מַנִּיחִים הַטַּלִּית גָּדוֹל מְקוּפָּל עַל כָּתֵף יָמִין וּבוֹדְקִים הַצִּיצִית. בְּשַׁעַת הַבְּדִיקָה אוֹמְרִים בָּרְכִי נַפְשִׁי גו'. אַחַר כָּך לוֹקְחִים הַטַּלִּית מִן הַכָּתֵף, פּוֹשְׁטִים אוֹתוֹ, מְנַשְּׁקִים שְׂפַת הַטַּלִּית, מַחֲזִיר אוֹתוֹ מִכְּנֶגֶד פָּנָיו לַאֲחוֹרָיו וּמַתְחִיל בִּרְכַּת לְהִתְעַטֵּף בְּצִיצִית, סִיּוּם הַבְּרָכָה סָמוּךְ לִכְרִיכַת בּ' כַּנְפוֹת יָמִין סָבִיב צַוָּארוֹ לַאֲחוֹרָיו בְּצַד שְׂמֹאל.

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

Our custom in putting on the tallis: The folded tallis is placed on the right shoulder [with the four tzitzis in front], and one checks the tzitzis while reciting [the two verses beginning] Barchi nafshi.1 The tallis is then unfolded and opened wide. After kissing its [upper] edge, it is swung around from the position in which it is held in front of the worshiper until it is hanging behind him. At this point the blessing lehisateif betzitzis is begun, and it is completed2 as one is about to bring the two right-hand corners of the tallis in front of the neck and over the left shoulder.3 [Thus all four tzitzis are now on the left side, two in front and two behind.]

Probing Beneath the Surface

The Divine “light” that animates the universe — the creative energy that at every instant brings it into being from a state of nothingness4 — is diffused in two modes. In the language of the Kabbalah, one is called or makkif, a transcendent (lit., “encompassing”) light, and the other is called or pnimi, an immanent (lit., “indwelling”) light. Borrowing the wording of the Zohar, the teachings of Chassidus also use a parallel pair of terms. Thus, or makkif is also known as sovev kol almin (“that which encompasses all the worlds”), and or pnimi is also called memaleh kol almin (“that which fills — i.e., permeates — all worlds”).

These two modes of Divine influence reflect the two ways in which our material world constitutes G‑d’s dwelling. By virtue of the immanent light known as memaleh kol almin, every existent entity may be perceived as a revelation of G‑dliness. By contrast, the light that is known as sovev kol almin transcends the entire framework of finite existence. Nevertheless, it too can become manifest in our world, and in that way, bring the world in contact with G‑d’s infinity.

For example, as is taught by the sages of the Kabbalah, the flow of Divine light that the mitzvah of tzitzis draws down upon a person is an or makkif — a light so transcendent and unworldly that it cannot be vested within our souls. But when we enwrap ourselves in the tallis, we indicate how we are entirely engulfed on all sides by this downward flow of Divine light.