SISITH. - "Fringes" which, together with the gèdhilim ("tassels"), the Israelites attach to the corners of their outer garments (Num. 15:37-41); the blue cord, with which the fringe of each corner must be attached, must remind them of the commandments of the Lord. Deut. 22:12 enjoins the gèdhilim at the four extremities of the cloak.

The use is very ancient; to us it seems to be a remnant of knot-writing. The blue was perhaps meant (so the ancient rabbis held) to recall the sky. It was a custom rigidly inculcated by the Pharisees (Mt. 23:5). In the diaspora people began to wear a special little garment with s. under the outer garments, reserving s. and stripes of blue color for the mantle (talèth) to be worn during public prayers. The blue cord was abolished, because originally it was of purple color obtained from a worm, an industry that had fallen into disuse.

Bibliography3 works

BIBL.: H. Cazelles, Les Nombres (La Bible de Jérusalem), Paris 1952, p. 82; id., Le Deuter., ibid. 1950, p. 90; H. L. Strack - P. Billerbeck, Kommentar zum Neuen Text. aus Talmud u. Midrasch, Munich 1922-28, see index.

Eugenio Zolli

@incollection{ec11_sisith, author = {Zolli, Eugenio}, title = {Sisith}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {XI}, pages = {762}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1953}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/sisith} }

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