The other day I was watching a Christian preacher on tv using a Jewish prayer shawl, also he was trying really hard to get us at home to buy these things.  It got me thinking because after studying Judaism for awhile I thought that someone at some point didn’t realize that there was more to the spiritual application of these items and not just for physical show.  First what they wear is called a tallit.  It is a garment that has four corners with fringes in it.  There is also a blue thread in it.  Deu 22:12 “Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself.”  I was wondering what your thoughts were on the spiritual meaning of this particular garment.  I understand if you don’t have time to answer, either way thanks for your time.  God bless
 D____ 

Hi D____,
To be honest with you, I am not at all familiar with that part of Judaism. I am aware that Christ accused the Jews of His day of adding to and taking away from the law.

Mar 7:8  For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

To take Deu 22:12 and make it say ‘a prayer shawl’ seems to be just such an item. Here is that verse in the King James version:

Deu 22:12  Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself.

“Thy vesture wherewith thou coverest thyself” is a ‘prayer shawl?’ Here are a few other translations of that verse:

(BBE)  On the four edges of your robe, with which your body is covered, put ornaments of twisted threads.

(CEV)  And when you make a coat, sew a tassel on each of the four corners.
(Darby)  Tassels shalt thou make thee on the four corners of thy clothing, wherewith thou coverest thyself.

I have over thirty translations, and not one of them calls this a prayer shawl. I can understand a shawl being considered as clothing, but I fail to see any scripture which give this verse any special connection to the act of prayer.
The point being made is that this is a garment that covers our nakedness, and it is not to be a garment made of mixed materials as the three verses immediately preceding verse 12 demonstrate.

Deu 22:9  Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled.
Deu 22:10  Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.
Deu 22:11  Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woolen and linen together.

Mixing amounted to “defiling,” and God will not have a people who are defiled with all sorts of false doctrines that bring all sorts of abominable  thoughts out of our hearts.
I see the Hebrew word for fringes is used one other time in the Old Testament in reference to “seven chains” that are to hang around the “chapiters” of the temple of Solomon. Both no doubt typify Christ being completely around [“seven chains”] and in His whole [“four sides”] Church.
I hope this is of some help. Rest assured that you and your family are in our prayers.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike