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Newsletter #3: Ziv 2011 (Second Month of the Scriptural Year)
e begin this, the second month of the Scriptural year, with anticipation of the possibility that we may soon experience a rare Pentecost observance. It appears very likely that Pentecost, at least counting to it the way we personally believe our Creator intends for us to, will fall on Sivan 5 this year. This would be the first time in our 24 years of observing the feasts that Pentecost would fall on the fifth day of the third month. As some of you may be aware, many Bible students still teach that if we count to Pentecost from the morrow after the "high day" Sabbath of Abib 15, then Pentecost will "always" fall on Sivan 6. "Why, then," they ask, "do these folks (such as June and me) even bother counting the 50 days if Pentecost will 'always' fall on the same day of the month year after year?!" Well, in our 24 years of counting to Pentecost, it has fallen on Sivan 7 three times. It actually fell on Sivan 7 two consecutive years (2007 and 2008). Never mind that little fact, they seem to insist, why do you bother counting the 50 days to Pentecost if it will always fall on Sivan 6?! LOL!! It is so strange that, in spite of our having observed three Sivan 7 Pentecosts, we continue to read this same worn-out question year after year. We're wondering how many more times we'll read this same thing this year. If you would like to read our detailed study explaining our understanding of how we believe our Heavenly Father wants us to count to Pentecost, please click here. June, Colista and I were blessed to see the second new moon marking the start of the Scriptural month referred to as "Ziv" in the Bible. The Hebrew month Ziv is known as the month of flowers (see word #2099 in Strong's Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary). While we know that many folks still get excited about seeing the new moon, June and I have observed that over the years people tend to exhibit less and less zeal. We're not trying to point any fingers because we know that we, too, have experienced a loss of excitement, but that is by no means meant to justify our behavior. We believe our Creator wants us to be excited about seeing that beautiful sign in the sky each month. Many months we don't get to enjoy that privilege because it's too cloudy, so when we do get to see it, we should be overjoyed! Back in the early 90's, we would drive 70-100 miles just to look for the new moon with friends. With the rising price of gas, that is no longer feasible; however, we can still use the new moon as an excuse to stay in touch with fellow believers who share our zeal. A few years ago, I called a fellow believer to let him know we had spotted the new moon; instead of sharing our excitement, he somewhat stoically informed me that he had forgotten to look for it that night, adding that he might step outside and look for it. Ugh. I felt like I had interrupted him, creating more of a nuisance of myself than an opportunity for us to share a few moments of jubilation. I don't fault him for forgetting to look ... we're all human and sometimes we do need those reminders, but if I feel as though I have inconvenienced someone with my new moon report, I will cross them off of my "call list"! Of course, there is no way we are going to call 20 or more people to report the new moon sighting, but there is still a way for us to put together a call list (or "chain") of sorts that will allow us to better stay in touch with each other. If you would like to be a part of that, drop us a line and we'll see what we can work out! We like visiting different locations to see the new moon, and this time we drove to the local DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) station, where I took a picture of the new moon with a DART train in the foreground. Here is the photo: 
Should Women Wear
Tassels?
by Larry Acheson
June and I authored a study on this topic back in the year 2000. Titled "Wearing Fringes: Are they for believers today?" our study consisted of a response to a fellow believer who teaches against wearing tassels and in fact, in an ironic twist, insists that we are sinning by wearing them. You can read our study by clicking here. A side topic related to this issue involves the question of whether or not women should wear tassels. From time to time we see this question raised, and a fellow believer, a woman, recently posed us this very question. From my perspective, since the human race is inclusive of women, and since women are also capable of forgetting to do things, they should also wear tassels. In this month's newsletter, I would like to share our friend's question, along with our response. Here is her question:I have your booklet, but it did not answer my questions. So here they are. There is no doubt in my mind that men are to wear them. We have Yeshua's example. My problem is with the word "ben," which can be translated: sons, daughters and children. The problem often is what understanding the translators have. I have looked into this and there are scriptures where the word "ben" clearly has to be translated "sons" because it only applies to the duties carried out by men. When the word is translated "children" it refers to both. There is no example, I know of, where a woman wore them. The scripture in Num. 15:37-41 could have been translated: Speak unto the SONS.... If that had been done, would we [i.e., women] obey that? Now to the little boys. How soon do they start wearing them? We know we don't attach them to diapers. The reason they are worn: ... YOU may "look" upon them and remember all the commandments.... So they are for YOU, why do they need to be seen by others? Also, now that the Holy Spirit is given, and the commandments are written on our hearts, why do we need an outward sign? Sometimes women's clothes are made so they can not be attached to a dress, for instance. I think that sums it up. I cannot wear them until this is cleared up for me. But I also don't want to miss something. Please help if you can.1 What follows is the response I sent to our friend:I appreciate your questions. First, I am glad you have no doubt that men are to wear tassels (tzizits). We are in agreement! :-) Secondly, I personally believe that you answered your own question when you wrote, "We have Yeshua's example." Yeshua is indeed our Example. Of course, Yeshua is male, so the question is this: “Is His example of obedience when it comes to wearing tassels an example for men only or does it apply to both men and women?” Please don't get me wrong. I understand that there are some laws that are specific to males as opposed to females. I trust we both understand the how's and why's of these gender-specific laws. The question, then, is this: "Is the law of the tzitzits a gender-specific law?" The answer to that question has been debated by Jewish rabbis as well as Christians. The very fact that ancient Judaism debated this issue suggests something of importance to me that I believe merits serious consideration: If even those ancients couldn't agree on whether or not this commandment includes women, shouldn't we err on the side of safety? To put it another way, since I presume that we all share the same goal of pleasing Yahweh, and since we agree that the Hebrew "ben" can be inclusive of females, and since it certainly involves remembering to obey Yahweh’s commandments, and since women are just as prone to forgetting as men are (no offense intended), then how could a woman possibly displease the Almighty by deciding to wear tassels? In fact, wouldn't Yahweh be honored by a woman who wears tassels as a show of faith in His Word? Of course, I am male, so I cannot speak for women. We obviously cannot help being male or female -- I leave that up to Yahweh. That having been said, I will frankly state that if I were a woman, I would wear the tassels. Of course, as a man, I wear the tassels with the understanding that most men do not wear them, and I do not feel that it is my place to pass judgment on those who do not share my view. I usually wear my tassels as a "tallit katan," which is worn underneath my garments, not because I'm ashamed to be seen wearing tassels (as some have implied over the years), but because I am aware of some negative sentiments that have been directed at those who openly wear tassels and of how some folks consider those who openly wear them to be "weird." Rather than deal with such a negative, misappropriated and misconstrued first impression, I prefer to share my view with others in a more private setting. You might say that I prefer the subtle approach as opposed to the "show and tell" approach. [UPDATE: I changed this stance in 2013. I now wear tassels on the outside of my garments.] People who get to know me will soon find out that I wear tassels, and in this society, that is how I personally prefer for others to find out that I wear tassels. I like to start slow. For example, it usually starts with sharing with someone that June and I keep the Sabbath. If they pursue a discussion, they will soon find out that we don't eat pork or seafood, we keep the feasts, things like that. The thing is, they find out about these things as a result of asking me questions, not from me "tooting my horn," so to speak. My former manager was a "question box" of sorts, and he would ask me all kinds of questions about my faith. On one occasion, he told me that he appreciated my approach and how I wasn't like someone else he had met who paraded his beliefs before others in a "holier than thou" manner. My guess is, the person my manager referred to probably didn't intend to convey a "holier than thou" approach -- but that is how he was perceived. It is SO EASY to be mis-perceived and hence, misunderstood. I try to avoid being misunderstood. If we lived in an open society where it was understood that those who obeyed Torah wore tassels, I would definitely wear my tassels on the outside. As it is, hardly anyone even knows why an individual would choose to wear tassels, unless it's for decoration. Anyway, I felt I should offer you this explanation of why I don't normally wear tassels on the outside of my clothing because, just as outsiders may get the wrong impression if I do wear them on the outside, those who are Torah observant sometimes get the wrong impression if I don't! [UPDATE: As mentioned above, I changed this stance in 2013. I now wear tassels on the outside of my garments. Nevertheless, I'm retaining the above explanation for those who feel more comfortable wearing the tassels under their garments, as I respect both perspectives. You can read my reasoning for wearing tassels on the outside in our study "Wearing Fringes: Are They for Believers Today?"]. You wrote, "There is no example, I know of, where a woman wore them." I reply: This reminds me of an article I read where the author essentially wrote the same thing that you wrote above. The thing is, in his extensive article, the only example he could provide of where a man wore them was the example of Yeshua and the woman who touched the hem (tzizit) of His garment. My reaction: Well, OF COURSE Yeshua wore the tassels! He is our Example! I would believe that Yeshua wore the tassels even if we didn't have the Hebrew text of Matthew to refer to (where the Hebrew word "tzizit" appears). But you know what? Even if someone could provide half a dozen or more passages where men wore tassels, would this prove that women did not? Of course it wouldn't! What we need is a verse of Scripture stating that women did not wear them, and there is no such verse that I'm aware of. You also wrote: "The scripture in Num. 15:37-41 could have been translated: Speak unto the SONS.... If that had been done, would we [women] obey that?" I reply: The problem lies not with the Hebrew text, but with our English language, where we clearly make a distinction between "sons" and "daughters." At the same time, when both "sons" and "daughters" are included in the reference, we often use the gender-neutral term "children." In other words, if a couple has a son and a daughter, they would not say, “We have two sons.” They would say, “We have two children.” In Hebrew, there is no gender-neutral choice that can be selected. Even though the couple has both a son and daughter, they have to say, “We have two ben.” Do you know any Spanish? If you do, this might help you to better understand the problem with languages. In Spanish, if I make a reference to a male friend, I use the word “amigo.” If I refer to a female friend, I use the word “amiga.” If I refer to a group of friends that consists of 99 females, but just ONE male, I must use the word “amigos.” That’s just the way the Spanish language works. So if I were to say, “My friends live in Dallas,” I would say, “Mis amigos viven en Dallas,” even though only one of those friends is a male. The person I’m talking to might think that half of my friends are male and half are female, not having any idea that only one of my many friends is a male! If I were to want to convey to the person I’m talking to that only one of my friends is male, I would need to specify this to him or her. I would have to clarify my remark something like this: “Tengo 99 amigos, pero sólo uno es hombre.” (I have 99 friends, but only one is a man). In Spanish, the term “amigos” could easily be construed as exclusively referring to male friends. In English, we have the advantage of a gender-neutral term such as “friend,” which can be used to refer to either men or women. The Spanish don’t have that luxury, which is why they would have to clarify that only one of the 99 friends is male. It’s the same with the term “ben” in Hebrew. It can collectively refer to 99 females and 1 male. I hope you get my point, which is this: If Yahweh truly wanted us to understand that females are excluded from wearing tassels, I am persuaded that He would have made a stipulation similar to the circumcision law:. Something like this: “Every male (zakar) dwelling among you shall wear tzizits.” Since He did not, if I were a woman, I would find myself wondering, “Why didn’t Yahweh specify that only the males (zakar) are to wear tassels?” Why did He choose a term (ben) that can be used to refer to both males and females? There is something else that I believe we need to consider: In Deuteronomy 22:12, the command to wear tassels is repeated, which in and of itself speaks for how important this law is to Yahweh. However, please take a look at the preceding verse (v. 11), where it says, “Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, of woolen and linen together.” Notice that the topic of verse 11 is CLOTHING! And no one questions the fact that “Thou” is a reference to both men and women. Then, in verse 12, we read: 12Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself. Since it is a “given” that the “Thou” in verse 11 is a reference to both men and women, why should we question who “Thou” refers to in verse 12? On a side note, is it just a coincidence that verses 11 and 12 are both about clothing? Moving along, you wrote the following: “Now to the little boys. How soon do they start wearing them? We know we don't attach them to diapers.” I reply: Of course, no child under the age of two would understand why his parents are making him (or her) wear tassels, but if that’s the way the parents want to do it, then more power to them! Another thought is to not require the child to wear tassels until they have reached what is commonly referred to as “the age of accountability.” Strangely, June and I never mandated that our children wear tassels; yet, they began wearing them on their own when they realized that this is an expectation of Yahweh. Maybe we used the wrong approach, but I personally am not inclined to tell you or anyone that you need to wear tassels (even though I do believe you should!). In the course of studying Scripture, if we become persuaded that we should obey the Torah, we eventually come face-to-face with Numbers 15:37-41 and Deuteronomy 22:12. When I read those two passages, I am persuaded that they were put there for a reason – to help us to remember to obey, which in turn can only result in blessings. Yahweh wants to bless His children, so I cannot imagine Him putting in a commandment such as this that can be carried out by both men and women unless He expected both men and women to follow through on the directive. If you do not feel that you should wear tassels … if you are not convicted to wear them … then that is your decision to make, just as it is your decision to obey or disobey any other commands. In the same way, if we teach our children to obey Torah, they will one day be confronted with these verses, and it will be their decision to make. As our children matured, I personally hoped that they would decide to obey the commandment to wear tassels, but even if they hadn’t made that decision, I would still love them. You wrote: “The reason they are worn: ... YOU may ‘look’ upon them and remember all the commandments.... So they are for YOU, why do they need to be seen by others?” I reply: I agree with your observation here. YOU are the only one who needs to see them. I have a commentary that a man shared with me some 20 years ago that I may let you in on one of these days. His commentary had to do with the importance of the individual who wears the tassels being the only one who REALLY needs to see them. You wrote, “Also, now that the Holy Spirit is given, and the commandments are written on our hearts, why do we need an outward sign?” I reply: First of all, I believe I answered this question in the “Answers to Objections” section of our study “Wearing Fringes: Are They For Believers Today?” Secondly, couldn’t a non-Sabbathkeeper ask the same question in reference to Sabbath observance? Isn't Sabbath observance an outward sign of our faith? Finally, you wrote: “Sometimes woman's clothes are made so they can not be attached to a dress for instance.” I reply: Well, June is a little like me in that she often wears the tassels under her outer garments. However, we are acquainted with women who only wear dresses and they have various ways of affixing the tassels. If you wish, we can put you in contact with a woman who does this. I hope this helps you! While I’m sure I made my opinion on this matter clear, at the same time I hope I made it equally clear that we are not out to pass judgment on anyone. I want to point out that you might see me at an assembly somewhere and conclude that I don’t wear tassels. While you would be mistaken, at least I am not persuaded that you would think any less of me. On the other hand, someone else would see me and reach the same conclusion (that I don’t wear tassels), but judge me as a disobedient rebel. That person, like you, would be mistaken about whether or not I wear tassels, but I would rather consider someone like YOU as being a friend as opposed to the person who judged by appearance. I hope you understand what I’m trying to convey here! Whatever you decide, I wish you Yahweh blessings! Love in Messiah, LarryHello Larry, I am sorry to be such a pest... I looked at the Jewish Encyclopedia (do you know it's now available online) for related articles and it seems that the Jews, the ones that should know, state that the way these fringes were attached, was to male's clothing. If you want to I can send you these articles. Then I thought about "asking the Rabbi." I am sending you his reply. I don't understand his reasoning, it's not about the word "ben" according to him. Can you explain to me what it is that he says? I know he clearly states it's not for women... Larry, I have been baptized since 1977, I have never had a problem putting away wrong things and doing what Yahweh's commands. But I have been struggling with this subject for a long time. I cannot do it until I fully understand. My son and his wife do not have a problem with this but I do and two more ladies in our group do also. I feel bad about this, I want to be obedient in every thing, but I have to understand. Is that wrong? Please be patient with me. Thank you for trying to help. Shalom, your sister2 Here is the "Ask the Rabbi's" response that my friend forwarded me: (I have blocked out her name): 
Thank you once again for touching base. I do appreciate your hesitancy to wear fringes because I agree that we should not just "dive in" to anything without thoroughly checking it out first. So long as you are earnestly seeking the answer with all your heart, then you should feel free to ask any and all questions that come to your mind. I will state here that I feel I thoroughly checked this teaching out back in 1987, which is when I first began wearing the tassels. When I first began wearing them, I was taught that it is a command that is reserved for men only. At first, I accepted that answer, as did June. Later, we were challenged by a well-studied brother who politely explained that the command is not restricted to men. I knew he was mistaken, so I determined to prove him wrong. As you know by now, I was the one who (now) feels he was proven wrong. I realize you lean towards believing that I had it right in the first place. Nevertheless, nothing you have written to this point has served to persuade me that women should not wear tassels. Here are the primary areas of concern, which I do not feel you have addressed: 1) Why didn’t Yahweh specify that only the males (zakar) are to wear tassels? Why did He choose a term (ben) that can be used to refer to both males and females? 2) Are only men prone to forgetting to obey Yahweh's commandments? Do women not need to be reminded? 3) Presuming that women really are not commanded to wear tassels, would Yahweh be offended if a woman, in ignorance, thought that this commandment applied to her and began wearing tassels? 4) Why is this particular example that was set by Yeshua one that is not appropriate for women to follow? 5) How can we know that none of the pious matriarchs of old wore tassels? 6) How can we know that any of the pious patriarchs of old wore tassels?' 7) Why would a woman feel uncomfortable about wearing tassels? About the response to your "Just Ask the Rabbi" question: Like you, I do not understand his reasoning. The reason I do not understand his reasoning is because, to me, it is nonsensical. Keep in mind that he is basing his answer on the Talmud. According to Menachot 43a, Rabbi Simon exempted women from wearing tassels because he considered Numbers 15:37-41 to be "a positive mitzvah limited by time and from all positive, time bound mitzvot women are exempt.” Is that reasoning even SUPPOSED to make sense?? Hmmmm, let's see if I can apply Rabbi Simon's understanding to other "time-bound mitzvot" -- Isn't the Sabbath a positive, time-bound commandment, too? Should women be obligated to observe the weekly Sabbath? I hope you don't mind my suggesting that we stick with Torah and be leery of men's interpretations of it. The Talmud is a commentary/interpretation of Torah. I value the Talmud for its historical value, but that is it. I also value the articles in the Jewish Encyclopedia, but if the authors of its articles regard the command of Nu. 15:37-41 to be for men only, does that make it so? On what basis? As I mentioned in my previous e-mail, ancient Judaism debated as to whether or not women were included in the commandment to wear tassels. This means that there were ancient Jews who agreed that women were included in that command. Other ancient Jews, as we also know, disagreed. It is up to us to determine which group was correct. I have already formed my conclusion. Would you like to read what a modern-day woman believer has to say about this topic? Here is the link to a study the Torah for Women website:3 http://www.torahforwomen.com/can-women-wear-tzitzit.html You are very kind in asking me to be patient with you. I try to always be patient, but I do occasionally need to be reminded to be patient, and if I ever demonstrate otherwise, please, please let me know. Based on the way you present yourself, if I ever demonstrate impatience with you, then I will need a gentle reminder about how we're supposed to bear the fruits of the spirit, one of which is patience. Feel free to give me that reminder as needed. May Yahweh bless you as you continue in service to Him and His Son. Love in Messiah, Larry & June
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This is the name of our Creator, Yahweh, sometimes called the Tetragrammaton. It is given here in (A) the Phoenician script, (B) the Ivrit Kadum (Paleo-Hebrew) script, and (C) the Modern Hebrew script (a stylization of Aramaic).
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