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The Prayer Shawl for a bar mitzvah is a major part of Jewish culture. For five thousand Years, the Jewish people has strived to uphold the laws of the old testament. These mitzvahs (laws) provide the guidelines necessary to lead a Torah observant lifestyle.

Of all the Jewish rituals and customs prescribed in the bible, the bar-mitzvah is probably the one observance(law) that is most widely recognized amongst all sects of Judaism; reformed, conservative and orthodox Jews all celebrate a Jewish boy's transition into manhood at the age of thirteen. When a boy becomes a bar-mitzvah he receives a prayer shawl (tallit) that he wears when he prays. All prayer shawls have one commonality: each of the prayer shawl's four corners contain the Tzizis (specific fringes with intricate knots). The hebrew word tallit has a numeric value (according to gematria) of 613, representative of the 613 mitzvahs (laws) which are commanded to be performed daily.

The bar-mitzvah boy dons his newly acquired prayer shawl during his ceremony wherein reads the weekly sabbath portion for the entire congregation to hear as well as teaches a related lesson that reflects personal meaning and inspiration. Although the four fringes on each corner of the rectangular prayer shawl are universal; the style, color, design, size and material can vary widely. Those aspects of the prayer shawl are a matter of personal choice and cultural preference.

Black and white striped prayer shawls (tallies) made of wool are the most traditional styles. Cotton, silk, linen or polyester fabrics with multiple colors and artistic designs are more typically seen amongst less conservative Jewish men. The prayer shawl is the most commonly bought gift for a thirteen year old bar-mitzvah boy. It is usually purchased by the boy's parents or grand parents because of its symbolic representation of manhood. The bar-mitzvah boy often assists his elders in choosing the type of prayer shawl he prefers since it is a personal ritual object that he will likely wear throughout his lifetime. Often both sets of the boys grandparents will purchase the prayer shawl together so it will carry their combined sentimental value.

The prayer shawl is the most common bar mitzvah gift since it is a required ritual object in order to accurately perform the ceremony of entering adulthood's responsibilities to ones community. The prayer shawl is commonly bought together with a matching fabric tallit bag that may have the bar mitzvah boy's hebrew name embroidered on. In addition, the prayer shawl is accompanied by a skullcap(yarmulke) that serves to cover the young man's head in reverence for G-d.

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