Conference taveng::bagels

    Ramon,
    
    If you tell us where you are situated, I may be able to put you on to
    someone locally.
    
    Jonathan

    Jonathan:
    
    I am in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  In this area, there is unfortunately
    a dearth of available Judaica.
    
    Ram�n

Any large Hebrew book store could ship Israeli tallit/tefillin to you.
I believe the vast majority of tefillin sold in the US are made in Israel,
but most tallitot (we always called them talleisim, but isn't it feminine?)
are made in the US.

I know that the Israel Book Shop in Boston ships all over.  I don't know
their 800 number, but they're at (617) 566-7113.  Perhaps a New Yorker can
post numbers for NY seforim stores (Eichler's, Stavsky's, etc.)

Somebody who works at the Israel Book Shop told me that someone from the
southwest ordered a shofar about a week before Rosh Hashana.  They were
told that it probably wouldn't arrive in time for the holidays.  The
customer couldn't understand this.  It turned out they were talking about
different holidays.

>Any large Hebrew book store could ship Israeli tallit/tefillin to you.
>I believe the vast majority of tefillin sold in the US are made in Israel,
>but most tallitot (we always called them talleisim, but isn't it feminine?)
>are made in the US.

Nit:

"tallis" = Yiddish; plural = "tallisim"
"tallis" = Askenazic pronounciation of Hebrew; plural = "tallisos"
"tallit" = Sefardi/Israeli pronounciation of Hebrew; plural = "tallitot"

	:-)

don

    Ramon,
    
    Sorry it took me so long to get back to you - better late than never.
    
    I asked my father-in-law to make some enquiries for me.
    He came up with the following:-
    1. There is a Conservative synagogue and rabbi in Albuquerque, who may
    be able to help you initially.
    2. There is an Orthodox synagogue and rabbi in Santa Fe (which I
    understand is reasonably close to Albuquerque).  There is also a mikva
    (ritual bath) in Santa Fe.
    3. The closest place with bookstores and a place where you could 
    purchase tallit and teffilin yourself would be Denver, Colorado.
    
    If it has special significance for you to get the tallit and teffilin 
    from Israel, please tell me and I'll see what can be done.
    
    Two things - be prepared for an outlay of several hundred dollars
    for a kosher (authentic) set of teffilin and tallit.  And, try
    to take someone knowledgeable with you to ensure you are buying
    the real thing (and not teffilin with photostats inside them instead of
    the prescribed parchment written by an authorized sofer (scribe)).
    
    Regards,
    
    Jonathan Wreschner

    I have a mail order catalog which you can presumably get a copy of by
    calling their 800 number (800-426-2567) which contains such items as a
    "Deluxe Tefilin and bag set ... the finest Israeli parchments", from a
    place called Hamakor Judaica.  Their customer service number is
    708-966-4040.
    
    Subscribe to the Jerusalem Post and you too can get on every mailing
    list in the universe....
    

>    I have a mail order catalog which you can presumably get a copy of by
>    calling their 800 number (800-426-2567) which contains such items as a
>    "Deluxe Tefilin and bag set ... the finest Israeli parchments", from a
>    place called Hamakor Judaica.  Their customer service number is
>    708-966-4040.
    
	Hamakor is a "reasonable" mail order place, but they are not
	observant folk.  I personally would not buy, and would not
	recommend to others, buying tfillin, talitot, etc. - anything 
	I was going to do a mitzvah with - that way.  I would demand 
	a lot more personal contact.  On the other hand, Hamakor is
	great for books, records, needlepoint kits, mezzuzah *covers*,
	art-Judaica, a Shabbos bread tray, etc., etc.

	(I bought my own tfillin direct from the sofer.  I was able to pick
	between a number of scrolls to get the highest quality, which I wanted;
	*then* I picked out the beitim (the boxes).  IMHO, this is the
	ideal way to do this.  Second best, if you can't do it personally,
	is to have someone who knows the halacha, and whom you trust, do it 
	for you. And generally, IMHO, most stores don't come under this 
	heading.  There is no reason to do the mitzvah with pasul tfillin.)

don feinberg

    I recently purchased a tallit that doesn't have the shamash.  Does
    anyone know why a tallit would be made today without the shamash?  Are
    there places that will put the shamash on for you?
    
    thanks,
    Mike

>                                  -< shamash >-
>
>    I recently purchased a tallit that doesn't have the shamash.  Does
>    anyone know why a tallit would be made today without the shamash?  Are
>    there places that will put the shamash on for you?

Could you please clarify your question as I believe that you have mixed up some
terms.

If indeed you are referring to a Talliot, then I am not aware of the fact that
the Tallit has a "shamash"; perhaps you mean the fringes. 

If indeed you are referring to the lack of a "shamash", then you probably mean
that you purchased a Menora for Chanukah, whic by all means should have 8
regular lamps and a ninth lamp which would be the "shamash".

Thanks,

Cb.

>If indeed you are referring to a Talliot, then I am not aware of the fact that
>the Tallit has a "shamash"; perhaps you mean the fringes. 
    
    I was under the impression that the Tallit should have a Shamash (blue)
    cord on it's tassles according to Numbers 37-41.  The Shamash cord is 
    supposed to be used to make the windings.
    
    Mike
    
Numbers 15:37-41 
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in
the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put
upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:
And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember
all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your
own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:
That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.
I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your
God: I am the LORD your God.

    Right, however, the fish that this dye came from is unknown to us so 
    there is no blue cord anymore and hasn't been for a very very long
    time.
    
    

>    
>    I was under the impression that the Tallit should have a Shamash (blue)
>    cord on it's tassles according to Numbers 37-41.  The Shamash cord is 
>    supposed to be used to make the windings.
>    
>    Mike

OK. I've never heard this referred to as a "Shamash". 

Basically you are correct. There should be a "blue" fringe used to wind around
all the other 7 fringes. The die used to color this fringe must come from a
fish which is named "Chilazon". However, there is a problem of whether or not
we know exactly which fish is a "Chilazon". Most authorities are of the
oppinion that we do NOT now know which fish this is; therefore we cannot have a
"blue" fringe. There are several Chassidic sects who disagree and maintain that
they "discovered" the "Chilazon" and are able to reproduce the die that is
required.

For this reason, you will find that just about every Tallit which is sold with
the fringes already attached will NOT have a "blue" fringe. 

I would assume that you could easily acquire a Tallit without the fringes
attached and purchase a set of fringes which contain four "blue" colores
fringes (the 4 longer fringes used for winding). 

Thanks,

Cb.

    The last report I've seen (February '94) from the Temple Institute in 
    Jerusalem, it was mentioned that they are searching for a Murex snail. 
    I thought it might have been found by now so I was interested in
    updating my tallit to be genuine.
    
    It is believed this is what was used to make the Levitical blue and royal 
    purple colors for the priestly vestments.  Supposedly it takes the
    blood of 12,000 Murex snails to make 1.4 grams of the blue dye.
    
    There will be another Jerusalem Temple Conference this coming February. 
    It appears this is the month that the Temple Institute provides the
    updates.  Other news from the last conference: 
    
    - Over 200 priests are presently in training.  
    - Almost all of the required implements have been fabricated by the 
      Temple Institute.  
    - Semi-automatic looms are weaving the linen for the priestly vestments.  
    - Ground-penetrating radar and infrared recordings are being used to find 
      the precise foundations of the original Temples.  
    
    The preparations continue despite the political uncertainties.  
    
    Mike