The tallit katan is worn on the body under or over one’s shirt. The tallit gadol, by contrast, is a large, rectangular cloth that is much larger than the tallit katan. One wraps himself in this tallit during the morning prayers.

One dons a tallit katan after rising from sleep. If this is already at the time when one can recite the blessing, he recites the following:

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who sanctified us through His commandments, and commanded us concerning the mitzva of tzitzit.”

The blessing over the tallit katan and, likewise, the blessing over a tallit gadol (see below), must both be recited while standing, to show honor for the mitzva.

Many do not recite a blessing when donning a tallit katan if later that morning they will recite a blessing over a tallit gadol.

The tallit gadol is the garment which a person wraps around himself for the morning prayer service. One wears a tallit gadol in order to honor the prayers with a special garment.

One wraps himself in the tallit gadol before donning the tefillin [phylacteries]. The custom of most Ashkenazic communities is that men begin to wear a tallit gadol when they get married. By contrast, for Sephardic Jews it is accepted that one dons a tallit gadol from the time of his bar mitzva. Women are exempt from tzitzit, in accordance with the general rule that they are exempt from time-bound positive mitzvot.

The manner of wrapping the tallit around oneself varies greatly from one community to another, and even from one family to another in the same community. One who was instructed by his father or knows his family custom should follow that practice. Likewise, one who was taught by his rabbi should act accordingly. But in general, the customs can be divided between Ashkenazim and Sephardim, as detailed below.

Before wrapping oneself in a tallit, it is customary to separate the strands of the tzitzit from one another and check that none are torn or missing. It is easiest to do this while the half-folded tallit is lying on one shoulder with all its fringes dangling forward. During this examination, some have the custom, especially among the Ashkenazim, to recite the following verses:

“Bless the Lord, my soul. Lord my God, You are greatly exalted, You are clothed in splendor and glory. Enveloping with light as if with a cloak, He spreads out the heavens like a tent cloth” (Psalms 104:1–2).

Before wrapping the tallit, some have the custom to say a formula that begins with the words: Leshem yihud, “for the sake of the unification,” which can be found in some prayer books.

Afterward, one holds the upper part of the tallit, which in most cases is adorned with an embroidered strip, with the tallit spread out in front of his face such that its outer side (the side that is visible from the outside while the tallit is worn, and which has the strip sewn onto it) is facing him, and in this state he recites the blessing:

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who sanctified us through His commandments, and commanded us to wrap ourselves in tzitzit.”

Next, one turns the tallit around to behind his back, raises it over his head, and wraps it around himself.

As stated, there is a difference between Ashkenazim and Sephardim regarding the manner of wrapping:

Ashkenazic Custom:

According to the Ashkenazic custom, one places the tallit over his head, with its upper (decorated) edge covering the forehead to the level of the eyes. Some are strict that this upper edge should cover the eyes and even the whole face. Then one moves the four corners of the tallit forward, above the height of the elbows (see step 3 in the image), while the shoulders are also covered by the tallit together with the head, until near the elbows. Now one brings the four corners together and throws them backward, over the left shoulder. At this stage, some have the custom to cover their face with the tallit, while others, on the contrary, maintain that the face should remain visible (see step 4 in the image).

One stands in this manner for a few seconds, while reciting the verses:

“How precious is Your kindness, God; men take refuge in the shadow of Your garment. They are sated by the rich fare of Your House; You give them to drink from the stream of Your delights. For the source of life is with You; through Your light we see light. Extend Your kindness to those who know You, and Your righteousness to the upright of heart” (Psalms 36:8–11).

After the wrapping, one arranges the tallit in its proper place, on the head and shoulders.

There are also several methods with regard to placing and arranging the tallit on one’s body, and each person should choose the method he prefers. Most people wear the tallit this way: The two lower corners, together with the majority of the tallit, hang behind the head, covering one’s back and legs. The two upper flaps are placed on the shoulders, covering the front of one’s chest, on either side of the neck, the right to the right and the left to the left.

Sephardic Custom:

According to the Sephardic custom, one also places the tallit over his head, with its upper edge covering the forehead to the level of the eyes. Then one moves the entire cloth of the tallit forward, so that both sides are dangling from the shoulders on both sides of the neck, two corners hanging from the right shoulder and the other two from the left shoulder (see step 3 in the image). Next, one takes the part of the tallit that is hanging on the right side and tosses it back over the left shoulder, so that it envelops the neck and chin, but not the eyes and the rest of the face (see step 4 in the image). Now one grasps the corners of the tallit that are hanging down from the left shoulder and throws them, too, behind the left shoulder (step 5 in the image).

One stands in this manner for a few seconds, and then arranges the tallit to its normal position, resting on the head and shoulders (see below) and recites these verses:

“How precious is Your kindness, God; men take refuge in the shadow of Your garment. They are sated by the rich fare of Your House; You give them to drink from the stream of Your delights. For the source of life is with You; through Your light we see light. Extend Your kindness to those who know You, and Your righteousness to the upright of heart” (Psalms 36:8–11).

There are those who add other verses, which can be found in some prayer books.

For both Ashkenazim and Sephardim, some have the custom to leave the top of the tallit on their head throughout the prayer service. Others do so only during the Amida prayer or perhaps also during the recitation of Shema. Another custom is that those who are not yet married do not place the tallit on their heads at all.

If one removed the tallit with the intention of wearing it again, as, for instance, if he goes to the bathroom in the middle of the prayers, he does not recite a blessing when he puts the tallit on again. But if he took off the tallit without intending to put it on again, or if the prayer shawl simply fell off his shoulders, he must recite the blessing once again when he puts it back on.

One wraps himself in a tallit before donning the tefillin.

In the case of tzitzit or a tallit that has become worn out, one must treat it with respect and not use the fabric for sewing other clothes. It should not be placed in the geniza, the repository for discarded religious items, together with holy books, but rather it may be wrapped in a double covering and discarded in the garbage.