FRINGE OF THE GARMENT, an appendage worn by the Israelites on the edges and especially at the corners of their robes. It was originally enjoined on them by Moses, in accordance with divine direction, as a memento of God's conirmIndinents, which they were required continually to obey: Num. xv. 38-41.• Originally this fringed or tasseled garment was the large outer one; but after the Jews were scattered abroad in other lands, and persecuted therein, wishing to conceal rather than display their nation ality, they wore their fringes on a smaller inner robe. This is often called simply " the fringes," and is worn by every orthodox Jew. Many of them wear also a fringed out ward garment during their attendatice on morning prayer. As the wearing of this fringe was an external act of obedience, easily performed, the Jews gradually attached more and more importance to it, and, forgetting that it was simply a reminder of duty, they at length regarded it as, in itself, the one great duty which included all others. In the Talmud one rabbi asks another, " Which commandment has your father admonished you to observe more than any other?" and the answer is: "The law of the fringes."
Seine of the rabbins say that this law is as important as all the other laws put together;" that " whoso diligently keeps it is made worthy, and shall see the face of the majesty of God ;" and that "when a man, clothed with the fringe, goes out to the door of his habi tation, he is safe. God rejoiceth, the angel of death departeth, and the man shall be delivered from all hurt." Knowledge inordinate importance so generally ascribed to the mere appendage of a dress illustrates clearly the force of the Savior's judgment concerning the Pharisees, "All their works they do to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the fringes of their garments." It explains also the fact, that, in the opinion of the people, the hem"(properly fringe) of Christ's garment represented the fullness of the power which, they believed, dwelt within him; so that a woman in the throng around him secretly touched the fridge of his garment, and many other persons begged the privilege of touching it, as being all that they needed to do in order to be healed.