Mark 5:21, 24-25, 27-29 NIV

[21] “When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 

[24] So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him. [25] And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years…

[27] When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, [28] because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” [29] Immediately, her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.”

This beautiful story, so packed with symbolism and meaning, is often robbed of its significance if we do not understand the “tallit”.

The Israelites were simple in their understanding and use of language. They did not function in abstracts. They expressed their thoughts in pictures of everyday life. The things they saw, did, and used formed the basis of their understanding of spiritual truth. Hence, for example, God was, to them, not some elevated,  invisible Being with attributes of wisdom, grace, etc…however we, with our westen-orientated philosophical minds perceive God, but the one who was  “el”.  In their language, “el” was illustrated by an ox head and a shepherd’s staff, symbolising the one who had strength and authority.

So, God used “pictures”, symbols to teach them spiritual truth. In the early days of God’s association with Israel, He instructed His people to sew tassles, “tzitzit”, on the corners of their outer garment to remind them of the place of God’s “Torah” in their lives.

Google explains…

“In the Bible, tassels (Hebrew: tzitzit) are a tangible reminder of God’s commandments for the Israelites, symbolizing obedience, covenant, and their unique identity as God’s holy people. Worn on the corners of their garments, these fringes with a blue cord were a constant visual prompt for the Israelites to remember and obey God’s laws rather than follow their own desires.”

In Jesus’ day, the outer garment, called the “tallit”, was a kind of all-purpose poncho, used as a covering by day and a blanket at night which eventually devolved into a prayer shawl.

Google again,

“In the Bible, the tallit refers to a fringed garment, also known as a shawl or mantle, worn by Israelites to serve as a reminder of God’s commandments. The concept originates from God’s instruction to Moses to have the Israelites attach fringes (tzitzit) to the corners of their garments to remember God’s laws, as found in Numbers 15:37-40.’ “

Each tassel had five knots, symbolising the five books of Moses, and four spaces, reminding them of the four letters, YHWH, in God’s name.

The corners of the garment “kanaph”, on which the tassels were attached, were known as “wings”… so, Malachi prophesied that …

Malachi 4:2 NLT

[2] “But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings (Hebrew, “kanaph”). And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.”

Now, let’s put this explanation into our story of the woman with the bleeding problem. Probably with Malachi’s prophecy on her heart, she wanted to touch the tzitzit on thae “kanaph” of Jesus’ tallit, believing she would be healed…

…so it happened, exactly as she believed! Her action was not some random idea that, if she touched Him because of His reputation as a healer, she would be healed. She placed her faith squarely in God’s word, believing that Jesus was the one Malachi prophesied to be “the Sun of Righteousness” who had healing in His 

Notice how Jesus responded to her action. He called her, “Daughter!” and linked her standing in Israel to her faith. 

Mark 5:33-34 NIV

[33] “Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. [34] He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Jesus recognised her as a member of the children of Israel, a true daughter of Abraham because…she believed in the truth of God’s word. 

This is a clear teaching of Scripture…

Galatians 3:26, 29 NIV

[26] “So in Christ Jesus, you are all children of God through faith… 

[29] If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Gods Word is never a hit-and-miss record of events but a carefully-woven tapestry of God and people, every detail a part of the whole. How important, then, that we read it all, trusting the Holy Spirit to be our Supreme Teacher, tying every detail together to give us understanding and to grow our faith in the author of this infallible and divinely-inspired book.