Wearing a thin scarlet or a crimson string (

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

: חוט השני, ''khutt hashani'') as a type of

talisman A talisman is any object ascribed with religious or magical powers intended to protect, heal, or harm individuals for whom they are made. Talismans are often portable objects carried on someone in a variety of ways, but can also be installed perm ...

is a

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

folk custom which is practiced as a way to ward off misfortune which is brought about by the "

evil eye The Evil Eye ( grc, ὀφθαλμὸς βάσκανος; grc-koi, ὀφθαλμὸς πονηρός; el, (κακό) μάτι; he, עַיִן הָרָע, ; Romanian: ''Deochi''; it, malocchio; es, mal de ojo; pt, mau-olhado, olho gordo; ar ...

" (

: עין הרע). The tradition is popularly thought to be associated with

Kabbalah Kabbalah ( he, קַבָּלָה ''Qabbālā'', literally "reception, tradition") is an esoteric method, discipline and school of thought in Jewish mysticism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal ( ''Məqūbbāl'' "receiver"). The defin ...

and religious forms of

Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in t ...

. The red string itself is usually made from thin scarlet

wool Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. ...

thread. It is worn as a

bracelet A bracelet is an article of jewellery that is worn around the wrist. Bracelets may serve different uses, such as being worn as an ornament. When worn as ornaments, bracelets may have a supportive function to hold other items of decoration, suc ...

or band on the left

wrist In human anatomy, the wrist is variously defined as (1) the carpus or carpal bones, the complex of eight bones forming the proximal skeletal segment of the hand; "The wrist contains eight bones, roughly aligned in two rows, known as the carp ...

of the wearer (understood in some Kabbalistic theory as the receiving side of the spiritual body), knotted

seven 7 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 7 or seven may also refer to: * AD 7, the seventh year of the AD era * 7 BC, the seventh year before the AD era * The month of July Music Artists * Seven (Swiss singer) (born 1978), a Swiss recording artist ...

times. The person has to knot it seven times while saying the kabbalah bracelet prayer.

In relation to traditional beliefs

Red strings around the wrist are common in many folk beliefs; for example the ''

kalava A kautuka is a red-yellow coloured ritual protection thread, sometimes with knots, found on the Indian subcontinent. It is sometimes called a ''kalava'', ''mauli'', ''moui'', ''raksasutra'', ''pratisara'' (in North India), ''kaapu'', ''kayiru'' or ...

'' is a Hindu version. There is no written mention in the Torah, Halacha, or Kabbala about tying a red string around the wrist. It seems to be a custom that has been around since at least the early 1900s.

Biblical history

A scarlet thread, tied about the wrist, is mentioned in

Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...

38. Tamar becomes pregnant by her father-in-law, Judah, and gives birth to twin boys. The following verses about this event are taken from the King James Bible:

Modern trend

Today in Israel, it is common to see elderly women peddling scarlet thread for pilgrims and tourists, especially in the Old City of

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

. Outside of Israel in the late 1990s the red string became popular with many celebrities, including many non-Jews including Madonna and her children, Leonardo DiCaprio, and

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

, and later by Ariana Grande. The wider popularity is often linked to

Philip Berg Philip S. Berg (original name Feivel Gruberger, he, שרגא פייבל; August 20, 1927 – September 16, 2013) was an American rabbi and dean of the worldwide Kabbalah Centre organization. Berg was a great populariser of Ashlagian Kabbalah. ...

Kabbalah Centre The Kabbalah Centre International is a non-profit organizationworldwide located in Los Angeles, California that provides courses on the Zohar and Kabbalistic teachings online as well as through its regional and city-based centers and study groups ...

. It also gained a surge in sales for Madonna according to editors of '' Changing Fashion: A Critical Introduction to Trend Analysis and Cultural Meaning'' (2007).

References

Book sources

External links

Explanatory

Beliefnet: Why the Red String?

Teman, Elly. 2008. "The Red String: A Cultural History of a Jewish Folk Symbol
" in: Bronner, Simon J. (ed.), Jewishness: Expression, Identity, Representation, Inaugural volume in book series on Jewish Cultural Studies, Oxford: Littman Library of Jewish Civilization.
Ask the Rabbi: Red Strings

Critical

* ttp://www.laitman.com/2008/10/practical-kabbalah-has-no-use-for-red-strings/ Michael Laitman: Practical Kabbalah has no use for red strings {{Amulets and Talismans Amulets Bracelets Kabbalah