The ''gartel'' is a

belt Belt may refer to: Apparel * Belt (clothing), a leather or fabric band worn around the waist * Championship belt, a type of trophy used primarily in combat sports * Colored belts, such as a black belt or red belt, worn by martial arts practit ...

used by

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 ...

males, predominantly (but not exclusively)

Hasidim Ḥasīd ( he, חסיד, "pious", "saintly", "godly man"; plural "Hasidim") is a Jewish honorific, frequently used as a term of exceptional respect in the Talmudic and early medieval periods. It denotes a person who is scrupulous in his observ ...

, during

prayer Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified ...

. "Gartel" is

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...

for "belt". The word comes from the same source as

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

" Gürtel", which is also cognate with the English "

girdle A belt, especially if a cord or rope, is called a girdle if it is worn as part of Christian liturgical vestments, or in certain historical, literary or sports contexts. Girdles are used to close a cassock in Christian denominations, including th ...

", and "

girt In architecture or structural engineering, a girt, also known as a sheeting rail, is a horizontal structural member in a framed wall. Girts provide lateral support to the wall panel, primarily, to resist wind loads. A comparable element in roof ...

". The vast majority of those that wear a Gartel during prayer are Hasidic Orthodox Jews; a smaller number of non-Hasidic Haredim, mostly Lithuanian Jews who emigrated to

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

in the late 18th to early 19th centuries called

Perushim The ''perushim'' ( he, פרושים) were Jewish disciples of the Vilna Gaon, Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, who left Lithuania at the beginning of the 19th century to settle in the Land of Israel, which was then part of Ottoman Syria under Otto ...

. Gartels are generally very modest in appearance. Most are black, but some gartels are white, possibly to be used on some special occasions such as

Yom Kippur Yom Kippur (; he, יוֹם כִּפּוּר, , , ) is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. Primarily centered on atonement and repentance, the day' ...

, and cost more than black counterparts of the same width. Gartels are composed of multiple strings, anywhere from four to over forty in number. Hasidic custom requires that there be a physical divide between the

heart The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide to t ...

and the

genitalia A sex organ (or reproductive organ) is any part of an animal or plant that is involved in sexual reproduction. The reproductive organs together constitute the reproductive system. In animals, the testis in the male, and the ovary in the female, a ...

during any mention of God's name. It is commonly explained that separating the upper and lower parts of the body manifests a control of the animal instincts of the person by the distinctly human intellect. Additionally, donning a ''gartel'' is a preparation for prayer, in accordance with the line "Prepare to meet your God, O Israel" in the Biblical verse,

Amos Amos or AMOS may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Amos Records, an independent record label established in Los Angeles, California, in 1968 * Amos (band), an American Christian rock band * ''Amos'' (album), an album by Michael Ray * ''Amos' ...

4:12 (

Shulchan Aruch The ''Shulchan Aruch'' ( he, שֻׁלְחָן עָרוּך , literally: "Set Table"), sometimes dubbed in English as the Code of Jewish Law, is the most widely consulted of the various legal codes in Judaism. It was authored in Safed (today in I ...

O.C. 91:2). The Mishnah Berurah (91:5) states that any waistband is adequate for the first requirement; however for the second requirement more is needed, which the gartel fulfills. Hasidic authorities maintain that a regular belt or the waistband of trousers do not suffice to fulfill this requirement, and that a designated sash is to be used. Other authorities maintain that other modifications, such as donning a formal hat and jacket, suffice to fulfill the second requirement of preparation for prayer, as long as the first requirement is fulfilled. Some Hasidic groups such as Skver and

Belz Belz ( uk, Белз; pl, Bełz; yi, בעלז ') is a small city in Lviv Oblast of Western Ukraine, near the border with Poland, located between the Solokiya river (a tributary of the Bug River) and the Richytsia stream. Belz hosts the adminis ...

wear the gartel all day as part of their regular attire. A gartel is also used by some Hasidim for a Mitzvah tantz.{{cite web, url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/153331, title=Nadvorna Rebbe Passes Away, Burial Today on Mt. of Olives, last=Queenann, first=Gavriel, date=March 1, 2012, access-date=March 19, 2012, work= Arutz Sheva

References

Hasidic clothing Jewish religious clothing Belts (clothing)