What's the deal with Judaism and blue?

Have you noticed that when stores want to indicate that a product is "Jewish," they'll often feature a blue color theme?

And that the Israeli flag is blue and white?

The color blue isn't just a branding aesthetic in Judaism.

The Rabbis teach that:

"Blue resembles the sea, which resembles the sky, which resembles G-d's throne of glory."

The Hebrew word for this blue color is "techelet/s."

I heard this idea from R' Meir Goldvicht shlita as a teenager, and I still think about it often:

This word techelet/s is etymologically related to some other words:

Kol: meaning all or everything

Tachlit/s: meaning purpose or plan

Kollel: meaning to include or contain

The sky and the water are the visible outline of our physical world which is governed by G-d's glory.

The blue colors of these expanses symbolize the "everything" and everyone that's included and contained within the boundaries of our existence and planet, which were designed and gifted to us by G-d in order for us to fulfill our individual and collective Divine purpose.

This is why the tzitzit/s garment worn by Orthodox Jewish men and referenced in the daily Shma prayer traditionally had/s blue strings, as a visual cue and reminder of global unity and this universal purpose of fulfilling G-d's will.

Perhaps this is also why humans are so naturally moved and inspired by gazing at the sky and the ocean- our souls intuit this mystical symbolism, and yearn for connection to each other, to purpose, to G-d Himself, as we meditate about what's beyond the here and now.

Praying that on this Yom Ha'Atzma'ut, the day when G-d gifted us back our homeland after so many years of prayer, we see the growth of ultimate salvation for our hostages, the nation, and the world.

For more content like this, please join us here: elishevaliss.com/newsletter