Black belt – Ask the Rabbi
Q. Why does a chassid put that black belt on when he is praying?
A. The “gartel” (a Yiddish word deriving from “girdle”) is intended l’havdil bein kodesh l’chol – “to distinguish between holy and profane”.
Some also associate it with the priest’s girdle in ancient Israel, since we are all part of a “kingdom of priests and a holy people” (Ex. 19:6).
