Q:I was reading a book that referenced the "true" meaning of the colors in the temple I.e. Scarlet, blue, purple and white. The author believes that these colors were a foreshadow of "Jesus." That the white linen represented the righteousness of Christ, blue represented Him being with the Father from the beginning therefore He is the heavenly one; purple represents the royalty and kingship of Christ and scarlet represents His sacrifice. I would like to know more about the real meaning of the colors and if they do or do not point to Jesus?
Zalman Kravitz at Jews for Judaism
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A: The Torah prescribes a blue dye called "techelet" to be used as one of the strings on the Tzitzit, and also used for dying priestly garments. (see Exodus 25:4 and Numbers 15:38)
What is Techelet?
Techelet was a bluish color, obtained from the fluid of a sea creature called the chilazon (Tosefta Menachot 9:6). It is found on the coast of northern Israel, though there is a disagreement among scholars regarding what the chilazon actually is. Some say it is a snail, others say a squid, and some claim it is another type of mollusk.
What is the Deeper meaning?
There are many mystical lessons that are taught about the techelet thread. The Midrash says, "Whoever observes the mitzvah of tzitzit is considered as if he greeted the Divine Presence, for techelet resembles the sea, and the sea resembles the sky, and the sky resembles God's holy throne." (Sifrei – Shelach) Thus the techelet thread is a method of gaining the highest levels of spirituality. In a similar manner to all of the commandment, we do them to express our personal relationship and connection with God.
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