You must stand both while putting on the tsitsis and saying the beracha. (ShA1)
Don’t walk four amos without tsitsis. (MB1)
Hold the tsitsis in your hand and say the beracha just before putting them on. Look at the tsitsis when saying the beracha. (MB2 – ShA siman 24/3)
Draw the tallis down over your head to your mouth – throw all four corners to your left shoulder and stand that way for the amount of time it takes to walk four amos. (MB4 Rashi Nidda 5b)
Don’t remove your kippa from under your tallis. (MB4)
The tallis should be over your head from the beginning of tefilla until the end – this subdues your heart and brings you to more yiras shomayim. Cover the tefillin shel rosh, but not completely. (MB4)
A bochur does not cover his head with a tallis. (MB4)
When saying a beracha on a tallis katan – it is best to do ittuf and to say the beracha “…le’hisatayf be’tsitsis” (with a shva under the ב) – then wear it normally. (ShA3 – MB 7,10)
Put the two tsitsios in front of you and two behind you so you’ll be surrounded by mitzvos. (ShA4)
Make a siman to always keep the two front tsitsios in front. (MB9)
You should always answer omayn to all berachos. There is a greater chiyuv to answer omayn to a beracha that you need and someone is being motzi you. (MB 15)
On a tallis koton, the bracha is “…al mitzvas tsitsis” if you do not do ittuf. Bedieved, “al mitzvas” is good for a tallis gadol and “lehisatayf” is good for a tallis koton. (MB17)
To say a beracha, the begged should measure at least 3/4 ama square (36cm) both in front and in back. The better conduct is to measure a whole ama (57.6cm) front and back. The neck hole does not count. (MB17)
If the tsitsis become a little entangled, do not separate them on Shabbos. (ShaT8)
Separate the strings all the time. At least untangle them before the beracha. (ShA7 – MB18 -BeH “tsarich”)
During the ittuf have in mind to fulfil the mitzva and to remember to do all the mitzvos. (ShA8)
When donning tefillin also keep in mind that it’s a reminder to always learn Torah. For sukka also keep in mind that it’s a reminder that Hashem protected us upon leaving Egypt. (MB19)
Inspect the tsitsis before the beracha. Even a begged that you won’t say a beracha on (e.g. tallis koton for one who wears a tallis gadol) inspect before wearing it in the morning. (MB22)
Inspect above by the hole as well – over there, even one broken string renders the tsitsis invalid. (MB21)
If you are rushing for tefilla betzibbor or to go up for an aliya it is still proper to inspect the tallis as much as possible while rushing. But if you are borrowing someone’s tallis, don’t worry about it. (MB22)
If you inspect the tsitsis just before putting them away then it isn’t necessary to inspect them again the next morning. (MB22)
While making a beracha on the tsitsis that you are wearing already, feel the tsitsis during the beracha. (ShA10)
Proper conduct when wearing a tallis gadol, is to say the beracha having in mind to exempt (include) the tallis koton as well. (MB24)
The Ari z”al writes to wear the tallis koton under a garment – but the tsitsis should be hanging out unless you are among non-Jews. (MB25)
If you remove your tallis with specific intent to wear it again immediately, do not say another beracha on it. (Rama14-MB37)
If you remove your tallis koton to bathe, the minhag is not to say another beracha upon redressing. It is better to have in mind when you say the beracha in the morning, that the beracha will terminate when you remove the tallis koton for the bath – then, when redressing you can say another beracha according to all opinions. (BeH “v’yaish”)
If you remove your tallis with intent not to wear it again, the beracha is terminated. If you change your mind to wear it right away, say a new beracha. (MB38)
If you remove your tallis with no intent at all, the beracha terminates unless you are still wearing a tallis koton or you are in the middle of daavening. (MB38)
If the tallis fell off of your torso accidentally (even if it is still on your arm) you must say a new beracha when putting it back on. (ShA15 – MB41)
If it fell off during Shemoneh Esray and someone put it back on you – when you finish the Tefilla feel the tsitsis and say a new beracha. (MB 40)
If you sleep at night with your tallis on you’ll have a doubt whether or not to say a beracha in the morning. Only say a beracha on another tallis having in mind the one that you slept in. (MB42)
If you sleep at night with your tallis on, you’ll have a doubt whether or not to say a beracha in the morning. Say a beracha on another tallis having in mind the one that you slept in. (MB42)