Talleisim for bochurim

In the past, before גזירות ק"ט , in Minhag Rhinus as well the bochurim wore a tallis, and this was stopped in the time of גזירות ק"ט (most likely because of the poverty at that time, and the high cost of a tallis then).

The Chavos Yo'ir, Chasam Sofer and Rav Hirsch restored the Minhag of bochurim wearing a tallis once the economic situation improved in Germany (and all of Western Europe), and that is why in our days this Minhag is practiced by all Jews of western Europe.

Michael FRBSH

In the book Maharil, the following words are brought:
בארץ מולדתי בריינוס נוהגין שגם נערים גדולים אין מתעטפין בציצית עד שנושאין אשה, וסמכוה להך דכתיב "גדילים תעשה לך" וסמיך ליה כי יקח איש אשה
Translation: In Rinus one does not wear a Tallis until he is married, because of a Drosho of Smuchim - the Posuk of wearing a Tzitzis is just before the Posuk of getting married.

The book Maharil was not written by the Maharil, it was written by a Talmid, based on the Droshos the Maharil gave. The Maharil's son mentions that some of the things the Maharil said as Droshos were not intended to be printed, and were said "בדרך דרוש". This Drosho of smuchim is not brought by anyone else as a reason for not wearing the Tallis, but is brought much before the Maharil as a source of using a Tallis for the chupoh in the wedding (as seen in Shorshei Minhag Ashkenaz volume #3, page 435 and on). The Maharil added in Derech Drush in his Drosho that this could be an explanation for starting to wear a Tallis after the wedding, but this definitely is not an Halachic reason.

Michael FRBSH

Many thanks for this important point. As you mentioned, the Drosho of Ki Yikach etc. is from the Talmid of the Maharil who wrote the book, and is a quote of Rabbonim in Rhinus. This Drosho was not the reason the Tallis was not worn, most likely the reason the Tallis was not worn by Bochorim was because of its high price, and the Drosho may have been an explanation why to choose the wedding as a time one should make an effort in any case to have a Tallis.

Michael

Whoever can afford it economically, buys a Tallis for his children even before the Bar Mitzvoh.

FRBSH

In KAYJ there are many children who wear Talleisim much before they are Bar Mitzvoh.

Michael

There were times when only married men wore a Tallis (as mentioned above), later the Minhag of Bochurim wearing Talllis was restored, and later also boys before Bar Mitzvoh wore a Tallis, but definitely the Tallis was not worn before the age of קטן היודע להתעטף.

Michael FRBSH

The Mogen Avrohom (siman ח , seif koton ג ) is midayeik from the Gemoro in Kiddushin (daf כט) that an unmarried bochur should not cover his head with the tallis, and from the gemara in Kiddushin (daf ח) that someone who isn't a Talmid Chochom shouldn't cover his head even if he is married.

In Ashkenaz this Mogen Avrohom wasn't followed (they learned differently in the Gemoro in Kiddushin), and in the Yeshivoh of the Chasam Sofer the unmarried bochurim covered their heads with the tallis.

It is quite surprising that those following the Polish Minhag do not follow the second part of the Mogen Avrohom, although they do follow the first part.

As Steven wrote, today unmarried bochurim commonly will wear a hat, as opposed to putting the tallis over their head, and this is the Minhag in KAYJ and in Rav Hamburger's shul too (only married men cover their heads with it).


Michael FRBSH