Tefillin

Order of wearing Tefillin

1. One should put on Talit before Teffilin. Even if the Talit is only obligated in Tzitzit Derabbanan it still takes precedence to the Teffilin.

Torah Sources

All men above the age of thirteen are required to put on tefillin daily. Women are exempt because it is a time-bound mitzva. The obligation of tefillin is mentioned four times in the Torah: twice when recalling the The Exodus from Egypt:

1. "And it shall be for a sign for you upon your hand, and for a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand did the LORD bring you out of Egypt."
2. "And it shall be for a sign upon your hand, and as totafot between your eyes; for with a mighty hand did the LORD bring us forth out of Egypt."

and twice in the first two paragraphs of Kriat Shema:

1. "And you shall bind them as a sign upon your arm, and they shall be as totafot between your eyes."
2. "You shall put these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall tie them for a sign upon your arm, and they shall be as totafot between your eyes."

Arrangement of Paragaphs

There is much discussion among the rabbis of the Talmud as to the order in which the biblical passages should be written in the arm and head tefillin. The rabbis most famous for this dispute were Rashi and his grandson Rabbeinu Tam and the two versions used today are named after them. Nowadays the prevailing custom of the majority of Jews is to follow the opinion based on Rashi. Rabbenu Joseph Karo wrote in Shulchan Aruch Orech Chaim 34:2 that the especially pious should wear both sets, but added that only one commonly known to be especially pious may do so, perhaps lest one seem ostentatious about one's piety.(34:3) Some wear the Rashi tefillin alone, and then remove them and briefly wear Rabbeinu Tam tefillin. Others wear both sets of tefillin simultaneously, with the Rabbeinu Tam tefillin higher up than the Rashi tefillin.

• Order of the passages of the arm-tefillin

Rashi: Kadesh Li, Ve-haya Ki Yeviehcha, Shema, Ve-haya Im Shemoa - (according to the chronological order as they appear in the Torah) Rabbeinu Tam: Kadesh Li, Ve-haya Ki Yeviehcha, Ve-haya Im Shemoa, Shema

• Order of the passages of the head-tefillin

Rashi: Kadesh Li, Ve-haya Ki Yeviehcha, Shema, Ve-haya Im Shemoa Rabbeinu Tam: Kadesh Li, Ve-haya Ki Yeviehcha, Ve-haya Im Shemoa, Shema

Halachot for the Scribe

• The passages must be written in order, and it is preferable to write those in the arm tefillin first (32:1).
• Those in the head tefillin are written on four separate pieces of parchment and then placed into four compartments in the head tefillin(32:14), while those in the arm, on one piece (32:2).
• The parchment must be made from the skin of a kosher type of animal or bird and bound with kosher animal hair. (32:12)
• The passages must be written with intent (32:19), with the right hand (32:5), in black ink (see 32:3), and the pen should be tested before writing (32:22). They must be written by a literate, religious adult male Jew (see 32:30;39:1).
• The boxes and their stitches must be perfectly square.
• On the right and left sides of the head-tefillin the letter shin must be embossed.
• The straps must be black on the outside and the head tfillin should be knotted in the form of the letter dalet while the strap that is passed through the arm-tefillin is formed into a knot in the shape of the letter yod.

Process of Putting Tefillin On

Right handed people wear the tefillin on their left arm and left handed people place it on their right arm.

1. Before the strap of the arm-tefillin is tightened, the blessing of להניח תפילין is said.

Upon placement of the head-tefillin:

• Sephardic and Hasidic authorities are of the opinion that the blessing on laying the head-tefillin is not necessary and the one blessing on laying the arm-tefillin is sufficient.

It is strictly forbidden to talk between the placement of the arm and head-tefillin. However, if one spoke by mistake, he must recite the beracha of al mitzvat tefillin as the Ashkenaz.

• Ashkenazim, however, do recite a second blessing of על מצות תפילין on the head-tefillin, before tightening it around the head‏.

It is also customary to add the phrase ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם וע‏ד because of the doubt as too the necessity of the beracha. (Orach Chaim 25:6 and Ramah there)

2. The arm-tefillin is placed on the biceps of the arm, two finger breadths away from the elbow, with the box facing inward towards the heart. After the beracha is said, the arm-tefillin is tightened, then wrapped around the arm seven times. The knot formation and arm binding differ considerably between different traditions. There is a custom to cover the arm-tefillin with the sleeve, in accordance with the verse "And they will be a sign to you...", i.e. to you and not to others.

3. Next, the head-tefillin is placed on top of the head, "between the eyes" but not lower than the hairline (or if balding, where one's hairline once was). The knot of the head-tefillin sits at the back of the head, upon the part of the occipital bone that protrudes just above the nape. The two straps of the head-tefillin are brought in front of the shoulders, with their blackened side facing outwards.

4. After placing the head-tefillin the remainder of the arm-tefillin straps are then wound three times around the middle finger and around the hand. This is accompanied by the recitation of Hoshea 2:21 and 2:22 "'וארשתיך לי לעולם, וארשתיך לי בצדק ובמשפט ובחסד וברחמים, וארשתיך לי באמונה וידעת את ה".

The Sephardic method of wrapping results in a dalet shape on the palm of the hand and a shin around the middle finger, so as to represent the name of G-d from the middle finger (ש) through the palm (ד) to the knot (י) hanging from the box of the arm-tefillin.

On removing the tefillin the three twistings on the middle finger are loosened first; then the head-tefillin is removed; and finally the arm-tefillin.

It is customary among Ashkenazi Jews to put and to remove the tefillin while standing(Ramah on Orach Chaim 25:11) while Sephardim sit for arm-tefillin and stand for head tefillin.

When to Wear Tefillin

Originally tefillin were laid all day, but not during the night. Nowadays the prevailing custom is to lay them only during the weekday morning service.(Orach Chaim 37:2) The problem with wearing them all day is the necessity to remove them when encountering an unclean place and the requirement to constantly have in mind the knowledge that they are being worn.

Shabbat and Yom Tov

Tefillin are not worn on Shabbat and the major holidays including Pesach, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. The reason given that these holidays are themselves "signs" which render the use of tefillin, which are to serve as "signs" themselves, superfluous.

Chol Hamoed

On Chol Hamoed of Pesach and Sukkot there is a great debate on whether or not tefillin should be worn. Some rishonim forbid tefillin to be laid on Hol HaMoed as they consider the days have the same status as a festival which in itself constitutes a "sign" making the laying of tefillin unnecessary. (Ba'al Halachot Gedolot,cited by Tosafot Moed Katan 19a s.v. Rabbi Yossi; Rambam as interpreted by the Kessef Mishna, Hilchot Yom Tov 7:13; Rashba Teshuvot 1:690; Ri cited by the Hagahot Maimoni, Hilchot Tefillin 4:9) Other rishonim argue and hold that Hol HaMoed does not constitute a "sign" in which case tefillin must be laid on Hol HaMoed.(Rambam, Rosh Hilchot Tefillin 16; Or Zarua 1:589; Maharam of Rothenburg cited by the Mordechai)

Three different customs exist as a result of this conflict:

1. The Beth Yosef notes that all Sephardic Jews refrain from laying tefillin on Hol HaMoed. His ruling is based on kabbalistic reasons. The Zohar strongly advocates refraining from laying tefillin on Chol HaMoed. Accordingly, the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 31:2 and sv. vcholo) rules that it is forbidden to lay tefillin on Chol HaMoed. This is also the opinion of the Vilna Gaon (Bi'ur ha-Gra Orach Chayim 31:2 s.v. V’yesh Omrim) whose ruling has been universally accepted in Israel.

1. The Tur (Orach Chaim 31) notes that there are a number of rishonim who are uncertain whether one must lay tefillin on Chol HaMoed and therefore advocates laying tefillin but refraining from reciting the blessings. The authorities that rule like this include the Ritva,(Eruvin 96a), the Semag(eruvin 153), the Meiri(Moed Katan 18b), and the Taz (Orach Chaim 31:2)

The advantage of this compromise is that one avoids violating very serious transgressions of either not donning tefillin or making a blessing in vain. The Mishna Berura recommends that on Hol Hamoed one make a mental stipulation before donning tefillin: If I am obligated to don tefillin I intend to fulfill my obligation and if I am not obligated to don tefillin, my doing so should not be considered as fulfilling any obligation; and that the blessing not be recited.

1. To wear tefillin and reciting the blessings in an undertone. This is the opinion of the Rama who writes that this is the universally accepted practice among Ashkenazic Jews. Based on the writings of Rambam, the wearing of tefillin was openly required during these intermediary days.

The majority of those who lay tefillin on Hol HaMoed remove them before the Hallel prayer, unlike on Rosh Chodesh, when the tefillin is removed just prior to the Mussaf prayer. This is out of respect for the festive nature of Hol HaMoed, a festive nature which is especially palpable during the recitation of Hallel. The one exception to this practice is the first day of Chol HaMoed Pesach, when the Torah reading which follows Hallel discusses the mitzvah of tefillin. Because the Torah reading on that particular day focuses on the tefillin, those who lay tefillin on Hol HaMoed keep them on during Hallel and the Torah reading, and only remove the tefillin after the Torah reading is completed.

Tisha B'av

On Tisha B'Av, tefillin are worn at the afternoon service instead. This is because tefillin are considered an ornament or symbolic of a connection to God, both of which are inappropriate for a day of mourning the distance between God and the Jewish people. Wearing tefillin is thus delayed until the afternoon, when the mourning is considered to have passed its peak. However, many Jews, especially among Ashkenazi and Sepharadi Jerusalemites, do lay tefillin for the morning service as well. Another custom exists among some Sephardic Jews put on tefillin privately in their homes and then go to shul to pray without tefillin.