Details About the Tefillin Boxes and Straps

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Halachot of the Boxes (Batim)

  1. The boxes should be black. [1]
  2. The tefllin boxes must be square. [2]
  3. In normal circumstances, a sephardi doesn't fulfill his obligation with tefillin written according to minhag ashkenaz. If there is no choice, a halachic authority should be contacted. [3]

Halachot for the Scribe

  1. The passages must be written in order the of the Torah (Kadesh, VeHaya Ki Yiviyecha, Shema, and then VeHaya Im Shamoa). [4] It is preferable to write the passages for the arm Tefillin before writing the passages for the head Tefillin. [5]
  2. Those in the head Tefillin are written on four separate pieces of parchment, while those in the arm Tefilin are written on one piece of parchment. [6]
  3. The parchment must be made from the skin of a kosher type of animal or bird. Even if the animal is taref, it is permitted to use as long as the animal is from a kosher species. [7]
  4. The passages must be written with intent that they it should be written for the Kedusha of Tefillin. [8]
  5. Before and while writing the passages for the tefilin the sofer should say "I am writing for the sake of the holiness fo tefilin." [9]
  6. The passages must be written with one's right hand if one is a right-handed or ambidextrous, however, a left-handed person must write the passages with his left hand. [10]
  7. The passages must be written with black ink. [11]
  8. It's good to test out the pen before beginning to write a passage. [12]
  9. The passages for Tefillin must be written by a literate religious adult male Jew. [13]
  10. Tefillin written by a gentile or a Jew who doesn't believe in the entire torah and its divinity are not kosher. [14]
  11. The passages should be written on separate pieces of parchment for the tefilin shel rosh and on the same piece of parchment for the tefilin shel yad. [15]

Halachot of the Straps (Retzuot)

  1. The minimum length of the strap for the tefillin for the arm is at least long enough to wrap around the upper arm and extend downwards to the hand and wrapped around the middle finger three times. Preferably though it should be long enough to wrap around the arm six or seven times. [16]
  2. The minimum length of the strap for the tefillin of the head is at least enough to go around the head plus two Tefachim on each side going down. [17] The custom is that the right one be longer than the left one and that both go past the midsection. [18]
  3. The straps should be colored black. [19]
  4. The coloring should be done for the sake of the mitzva of tefillin. [20]
  5. The coloring can be done by a women, or a child if the child is supervised by an adult who instructs him to paint it for its sake. [21]
  6. The coloring can be done at night. [22]
  7. One should ensure that the black of the straps is facing outward. [23]
  8. The minimum width of the Tefillin straps is the width of a barley kernel, which is approximately a centimeter. [24]
  9. The straps of the tefilin should be made from the skin of a kosher animal. [25]
  10. The strap of the tefilin shel rosh should contain a knot in the shape of the hebrew letter dalet, and the strap of the tefilin shel yad should contain a knot in the shape of the letter yod. In the end, these symbols and the hebrew letter shin on the tefilin shel rosh will complete the spelling of the name of Hashem. [26]

Borrowing Tefillin

  1. One may borrow somebody's tefillin without receiving the owner's permission, as long as the owner is not there to ask permission from. [27] This doesn't apply if the owner placed them in a place where it's obvious he doesn't want them being used, or if someone uses them on a permanent basis. [28] Also, after borrowing the tefillin one must place them back wherever they were. [29]
  2. One may not remove the borrowed tefillin from the synagogue or the owner's home without permission. [30]
  3. Obviously one may not damage the tefillin [31]
  4. One doesn't however fulfill his obligation with stolen tefillin and cannot recite a beracha on them. [32]

Getting Tefillin Checked

  1. Even though one is not obligated, it is praiseworthy to have your tefillin checked every year particularly during the month of elul and the aseret yimei teshuva. [33]
  2. If one didn't get his tefillin checked for a long time and later found out they were unkosher, he should increase his torah learning and some say he should take upon himself to also wear Rabbeinu Tam tefillin if he hasn't been already. [34]

==Sources==

  1. ↑ S"A 33:3, Kitzur S"A of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, miscellaneous laws (of tefilin), seif 12
  2. ↑ S"A 32:39, Kitzur S"A of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, miscellaneous laws (of tefilin), seif 13
  3. ↑ Halacha Berura 32:148
  4. ↑ S"A 32:1
  5. ↑ Rama 32:1, Kitzur S"A of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, miscellaneous laws (of tefilin), seif 2
  6. ↑ S"A 32:2
  7. ↑ S"A 32:12, Kitzur S"A of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, miscellaneous laws (of tefilin), seif 6
  8. ↑ S"A 32:19
  9. ↑ Kitzur S"A of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, miscellaneous laws (of tefilin), seif 7
  10. ↑ S"A 32:5. See Mishna Brurah 32:18 who quotes the Pri Megadim that preferably one shouldn't have a sofer who writes with the right hand and does other activities with the left hand or the opposite.
  11. ↑ S"A 32:3
  12. ↑ S"A 32:22
  13. ↑ S"A 32:30 and S"A 39:1
  14. ↑ Rambam Hilchot Tefillin 1:13
  15. ↑ Kitzur S"A of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, miscellaneous laws (of tefilin), seif 3
  16. ↑ S:A 27:8. Mishna Brurah 27:31 says the custom nowadays is seven times.
  17. ↑ Mishna Brurah 27:44
  18. ↑ Mishna Brurah 27:41
  19. ↑ Kitzur S"A of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, place of donning and how to don, seif 24, S"A 33:3 and Kitzur S"A of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, laws of the straps, seif 3 say that this is a halacha limoshe misinai. Mishna Brurah 33:19 says they should be as black as a raven and adds that one should be especially careful at the spot where one tightens the tefillin as the paint there wears off easily.
  20. ↑ S"A 33:4, Kitzur S"A of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, laws of the straps, seif 2. Rama writes that they are not even kosher bidieved if they are not colored black for the sake of the mitzva. Biur Halacha 33:4 "pasul" says they should be repainted with the proper concentration.
  21. ↑ Mishna Brurah 33:23
  22. ↑ Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv and Rav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg quoted in Mivakshei Torah volume 4 page 415.
  23. ↑ S"A 27:11. Mishna Brurah 27:38 says that one really only has to make sure that the part around the head and around the arm muscle has the black on the outside but it looks nicer to make sure the whole thing is that way.
  24. ↑ Kitzur S"A 10:13 writes that the minimum width of the Tefillin straps is the width of a barley kernel. Rav Mordechai Eliyahu (comments on Kitzur S"A 10:16) writes that the size of a barley is one centimeter.
  25. ↑ Kitzur S"A of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, laws of the straps, seif 2
  26. ↑ Kitzur S"A of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, laws of the straps, seif 1
  27. ↑ Rama 14:4, Chesed La'alafim 14:4 based on the idea that somebody is happy to have his belongings used for a mitzva. Kaf Hachayim 14:19 says this only applies if the owner is not present to ask permission from him.
  28. ↑ Kaf Hachayim 14:27
  29. ↑ Kaf Hachayim 14: 22
  30. ↑ Chesed La'alafim 14:4
  31. ↑ Kaf Hachayim 14:22
  32. ↑ S"A 25:12, Mishna Brurah 25:54
  33. ↑ Sh"t Yechave Daat 1:49, http://www.dailyhalacha.com/displayRead.asp?readID=356
  34. ↑ Sh"t Otzrot Yosef 3:8
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