Details About the Tefillin Boxes and Straps: Difference between revisions

==Halachot of the Straps (Retzuot)==

# The strap for the [[Tefillin]] for the arm needs to be at least long enough to be able to be wrapped around the upper arm and extend downwards to the hand and be wrapped around the middle finger three times. Though it would be preferable if it were long enough to additionally be able to wrap around the arm six or seven times.<ref> S:A 27:8. Mishna Brurah 27:31 says the custom nowadays is seven times. </ref>   

# The strap for the [[Tefillin]] of the head needs to be at least long enough to fit around the head plus the two [[Tefachim]] on each side hanging down.<ref> Mishna Brurah 27:44 </ref> The custom is that the right one be longer than the left one and that both go past the midsection.<ref> Mishna Brurah 27:41 </ref>

# The straps should be colored black.<ref> Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim  33:3, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, place of donning and how to don, seif 24. Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim  33:3 and Kitzur Shulchan Aruch of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, laws of the straps, seif 3 write that this is a halacha leMoshe miSinai. Mishna Brurah 33:19 says they should be as black as a raven and adds that one should be especially careful and make sure it stays black at the spot where one tightens the [[Tefillin]] as the paint there wears off easily. </ref>  

# The coloring should be done for the sake of the mitzva of [[Tefillin]].<ref> Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim  33:4, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, laws of the straps, seif 2. Rama writes that they are not even kosher bedieved if they are not colored black for the sake of the mitzva. Beiur Halacha 33:4 maintains they are "pasul" and says they should be repainted with the proper concentration and intent. </ref>  

# The coloring can be done at night.<ref> Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv and Rav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg quoted in Mivakshei Torah volume 4 page 415. </ref>

# One should ensure that the black of the straps faces outward.<ref> Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 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 when the black faces outward everywhere and therefore we make sure to practice that way. </ref>

# The minimum width of the [[Tefillin]] straps is the width of a barley kernel, which is approximately a centimeter.<ref>Kitzur Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 10:13 writes that the minimum width of the [[Tefillin]] straps is the width of a barley kernel. Rav Mordechai Eliyahu (comments on Kitzur Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 10:16) writes that the size of a barley is one centimeter.</ref>

# The straps of the [[Tefillin]] should be made from the skin of a kosher animal.<ref> Kitzur Shulchan Aruch of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, laws of the straps, seif 2 </ref>

# The strap of the [[Tefillin]] shel rosh should contain a knot in the shape of the hebrew letter dalet, and the strap of the [[Tefillin]] 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 [[Tefillin]] shel rosh will complete the spelling of the name of Hashem.<ref> Kitzur Shulchan Aruch of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, laws of the straps, seif 1 </ref>