Putting On and Removing Tefillin: Difference between revisions

# The [[Tefillin]] of the arm is put on before the [[Tefillin]] of the head. <ref>Rashi Yoma 33b "Avurei" learns this from the concept of ein maavirin al hamitzvot. Tosfot there "avurei" questions this because the gemara menachot 36a derives this from the pasuk (Devarim 6:8, see above) of [[tefillin]], which mentions arm before head. Therefore tosfot interpet the gemara in Yoma as referring to the placement of the [[tefillin]] in the bag. Kitzur S"A of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, laws of the donning of [[tefilin]], seif 18. Ben Ish Chai Vayera Halacha 6 says that this order has great kabbalistic significance as well. Chazon Ovadia Chelek 2 page 209 says that the order relates to the idea of naase vinishma (Shemot 24:7, that the Jews accepted to observe the commandments and only afterwards understand them, because the [[tefillin]] shel yad represent our actions and the shel rosh represent our understanding </ref> Therefore one should be careful to arrange the [[Tefillin]] in the case so that one takes the [[Tefillin]] shel yad first. Furthermore, it is proper to keep the [[tefilin]] shel rosh in one's bag or at least still wrapped until one is finished donning the [[tefilin]] shel yad. <ref> Kitzur S"A of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, laws of the donning of [[tefilin]], seif 20 </ref>

# Right handed people wear the [[tefillin]] on their left arm and left handed people place it on their right arm. Whether you are right handed or left handed is determined by which hand you write with. Someone who is completely ambidextrous should place it on the left arm. <ref> S"A 27:1, 27:6 based on gemara Menachot 37a. Halacha Berura 27:21 writes that someone who writes with one hand and performs all other activities with another is praiseworthy if he places on the other hand in addition without a beracha. This is also the ruling of Rabbi Eli Mansour http://www.dailyhalacha.com/displayRead.asp?readID=1101 </ref> One who in the past performed all activities with his right hand but for whatever reason has lost use of it and now his left becomes stronger should place it on the right arm. <ref> Mishna Brurah 27:22 </ref>

# According to some poskim one may kiss his [[tefillin]] shel rosh when he takes them out of his back even though one should try to not to interrupt between the shel yad and shel rosh since kissing it is giving it honor. <ref>Sh"t Rivivot Ephraim 1:27:1 </ref>

# Sephardim have the custom to recite the passages of "kadesh li" and vihaya ki yiveacha," two of the four passages in [[tefillin]] after putting them on. <ref> Od Yosef Chaim Vayera 25 </ref>