Putting On and Removing Tefillin: Difference between revisions

# If one mistakenly took the [[Tefillin]] Shel Rosh first, one must put down that [[Tefillin]], and put on the [[Tefillin]] Shel Yad first. <ref> Shulchan Aruch 25:6, Kaf Hachayim 25:42 </ref>

# Before the strap of the arm-[[tefillin]] is tightened, the blessing of להניח תפילין is said. <ref> Shulchan Aruch 25:8 </ref> If someone forgot to recite the blessing before tightening the arm [[tefillin]] he should still recite it, even if he has already placed his head [[tefillin]]. <Ref> Kaf Hachayim 25:49 </ref>

# 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. <ref> Shulchan Aruch 25:5 </ref> Ashkenazim do recite a second blessing of על מצות תפילין on the head-[[tefillin]], before tightening it around the head‏. <ref> Rama 25:5, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, laws of the donning of [[tefillin]], seif 3. Kaf Hachayim 25:40 writes that a sephardi who hears the berachah on the shel rosh is permitted to answer [[amen]] in his head. </ref>  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. <ref> Rama 25:5 </ref>

# It is strictly forbidden to talk between the placement of the arm and head-[[tefillin]]. <ref> Shulchan Aruch 25:9 based on Gemara Menachot 36a, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10:3. see also Gemara Sota 44b which informs us that for such a transgression an individual would return from the battlefield</ref> Furthermore, one should not answer [[Kaddish]] or [[Kedusha]] between putting on [[Tefillin]] Shel Yad and [[Tefillin]] Shel Rosh, yet one should pause to listen to [[Kaddish]] or [[Kedusha]].<ref>Shulchan Aruch 25:10, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, laws of the donning of [[tefillin]], seif 14 </ref> If he mistakenly answered he doesn't recite a beracha on the head [[tefillin]]. <ref> Kaf Hachayim 25:63-64, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, laws of the donning of [[tefillin]], seif 14 </ref> One should not answer "[[amen]]" to another's beracha between donning the [[tefillin]] shel yad and [[tefillin]] shel rosh. <ref> Kitzur Shulchan Aruch of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, laws of the donning of [[tefillin]], seif 15 </ref> Nevertheless, if one accidentally answered "[[amen]]" to another's beracha, he does not make a beracha on the [[tefillin]] shel rosh. <ref> Kitzur Shulchan Aruch of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, laws of the donning of [[tefillin]], seif 15 </ref>

# However, if one spoke by mistake about things unrelated to the [[tefillin]], he must recite the beracha of al mitzvat [[tefillin]] as the Ashkenaz. <ref> Shulchan Aruch 25:9, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, laws of the donning of [[tefillin]], seif 3 </ref> If he mistakenly spoke about things related to the [[tefillin]] he not need to recite another beracha. <ref> Shulchan Aruch 25:10 </ref>  

# If one removes his [[tefillin]] to go to the bathroom he recites a new beracha upon putting them back on. <ref> Sh"t Yabia Omer 8:2 </ref>

# After putting on Tefillin, there is a minhag to recite the parshiot of Vehaya Ki Yivecha and Kadish Li since they appear in the Tefillin.<ref>Mishna Brurah 25:16, Yalkut Yosef 28:11</ref> While some say that one doesn't need to recite them, it is proper to say them. <ref>Halacha Brurah 25:21</ref>

# 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. <ref> Shulchan Aruch 27:1 </ref> 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. The sephardic minhag is to wrap the seven times outward, away from the body while the ashkenazi minhag is to wrap towards the body. <ref> Kaf Hachayim 25:67, Halacha Brurahh 27:27 </ref> 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. <ref> Ben Ish Chai Vayera 15 based on Shaar Hakavanot Derush 5 of [[Tefillin]] </ref>

# 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). <ref> Ben Ish Chai Chayei Sarah Halacha 1 </ref>  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. <ref> Shulchan Aruch 27:10 </ref> The two straps of the head-[[tefillin]] are brought in front of the shoulders, with their blackened side facing outwards. <ref> Shulchan Aruch 27:11 </ref>

# The Ben Ish Chai says to remove [[tefillin]] as follows: standing or sitting remove finger, hand, and two windings of forearm. Then stand to take off shel Rosh and sit to take off rest of shel yad. <ref> Ben Ish Chai Chayei Sara: halacha 10. </ref> In contrast, Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano maintains that one should remove [[Tefillin]] in the following manner: remove [[Tefillin]] shel yad from hand and a little bit of one's arm and [[Tefillin]] shel rosh while standing, then wrap the [[Tefillin]] shel rosh and return it to its bag, afterwards sit down to remove the rest of the [[Tefillin]] shel yad and return it to its bag. <ref> Kitzur Shulchan Aruch of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, laws of the donning of [[Tefillin]], seif 38 </ref>

# One shouldn't remove one's [[Tallit]] until one removed one's [[Tefillin]].<ref>Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 10:20</ref>

# One should wait until at least the [[kedusha]] of uva litzion before removing their [[tefillin]]. <ref> Shulchan Aruch 25:13, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 10:19, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, laws of the donning of [[Tefillin]], seif 31 </ref> Preferably though one should wait until after al ken in aleinu lishabeach. <ref> Arizal in Shaar Kavanot derush 5 [[tefillin]], Ben Ish Chai Parashat Chayei Sara: halacha 10. </ref> There is Kabbalistic significance in waiting until the mourner's [[kaddish]] that takes place after alenu leshabeach to take off one's [[Tefillin]]. <ref> Kitzur Shulchan Aruch of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, laws of the donning of [[Tefillin]], seif 30 </ref>

# Ideally, one should learn a little bit of torah after [[prayers]] while still wearing [[Tefillin]]. <ref> Arizal quoted by Ben Ish Chai Chayei Sara 11, Chida in machazik beracha siman 25, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, laws of the donning of [[Tefillin]], seif 32. </ref>  

# One should remove the [[tefillin]] shel rosh with his weaker hand to show his desire to fulfill mitzvot and reluctance to stop. <ref> Ben Ish Chai Chayei Sara: Halacha 10, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, laws of the donning of [[Tefillin]], seif 39. </ref>

# It is a nice practice to kiss the [[tefillin]] upon removing them. <ref> Shulchan Aruch 28:3, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, distraction from [[Tefillin]] and their removal, seif 11</ref>

# One should wrap up his [[tefillin]] personally, and not leave it to another to do, in order to demonstrate love for the mitzvah. <ref> Sh"t Rivivot Ephraim 1:28:1 </ref>  

# Someone who is ambidextrous should wear his [[Tefillin]] shel yad on his left [[Tefillin]]. <ref>Shulchan Aruch 27:6</ref>

==Wrappings around the hand==

# The knot which looks like a Yud on the [[Tefillin]] Shel Yad should be facing inward and touching the main [[Tefillin]] box. <Ref> S”A 27:2. Ben Ish Chai Vayera Halacha 15 says that according to Kabbalah the yud should be touching the box even when the [[tefillin]] are wrapped in their boxes. Shaare [[Teshuva]] OC 27:2 quotes the Shalmei Tzibbur saying the same. </ref>

# Many authorities are lenient not to require a [[Netilat Yadayim]] if one touches the skin in the area where the [[Tefillin]] Shel Yad is placed or rub one’s hair while putting on [[Tefillin]] Shel Rosh, <ref> Halichot Shlomo ([[Tefillah]] 4:3), Sh”T Shelmat Chaim 39-40, Kaf HaChaim 4:59 </ref> however, some are strict. <Ref>Piskei Teshuvot 27:2 quoting Dinim Vehanahot LeChazon Ish 3:10 and Chelkat Yehoshua 6:7</ref>

# One should ensure that there is no interposition between the [[Tefillin]] Shel Rosh and one's head or the [[Tefillin]] Shel Yad and one's arm. <ref> Bet Yosef 27:4 quotes a dispute between the Rosh (Hilchot [[Tefillin]] 18, Sh"t HaRosh 3:4) who says that that there may not be any interposition between the [[Tefillin]] Shel Rosh and one's head and the [[Tefillin]] Shel Yad and one's arm and the Rashba ([[Megillah]] 24b s.v. Sipah) who allows putting [[Tefillin]] on top of an interposition. [See the Sh"t HaRashba Sh"t 3:282 where at first he acknowledges the explanation of the Rosh but comments that this is the halacha lo lemaaseh and continues to explain his own explanation until he concludes that his approach is the halacha.] Shulchan Aruch 27:4 rules like the Rosh. The Rama 27:4 says that this only applies for the batim (boxes) themselves and not the retzuot (straps) but Mishna Brurah 27:16 says that one should not be lenient in this. Shulchan Aruch 27:5 says though that if one needs to lenient for some medical reason and needs a head covering, he can wear them above a thin hat. The Rama there says in that case he can't say a beracha. </ref>

# The following are considered items that separate between the [[Tefillin]] and one's body: loose dirt <ref> Mishna Brurah 27:14 </ref>, water in your hair <ref> Shaare [[Teshuva]] 27:6 says one should make sure to dry his hair well if he wet it before putting on the [[tefillin]], both because it could damage the [[tefillin]], and because the water itself could be considered a separation.</ref>, a wig <ref> Mishna Brurah 27:16 </ref> a toupee <ref> Iggerot Moshe OC 4:40:18 says that if removing it in public would embarrass the person that he should put on [[Tefillin]] in private with a beracha without the toupee and then go to shul and put it on there over the toupee without a beracha but hair that is transplanted is considered part of the head and is not a problem. see [http://www.dailyhalacha.com/displayRead.asp?readID=2233 Daily Halacha (by Rabbi Mansour)].</ref>, and long hair.<ref> Machatzit Hashekel 27 and Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 10:6 say that although short hair would not be a problem, excessively long hair could be. The Pri Megadim 27 says that hair which is not located in its place of growth but rather has been brushed across from another part of the head, constitutes a chatzitza in [[tefillin]]. Mishna Brurah 27:14-15 agrees to this, and says that it also could be hard to keep the [[Tefillin]] lined up between the eyes and at the right height with long hair. Aruch Hashulchan 27:14 and Rav Ovadia (Yechave Daat 2:2(22)) hold that there is what to rely on regarding really long hair. The Aruch Hashulchan says only hair moved from another place would be problematic. </ref>.

#Though it is not befitting for Bnei Torah to have long hair, it does not constitute a Chatzitzah for the Tefillin Shel Rosh <ref>Yechave Daat 2:2, based on a Sefek Sefeika: maybe the Halacha is like the Rosh (against Maran) that there is no Chatzitzah issue by Tefillin Shel Rosh, and, even if the Halacha is like the Rashba and not the Rosh, maybe hair is not a Chatzitzah, as it's Min beMino. Additionally, we don't find that the Poskim mentioned a Chatzitza issue for an Avel during Shloshim.</ref>

# A wristwatch does not need to be removed. <ref> Sh"t Yechave Daat 3:2, Sh"t Yabia Omer 2:2 and Rav Ovadia writes that one who is stringent will be blessed. Emes liYaakov OC 27:note 31 says even though the Rama 27:4 based on the [[Teshuva]] of the Rashba 1:827 says one doesn't need to worry about barriers except for between the skin and the boxes,  that if one is accustomed to removing it he should continue doing so, as there are some poskim who are stringent on barriers on any part of the arm or head [[tefillin]] </ref>

# If one is unable to remove a bandage or a cast he should wear the [[tefillin]] without a beracha. This only applies if the separation is between the body and the boxes, but if the separation is only with the straps the beracha should be recited as usual. <ref> Sh"t  Yabia Omer OC 2:2 </ref>