Putting On and Removing Tefillin: Difference between revisions

# 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 elaborate on 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 allows to be lenient if one needs to, for some medical reason and therefore needs a head covering, one may wear them above a thin hat. The Rama there says in that case one may however not say a bracha. </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> Shaarei [[Teshuva]] 27:6 says one should make sure to dry one's hair well if one wet it before putting on the [[Tefillin]], both because it could damage the [[Tefillin]], and because the water itself could be considered a separation. See Mikdash Dovid Taharot 39:4 who doesn't think that water is a chatzitza for bigdei kehuna.</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 then he should put on [[Tefillin]] in private with a bracha without the toupee and then go to shul and put it on there over the toupee without a bracha. 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 Shulchan Aruch) 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 is Min beMino. Additionally, we do not 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 does not need to worry about barriers except for between the skin and the boxes,  that if one is accustomed to removing it one should continue doing so, as there are some poskim who are stringent on barriers on any part of the arm or head [[Tefillin]] </ref>