Tefillin: Difference between revisions

# Nothing can interpose between the Tefillin or the area where the straps wrap around the arm and one’s body, however, in the area of the knot one may have an interposition. <Ref>S”A 27:4, Mishna Brurah 27:16 </ref>

==Physical Separation/Chatzitza==

# The following are considered items that separate between the Tefillin and one's body: loose dirt <ref> Mishna Berura 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 tfillin, both because it could damage the tfillin, and because the water itself could be considered a separation.</ref>, a wig <ref> Mishna Berura 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 Berura 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>.

# 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>

See the full in depth discussion about [[Tefillin on Chol HaMoed|Tefillin on Chol HaMoed here]].

# The minhag of some Ashkenazim is to wear Tefillin on [[Chol HaMoed]], however, the minhag in Israel and minhag of Sephardim is not to wear Tefillin on Chol HaMoed. <Ref> S”A and Rama 31:2, Sh”t Yabea Omer 3:5,(3), Ben Ish Chai Parashat Vayera Halacha 12.  

* Other rishonim argue and hold that [[Chol HaMoed]] does not constitute a "sign" in which case tefillin must be laid on Hol HaMoed. These Rishonim include: Rambam, Rosh (Hilchot Tefillin 16), Or Zarua 1:589, and Maharam of Rothenburg cited by the Mordechai.

* The Bet Yosef writes that the minhag of Sephardim is not to wear Tefillin on Chol HaMoed based on Kabbalistic sources. This is also the opinion of the Vilna Gaon (Bi'ur ha-Gra Orach Chayim 31:2 s.v. V’yesh Omrim).