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Tefillin, Tefillin

The hand-tefillin, or shel yad , is worn by Jews wrapped around the arm, hand and fingers, while the head-tefillin, or shel rosh , is placed above the forehead. They serve as a "sign" and "remembrance" that God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt and serve several purposes in the fulfillment of the scriptural commandments prescribing them to be worn by Jews.

This tradition has been active for thousands of years. Observant Jews consider wearing tefillin to be a very great mitzvah (command).

For example, the following verse from the shema states: "And you shall bind them as a sign upon your arm, and they shall be as totafot between your eyes." The verse does not designate what specifically to bind upon your arm, and the definition of totafot is not obviousthe only other appearances of this word are in identical contexts (Ex.13:16 & Deut. 11:18). But the authoritative oral tradition (Oral Torah) explains that it is these scriptural passages themselves (including the shema) that are to be bound to the body in the form of tefillin. It is thus the Oral Torah that provides the details of the construction and application of tefillin.

The term is derived from the Yiddish leigen , which is the translation for the Hebrew word lehaniach , the verb used in the Talmud to describe putting the tefillin on the head and arm. The term wear is also in common use when referring to tefillin.

Twice when recalling the The Exodus from Egypt: "And it shall be for a sign for you upon your hand, and for a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand did the bring you out of Egypt" Exodus 13:9 "And it shall be for a sign upon your hand, and as totafot between your eyes; for with a mighty hand did the bring us forth out of Egypt" Exodus 13:16 and twice in the shema passages: "And you shall bind them as a sign upon your arm, and they shall be as totafot between your eyes" Deuteronomy 6:8 "You shall put these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall tie them for a sign upon your arm, and they shall be as totafot between your eyes" Deuteronomy 11:18 The boxes on the tefillin contain verses from the Tanakh, not the Bible.

In the Torah tefillin are called totafot . This word is difficult to translate or understand.

Orach Chayim ?:25 Excavation of Qumran in the Judean Desert in 1955 indicated widespread use of tefillin during the Second Temple period. The dig revealed the earliest remains of tefillin, both the leather containers and scrolls of parchment, dating from the 1st century. Some of the scrolls found deviate from the traditional passages prescribed by the sages. This led scholars to believe that some of the sets were used by a non-Pharisee sect.

It is common for the pronouncement Leshem mitzvat tefillin for the sake of the commandment of tefillin to be made.

The right and left outside faces of the head-tefillin box have the letter shin ().

On the market today there are four types: - Peshutim (Simple Ones) - These are made using several pieces of parchment to form the inner walls of the head tefillin, glued within a slit square to divide it into the four required compartments. If the inserts are glued incorrectly then these batim are not kosher for use. The parshiyot inside commercially bought peshutim are generally of very poor quality, and can often be invalid.

This outer parchment forms the entire box of the tefillin, including the inner as well as the outer walls as well as the base, which is halachically desirable. Its thinness means that the tefillin can become halachically invalid relatively easily if knocked, or through normal wear and tear.

This requires the repeated use of several tons of pressure in industrial presses as part of a complicated but delicate production plan. The resulting batim are so durable and thick that they can be renewed even if seriously damaged and they typically last a lifetime. Gassot are made with boxes varying in size from about 20 mm per side to over 40 mm, though sides of 31-36 mm are considered standard. To produce Gassot the choicest cow-hide is used from the cheeks and the neck where it is the thickest. Thus only one pair of tefillin is produced for each head of cattle. After undergoing a softening process the leather is cut to size and left to dry slowly for at least three months. The box shapes are then formed through the appliance of considerable pressure and gradually the cubic shape starts to form in the skin.

The rabbis most famous for this dispute were Rashi and his grandson Rabbeinu Tam and the two versions used today are named after them, "Rashi Tefillin" being the accepted version. Other possible arrangements are suggested by Shimmusha Rabba Required , a halachic text attributed to Rav Sar Shalom, (9th century), and Ravad, Required (12th century). Rabbenu Asher, early 14th century, wrote Required that he was utterly uncertain of the proper order and therefore everyone should put on two sets of tefillin, one according to Rashi and the other according to Rabbenu Tam.

Nevertheless, Joseph Karo wrote Required that the especially pious ought to lay both sets. This was custom was taken on by some, notably the Hasidim who also briefly lay Rabbeinu Tam tefillin. Others lay both sets of tefillin simultaneously.

Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim 25:11 gloss If worn, the talit is put on before the tefillin, and taken off after them.

Left-handed people place the arm-tefillin on their right arm. After the blessing is said, the arm-tefillin is tightened, then wrapped around the arm seven times. The strap that is passed through the arm-tefillin should therefore be long enough to allow for the knot, also to wrap around the forearm 7 times, and also to tie around the hand according to family or local tradition. The knot formation and arm binding differ considerably between different family or community traditions. 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.

Ashkenazim, who do recite a second blessing on the head-tefillin, first leave the head-tefillin resting loosely on the head, and tighten it in place only after saying the blessing.

The remainder of the arm-tefillin straps are wound three times around the middle finger and around the hand so as to form the shape of the Hebrew letter shin ( ). This is traditionally accompanied by the recitation of . Sephardim proceed similarly. The Sephardic method of wrapping results in a dalet ( ) shape on the palm of the hand and a shin around the middle finger, so as to represent the name Shaddai from the middle finger ( ) through the palm ( ) to the knot ( ) hanging from the box of the arm-tefillin.

Students in some yeshivot, mostly national religious, have been seen with tefillin during the Minha afternoon service. They argue that this practice is still required, and not an issue of custom. Other great rabbis, for instance Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg also lay tefillin out of services.

This phenomenon was the wish of Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson who launched the "Tefillin Campaign" just before the outbreak of the Six Day War in 1967.

The one exception to this practice is the first day of Hol HaMoed Pesach, when the Torah reading (which follows Hallel) discusses the mitzvah of tefillin. Because the Torah reading on that particular day focuses on the tefillin, those who lay tefillin on Hol HaMoed keep them on during Hallel and the Torah reading, and only remove the tefillin after the Torah reading is completed.

However, many Jews, especially among Ashkenazi and Sepharadi Jerusalemites, do lay tefillin for the morning service as well. There were some medieval authorities who ruled that tefillin must not be laid at all on Tisha B'Av, but it seems that no Jews today follow this opinion.

Youngsters below the age of thirteen are not considered mature enough to know how to use tefillin or understand their significance. About a month before his Bar Mitzvah Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim 37:3; Mishnah Berurah 12 a boy will receive his own pair of tefillin and be taught and trained about the laying of tefillin. The commandment of tefillin is given the utmost importance and disregard of this mitzvah is viewed as severe. Neglect of this precept is unheard of in Orthodox circles.

The Talmud records that Michal, daughter of King Saul laid tefillin. Tefillin 1:3 The Talmud in Eruvin also mentions Michal daughter of Kushi wore tefillin and the sages did not protest Talmud Eruvin Eruvin 96a According to popular legend, Rashi's daughters allegedly wore tefillin, as did the wife of Chaim ibn Attar and the Maiden of Ludmir.Sefer Hachinuch writes that if a woman wishes to don tefillin she may and receives heavenly reward for doing so. Mitzvah 421: , , ; - , , . (96-) ; : .

Yet in any event, if they want to lay tefilin, they are not to be prevented, and they have a rewardbut it is not like the reward of the man; for there is no resemblance between the reward of a one who is commanded and observes and one who is not commanded and observes. In the Talmud Eruvin (96a) Michal the daughter of the Cushite (probable Michal the daughter of King Saul) would lay on tefillin, and the Sages did not protest. The 18th century chief rabbis of Jerusalem Rabbi Yisrael Yakov Alghazi and his son Rabbi Yomtov Alghazi encouraged women's use of tefillin.

Parashat Bo 16 The Shulchan Aruch writes that since tefillin is an obligation which is time bound, women are exempt. The Kaf hachaim cites Targum Yerushalmi, who when translating the biblical prohibition of not wearing clothing worn by the opposite gender, interprets this to mean that women are forbidden from laying tefillin.

In some progressive Modern-Orthodox circles, there is a small but growing group of women who assume the obligation of tefillin or lay them occasionally.

Menahot 44a Tefillin are mentioned over 500 times in the Talmud. Their use and manufacture are steeped in mystical significance. The shin embossed on the box of the head-tefillin, the letter dalet formed by the strap knot of the head-tefillin together with the yud knot of the arm-tefillin, make up the Hebrew word Shaddai, one of the names of God in Judaism. The biblical passages inside the boxes are declarations of the belief in God and God's connection to this world.

In his discussion on the commandment to love God, he refers to tefillin as one of the necessary tools to love God.

Source: Wikipedia > Tefillin