Tefillin
Encyclopedia
Tefillin also called phylacteries (f from Ancient Greek phylacterion, form of phylássein, φυλάσσειν meaning "to guard, protect") are a set of small black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah
, which are worn by observant Jews during weekday morning prayers. Although "tefillin" is technically the plural form (the singular being "tefillah"), it is loosely used as a singular as well. The hand-tefillin, or shel yad, is placed on the upper arm, and the strap wrapped around the arm, hand and fingers; while the head-tefillin, or shel rosh, is placed above the forehead
. The Torah
commands that they should be worn to serve as a "sign" and "remembrance" that God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt
.
The scriptural texts for tefillin are obscure in literal meaning. For example, the verse in Deut. 11:18 does not designate what specifically to "bind upon your arm," and the definition of totafot is not obvious. It is the Talmud
, the authoritative oral tradition
for Rabbinic Judaism
, which explains what are to be bound to the body and the form of tefillin.
: twice when recalling the The Exodus
from Egypt
:
and twice in the shema passages:
(Sanhedrin 4b) explains that the word ṭoṭafot is combination of two foreign words: Tot means "two" in the "Caspi" language and Fot means "two" in the "Afriki" language, hence tot and fot means "two and two", corresponding to the four compartments of the head-tefillin. Menahem ben Saruq
explains that the word is derived from the Hebrew Ve'hateif and Tatifoo, both expressions meaning "speech", "for when one sees the tefillin it causes him to remember and speak about The Exodus from Egypt."
The first texts to use "tefillin" are the Targum
im and Peshitta
and it is also used in subsequent Talmudic literature, although the word "ṭoṭafah" was still current, being used with the meaning of "frontlet." "Tefillin" may have derived from the Aramaic palal, "to plead, pray," a word closely related to the Hebrew tefillah, "prayer." Jacob ben Asher
(14th century) suggests that "tefillin" is derived from the Hebrew pelilah, "justice, evidence," for tefillin act as a sign and proof of God's presence among the Jewish people.
The only instance of the name "phylacteries" in ancient times occurs once in the New Testament
whence it has passed into the languages of Europe. "Phylacteries" derives from the Greek
phulaktērion - φυλακτήριον, "defences," and in late Greek, "amulets" or "charms." Neither Aquila
nor Symmachus
use the word "phylacteries."
details of the sanctity of tefillin and writes that "as long as the tefillin are on the head and on the arm of a man, he is modest and God-fearing and will not be attracted by hilarity or idle talk; he will have no evil thoughts, but will devote all his thoughts to truth and righteousness." The Sefer ha-Chinuch
(14th century) adds that the purpose of tefillin is to help subjugate a person's worldly desires and encourage spiritual development. Joseph Caro (16th century) explains that tefillin are placed on the arm adjacent to the heart and on the head above the brain to demonstrate that these two major organs are willing to perform the service of God.
The manufacturing process of both the boxes and the parchment scrolls are intricate and governed by hundreds of detailed rules. In earlier Talmudic times, tefillin were either cylindrical or cubical, but later the cylindrical form became obsolete. Nowadays the boxes should be fashioned from a single piece of animal hide and form a base with an upper compartment to contain the parchment scrolls. They are made in varying levels of quality. The most basic form are called peshutim ("simple") and are undesirable as they are made using several pieces of parchment to form the inner walls of the head tefillin. The higher quality tefillin, namely dakkot ("thin"), made by stretching a thin piece of leather, and the more durable gassot ("thick") are both fashioned from the single piece of hide. Black leather straps (retsu'ot) pass through the rear of the base and are used to secure the tefillin onto the body. On both sides of the head-tefillin, the Hebrew letter shin
is moulded. The knot of the head-tefillin strap forms the letter dalet
while the strap that is passed through the arm-tefillin is formed into a knot in the shape of the letter yud
. These three letters spell Shaddai, one of the names of God.
They are written by a scribe with special ink on parchment scrolls (klaf
). The Hebrew Ashuri
script must be and there are three main styles of lettering used: Beis Yosef – generally used by Ashkenazim; Arizal – generally used by Hasidim
; Velish – used by Sefardim. The passages contain 3,188 letters usually take between 10–15 hours to complete. The arm-tefillin has one large compartment, which contains all four biblical passages written upon a single strip of parchment. The head-tefillin has four separate compartments in each of which one scroll of parchment is placed.
There was considerable discussion among the commentators of the Talmud as to the order in which the scrolls should be inserted into the four compartments of the head-tefillin. In the Middle Ages, a famous debate on the issue was recorded between Rashi
and his grandson Rabbeinu Tam
. Rashi held that the passages are placed according to the chronological order as they appear in the Torah: Kadesh Li, Ve-haya Ki Yeviehcha, Shema, Ve-haya Im Shemoa, while according to Rabbeinu Tam, the last two passages are switched around. Sets of tefillin dating from the 1st-century CE discovered at Qumran
in the Judean Desert
revealed that some were made according to the order understood by Rashi and others in the order of Rabbeinu Tam. The prevailing custom is to arrange the scrolls according to Rashi's view, but some pious Jews are also accustomed to briefly lay the teffilin of Rabbeinu Tam as well, a custom adopted by the Hasidim
. The placement of the protrusion of a tuft of the sinew (se'ar eigel) identifies as to which opinion the tefillin were written. The Vilna Gaon
who wore the tefillin of Rashi, suggested that there are as many as sixty-four possibilities for the arrangement of the tefillin scrolls.
(16th century), however, strongly discourages it. Historically, the mitzvah
of tefillin was not performed by women, but the ritual was apparently kept by some women in medieval France and Germany. Traditions exist of some prominent women laying tefillin and the idea is gaining a following among women affiliated to the Conservative
movement.
Others who are not obliged to lay tefllin include a mourner during the first day of his mourning period, a bridegroom on his wedding-day. A sufferer from stomach-trouble or one who is otherwise in pain and can not concentrate his mind is also exempt. One who is engaged in the study of the Law and scribes of and dealers in tefillin and mezuzot while engaged in their work if it can not be postponed, are also free from this obligation.
The codes view the commandment of tefillin as important and call those who neglect to observe it "transgressors." Maimonides
counts the commandment of laying the arm-tefillin and head-tefillin as two separate positive mitzvot. The Talmud cites Rav Sheshet who said that by neglecting the precept, one transgresses eight positive commandments. A report of widespread laxity in its observance is reported by Moses of Coucy
in 13th century Spain. It may have arisen from the fear of persecution, similar to what had occurred to the Jews living in the Land of Israel
under Roman rule in the 2nd-century.
Originally tefillin were worn all day, but not during the night. Nowadays the prevailing custom is to wear them only during the weekday morning service, although some individuals wear them at other times during the day as well.
Tefillin are not donned on Shabbat
and the major festivals because these holy days are themselves considered "signs" which render the need of the "sign" of tefillin superfluous. On Chol HaMoed
(intermediate days) of Pesach and Sukkot
, there is a great debate among the early halachic authorities
as to whether tefillin should be worn or not. Those who forbid it consider the "sign" of intermediate days as having the same status as the festival itself, making the ritual of tefillin redundant. Others argue and hold that Chol HaMoed does not constitute a "sign" in which case tefillin must be laid. Three customs evolved resulting from the dispute:
In light of the conflicting opinions, the Mishna Berura (20th-century) recommends Ashkenazim make the following stipulation before donning tefillin: "If I am obligated to don tefillin I intend to fulfill my obligation and if I am not obligated to don tefillin, my doing so should not be considered as fulfilling any obligation" and that the blessing not be recited.
On the fast day of Tisha B'Av
, tefillin are not worn in the morning as tefillin are considered an "adornment", symbols of beauty, which is deemed inappropriate for a day of mourning. They are worn instead at the afternoon Mincha
service.
Procedure
The arm-tefillin is laid on the inner side of the bare left arm, two finger breadths above the elbow, so that when the arm is bent the tefillin faces towards the heart. If one is left-handed, it is placed on the right arm in the same place. After the blessing is said, the arm-tefillin is tightened, and the strap wound seven times round the arm. Then the head-tefillin is placed on the middle of the head just above the forehead, so that no parts rests below the hairline. 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
, directly opposite the optic chiasm
. The two straps of the head-tefillin are brought in front of the shoulders, with their blackened side facing outwards. Now the remainder of the arm-tefillin straps are wound three times around the middle finger and around the hand to form the shape of the Hebrew letter of either a shin
according to Ashkenazim, or a dalet
according to Sephardim. There are various customs regarding winding the strap on the arm and hand. On removing the tefillin, the steps are reversed.
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
, which are worn by observant Jews during weekday morning prayers. Although "tefillin" is technically the plural form (the singular being "tefillah"), it is loosely used as a singular as well. The hand-tefillin, or shel yad, is placed on the upper arm, and the strap wrapped around the arm, hand and fingers; while the head-tefillin, or shel rosh, is placed above the forehead
Forehead
For the Arsenal striker see GervinhoIn human anatomy, the forehead is the fore part of the head. It is, formally, an area of the head bounded by three features, two of the skull and one of the scalp. The top of the forehead is marked by the hairline, the edge of the area where hair on the scalp...
. The Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
commands that they should be worn to serve as a "sign" and "remembrance" that God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
.
The scriptural texts for tefillin are obscure in literal meaning. For example, the verse in Deut. 11:18 does not designate what specifically to "bind upon your arm," and the definition of totafot is not obvious. It is the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
, the authoritative oral tradition
Oral Torah
The Oral Torah comprises the legal and interpretative traditions that, according to tradition, were transmitted orally from Mount Sinai, and were not written in the Torah...
for Rabbinic Judaism
Rabbinic Judaism
Rabbinic Judaism or Rabbinism has been the mainstream form of Judaism since the 6th century CE, after the codification of the Talmud...
, which explains what are to be bound to the body and the form of tefillin.
Biblical source
The obligation of tefillin, as expouned by the Oral Law, is mentioned four times in the TorahTorah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
: twice when recalling the The Exodus
The Exodus
The Exodus is the story of the departure of the Israelites from ancient Egypt described in the Hebrew Bible.Narrowly defined, the term refers only to the departure from Egypt described in the Book of Exodus; more widely, it takes in the subsequent law-givings and wanderings in the wilderness...
from Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
:
and twice in the shema passages:
Etymology
The ultimate origin of Hebrew "tefillin" is uncertain. The word "tefillin" is not found in the Bible, which calls them ṭoṭafot. The Septuagint renders "ṭoṭafot" ἀσαλευτόν, "something immovable." Some believe it refers to a charm, similar to the Hebrew neṭifot, "round jewel." The TalmudTalmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
(Sanhedrin 4b) explains that the word ṭoṭafot is combination of two foreign words: Tot means "two" in the "Caspi" language and Fot means "two" in the "Afriki" language, hence tot and fot means "two and two", corresponding to the four compartments of the head-tefillin. Menahem ben Saruq
Menahem ben Saruq
Menahem ben Saruq was a Spanish-Jewish philologist of the tenth century CE. He was a skilled poet and polyglot. He was born in Tortosa around 920 and died around 970. Menahem produced an early dictionary of the Hebrew language...
explains that the word is derived from the Hebrew Ve'hateif and Tatifoo, both expressions meaning "speech", "for when one sees the tefillin it causes him to remember and speak about The Exodus from Egypt."
The first texts to use "tefillin" are the Targum
Targum
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
im and Peshitta
Peshitta
The Peshitta is the standard version of the Bible for churches in the Syriac tradition.The Old Testament of the Peshitta was translated into Syriac from the Hebrew, probably in the 2nd century AD...
and it is also used in subsequent Talmudic literature, although the word "ṭoṭafah" was still current, being used with the meaning of "frontlet." "Tefillin" may have derived from the Aramaic palal, "to plead, pray," a word closely related to the Hebrew tefillah, "prayer." Jacob ben Asher
Jacob ben Asher
Jacob ben Asher, also known as Ba'al ha-Turimas well as Rabbi Yaakov ben Raash , was likely born in Cologne, Germany c.1269 and likely died in Toledo, Spain c.1343....
(14th century) suggests that "tefillin" is derived from the Hebrew pelilah, "justice, evidence," for tefillin act as a sign and proof of God's presence among the Jewish people.
The only instance of the name "phylacteries" in ancient times occurs once in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
whence it has passed into the languages of Europe. "Phylacteries" derives from the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
phulaktērion - φυλακτήριον, "defences," and in late Greek, "amulets" or "charms." Neither Aquila
Aquila of Sinope
Aquila of Sinope was a 2nd Century CE native of Pontus in Anatolia known for producing an exceedingly literal translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek around 130 CE. He was a proselyte to Judaism and a disciple of Rabbi Akiba...
nor Symmachus
Symmachus the Ebionite
Symmachus was the author of one of the Greek versions of the Old Testament. It was included by Origen in his Hexapla and Tetrapla, which compared various versions of the Old Testament side by side with the Septuagint...
use the word "phylacteries."
Purpose
The tefillin are to serve as a reminder of God's intervention at the time of the Exodus from Egypt. MaimonidesMaimonides
Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
details of the sanctity of tefillin and writes that "as long as the tefillin are on the head and on the arm of a man, he is modest and God-fearing and will not be attracted by hilarity or idle talk; he will have no evil thoughts, but will devote all his thoughts to truth and righteousness." The Sefer ha-Chinuch
Sefer ha-Chinuch
The Sefer ha-Chinuch , often simply "the Chinuch" is a work which systematically discusses the 613 commandments of the Torah. It was published anonymously in 13th century Spain...
(14th century) adds that the purpose of tefillin is to help subjugate a person's worldly desires and encourage spiritual development. Joseph Caro (16th century) explains that tefillin are placed on the arm adjacent to the heart and on the head above the brain to demonstrate that these two major organs are willing to perform the service of God.
Manufacture and contents
Shin (letter)
Shin literally means "Sharp" ; It is the twenty-first letter in many Semitic abjads, including Phoenician , Aramaic/Hebrew , and Arabic ....
is moulded. The knot of the head-tefillin strap forms the letter dalet
Dalet
Dalet is the fourth letter of many Semitic alphabets, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew , Syriac and Arabic...
while the strap that is passed through the arm-tefillin is formed into a knot in the shape of the letter yud
Yodh
Yodh is the tenth letter of many Semitic alphabets, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew Yud , Syriac and Arabic...
. These three letters spell Shaddai, one of the names of God.
Parchment scrolls
Four biblical passages which refer to the tefillin are placed inside the leather boxes. (See "Biblical passages contained in Tefillin" template below).They are written by a scribe with special ink on parchment scrolls (klaf
Klaf
Klaf is the designation given a particular piece of skin. The Talmudic definition includes both the form of the skin and the way its processed in particular that it must be tanned. Since the innovative ruling of Rabbeinu Tam Klaf (or kelaf) is the designation given a particular piece of skin. The...
). The Hebrew Ashuri
Ashuri alphabet
Ashuri alphabet means Assyrian alphabet and also refers to the Assyrian script which is a traditional name for the Hebrew alphabet and a term that was first used in the Mishnah to refer to either the Aramaic alphabet or the formal script used in certain Jewish ceremonial items, including Sefer...
script must be and there are three main styles of lettering used: Beis Yosef – generally used by Ashkenazim; Arizal – generally used by Hasidim
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
; Velish – used by Sefardim. The passages contain 3,188 letters usually take between 10–15 hours to complete. The arm-tefillin has one large compartment, which contains all four biblical passages written upon a single strip of parchment. The head-tefillin has four separate compartments in each of which one scroll of parchment is placed.
There was considerable discussion among the commentators of the Talmud as to the order in which the scrolls should be inserted into the four compartments of the head-tefillin. In the Middle Ages, a famous debate on the issue was recorded between Rashi
Rashi
Shlomo Yitzhaki , or in Latin Salomon Isaacides, and today generally known by the acronym Rashi , was a medieval French rabbi famed as the author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud, as well as a comprehensive commentary on the Tanakh...
and his grandson Rabbeinu Tam
Rabbeinu Tam
Rabbeinu Tam , born Jacob ben Meir, was one of the most renowned French Tosafists and a foremost halachic authority of his generation...
. Rashi held that the passages are placed according to the chronological order as they appear in the Torah: Kadesh Li, Ve-haya Ki Yeviehcha, Shema, Ve-haya Im Shemoa, while according to Rabbeinu Tam, the last two passages are switched around. Sets of tefillin dating from the 1st-century CE discovered at Qumran
Qumran
Qumran is an archaeological site in the West Bank. It is located on a dry plateau about a mile inland from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea, near the Israeli settlement and kibbutz of Kalia...
in the Judean Desert
Judean desert
The Judaean Desert is a desert in Israel and the West Bank that lies east of Jerusalem and descends to the Dead Sea. It stretches from the northeastern Negev to the east of Beit El, and is marked by terraces with escarpments. It ends in a steep escarpment dropping to the Dead Sea and the Jordan...
revealed that some were made according to the order understood by Rashi and others in the order of Rabbeinu Tam. The prevailing custom is to arrange the scrolls according to Rashi's view, but some pious Jews are also accustomed to briefly lay the teffilin of Rabbeinu Tam as well, a custom adopted by the Hasidim
Hasidim
Hasidim/Chasidim is the plural of Hasid , meaning "pious". The honorific "Hasid" was frequently used as a term of exceptional respect in the Talmudic and early medieval periods. In classic Rabbinic literature it differs from "Tzadik"-"righteous", by instead denoting one who goes beyond the legal...
. The placement of the protrusion of a tuft of the sinew (se'ar eigel) identifies as to which opinion the tefillin were written. The Vilna Gaon
Vilna Gaon
Elijah ben Shlomo Zalman Kramer, known as the Vilna Gaon or Elijah of Vilna and simply by his Hebrew acronym Gra or Elijah Ben Solomon, , was a Talmudist, halachist, kabbalist, and the foremost leader of non-hasidic Jewry of the past few centuries...
who wore the tefillin of Rashi, suggested that there are as many as sixty-four possibilities for the arrangement of the tefillin scrolls.
Obligation
The duty of laying tefillin rests upon males after the age of thirteen years. Although women are exempt from the obligation, some early codifers allowed them to do so. Moses IsserlesMoses Isserles
Moses Isserles, also spelled Moshe Isserlis, , was an eminent Ashkenazic rabbi, talmudist, and posek, renowned for his fundamental work of Halakha , entitled ha-Mapah , an inline commentary on the Shulkhan Aruch...
(16th century), however, strongly discourages it. Historically, the mitzvah
Mitzvah
The primary meaning of the Hebrew word refers to precepts and commandments as commanded by God...
of tefillin was not performed by women, but the ritual was apparently kept by some women in medieval France and Germany. Traditions exist of some prominent women laying tefillin and the idea is gaining a following among women affiliated to the Conservative
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
movement.
Others who are not obliged to lay tefllin include a mourner during the first day of his mourning period, a bridegroom on his wedding-day. A sufferer from stomach-trouble or one who is otherwise in pain and can not concentrate his mind is also exempt. One who is engaged in the study of the Law and scribes of and dealers in tefillin and mezuzot while engaged in their work if it can not be postponed, are also free from this obligation.
The codes view the commandment of tefillin as important and call those who neglect to observe it "transgressors." Maimonides
Maimonides
Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
counts the commandment of laying the arm-tefillin and head-tefillin as two separate positive mitzvot. The Talmud cites Rav Sheshet who said that by neglecting the precept, one transgresses eight positive commandments. A report of widespread laxity in its observance is reported by Moses of Coucy
Moses ben Jacob of Coucy
Moses ben Jacob of Coucy was a French Tosafist and authority on Halakha . He is best known as author of one of the earliest codifications of Halakha, the Sefer Mitzvot Gadol.-Biography:...
in 13th century Spain. It may have arisen from the fear of persecution, similar to what had occurred to the Jews living in the Land of Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
under Roman rule in the 2nd-century.
Performance
Tefillin are not donned on Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
and the major festivals because these holy days are themselves considered "signs" which render the need of the "sign" of tefillin superfluous. On Chol HaMoed
Chol HaMoed
Chol HaMoed, a Hebrew phrase meaning "weekdays [of] the festival" , refers to the intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot. During Chol HaMoed the usual restrictions that apply to the Biblical Jewish holidays are relaxed, but not entirely eliminated...
(intermediate days) of Pesach and Sukkot
Sukkot
Sukkot is a Biblical holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei . It is one of the three biblically mandated festivals Shalosh regalim on which Hebrews were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem.The holiday lasts seven days...
, there is a great debate among the early halachic authorities
Posek
Posek is the term in Jewish law for "decider"—a legal scholar who decides the Halakha in cases of law where previous authorities are inconclusive or in those situations where no halakhic precedent exists....
as to whether tefillin should be worn or not. Those who forbid it consider the "sign" of intermediate days as having the same status as the festival itself, making the ritual of tefillin redundant. Others argue and hold that Chol HaMoed does not constitute a "sign" in which case tefillin must be laid. Three customs evolved resulting from the dispute:
- To refrain from wearing tefillin: This ruling of the Shulchan AruchShulchan AruchThe Shulchan Aruch also known as the Code of Jewish Law, is the most authoritative legal code of Judaism. It was authored in Safed, Israel, by Yosef Karo in 1563 and published in Venice two years later...
is based on kabbalahKabbalahKabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
and the ZoharZoharThe Zohar is the foundational work in the literature of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah. It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah and scriptural interpretations as well as material on Mysticism, mythical cosmogony, and mystical psychology...
which strongly advocate refraining from laying tefillin on Chol HaMoed. This position is maintained by Sephardic Jews and is also the opinion of the Vilna GaonVilna GaonElijah ben Shlomo Zalman Kramer, known as the Vilna Gaon or Elijah of Vilna and simply by his Hebrew acronym Gra or Elijah Ben Solomon, , was a Talmudist, halachist, kabbalist, and the foremost leader of non-hasidic Jewry of the past few centuries...
whose ruling has been universally accepted in IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. - To wear tefillin without reciting the blessings: This is the opinion of, among others, Jacob ben AsherJacob ben AsherJacob ben Asher, also known as Ba'al ha-Turimas well as Rabbi Yaakov ben Raash , was likely born in Cologne, Germany c.1269 and likely died in Toledo, Spain c.1343....
, Moses of CoucyMoses ben Jacob of CoucyMoses ben Jacob of Coucy was a French Tosafist and authority on Halakha . He is best known as author of one of the earliest codifications of Halakha, the Sefer Mitzvot Gadol.-Biography:...
and David HaLevi SegalDavid HaLevi SegalDavid ha-Levi Segal , also known as the Turei Zahav after the title of his significant halakhic commentary on the Shulchan Aruch, was one of the greatest Polish rabbinical authorities....
. The advantage of this compromise is that one avoids the transgressions of either not donning tefillin or making a blessing in vain. - To wear tefillin and recite the blessings in an undertone: This opinion, based on MaimonidesMaimonidesMoses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
, is the ruling of Moses IsserlesMoses IsserlesMoses Isserles, also spelled Moshe Isserlis, , was an eminent Ashkenazic rabbi, talmudist, and posek, renowned for his fundamental work of Halakha , entitled ha-Mapah , an inline commentary on the Shulkhan Aruch...
who writes that this is the universally accepted practice among Ashkenazic Jews.
In light of the conflicting opinions, the Mishna Berura (20th-century) recommends Ashkenazim make the following stipulation before donning tefillin: "If I am obligated to don tefillin I intend to fulfill my obligation and if I am not obligated to don tefillin, my doing so should not be considered as fulfilling any obligation" and that the blessing not be recited.
On the fast day of Tisha B'Av
Tisha B'Av
|Av]],") is an annual fast day in Judaism, named for the ninth day of the month of Av in the Hebrew calendar. The fast commemorates the destruction of both the First Temple and Second Temple in Jerusalem, which occurred about 655 years apart, but on the same Hebrew calendar date...
, tefillin are not worn in the morning as tefillin are considered an "adornment", symbols of beauty, which is deemed inappropriate for a day of mourning. They are worn instead at the afternoon Mincha
Mincha
Mincha, מנחה is the afternoon prayer service in Judaism.-Etymology:The name "Mincha" is derived from the meal offering that accompanied each sacrifice.-Origin:...
service.
How to put on tefillin
Ashkenazim put on and remove the tefillin while standing, while Sephardim do so while sitting. It is forbidden to speak or be distracted while putting on the tefillin. An Ashkenazi says two blessings when laying tefillin, the first before he ties the arm-tefillin: ...lehani'ach tefillin, and the second after placing the head tefillin: ...al mitzvat tefillin, thereafter he tightens the head straps and says "Baruch Shem Kovod...." The Sephardic custom is that no blessing is said for the head-tefillin, the first blessing sufficing for both.Procedure
The arm-tefillin is laid on the inner side of the bare left arm, two finger breadths above the elbow, so that when the arm is bent the tefillin faces towards the heart. If one is left-handed, it is placed on the right arm in the same place. After the blessing is said, the arm-tefillin is tightened, and the strap wound seven times round the arm. Then the head-tefillin is placed on the middle of the head just above the forehead, so that no parts rests below the hairline. The knot of the head-tefillin sits at the back of the head, upon the part of the occipital bone
Occipital bone
The occipital bone, a saucer-shaped membrane bone situated at the back and lower part of the cranium, is trapezoidal in shape and curved on itself...
that protrudes just above the nape
Nape
The nape is the back of the neck. In technical anatomical/medical terminology, the nape is referred to by the word nucha, which also gives the adjective corresponding to "nape" in English, "nuchal"....
, directly opposite the optic chiasm
Optic chiasm
The optic chiasm or optic chiasma is the part of the brain where the optic nerves partially cross...
. The two straps of the head-tefillin are brought in front of the shoulders, with their blackened side facing outwards. Now the remainder of the arm-tefillin straps are wound three times around the middle finger and around the hand to form the shape of the Hebrew letter of either a shin
Shin (letter)
Shin literally means "Sharp" ; It is the twenty-first letter in many Semitic abjads, including Phoenician , Aramaic/Hebrew , and Arabic ....
according to Ashkenazim, or a dalet
Dalet
Dalet is the fourth letter of many Semitic alphabets, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew , Syriac and Arabic...
according to Sephardim. There are various customs regarding winding the strap on the arm and hand. On removing the tefillin, the steps are reversed.
External links
- Halachic sources and diagrams on Tefillin
- Lots of pictures and explanations about Tefillin, the parshiyot and batim
- Educational information and diagrams of tefillin, ask the sofer, scribe your questions about tefillin
Further reading
- Eider, Shimon D Halachos of Tefillin, Feldheim Publishers (2001) ISBN 978-1-58330-483-9
- Emanuel, Moshe Shlomo Tefillin: The Inside Story, Targum Press (1995) ISBN 978-1-56871-090-7
- Neiman, Moshe Chanina Tefillin: An Illustrated Guide, Feldheim Publishers (1995) ISBN 978-0-87306-711-9