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Tefillin are usually thought of as coming in sets, one for the hand (shel yad) and one for the head (shel rosh). But is there any reason two sets can't be mixed and matched? May one wear tefillin where the shel yad and the shel rosh come from different sets? Does it make a difference if this is a temporary measure?

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Why not? (Please edit reason for suspicion into question.) – Isaac Moses Mar 6 at 15:38
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do you mean my shel rosh and some other guy's shel yad, or a rashi of one and a rabbeinu tam of the other even if I own them both? – Dan Mar 6 at 15:39
@Dan, I'm talking about your first scenario. – Daniel Mar 6 at 16:37

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It is permitted.

A problem of כסדרן may appear - Rm"a addresses this (OC 32:1) and says it should be taken care of לכתחילה, but if not it's not פסול.

Regarding Rashi & Rabenu Tam - it would be contradicting to wear Yad of one and Rosh of another. However, Rabbi Ya'akov Medan says it is לכתחילה to wear rashi for Yad and Rabenu Tam for Rosh.

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A) It would not be contradicting to wear one of each RT and Rashi. The two tefillin aren't m'akeiv each other. B) I'm fairly certain R Medan said that as a theoretical suggestion, not that he or anyone follows that practically. It's actually a pretty interesting suggestion in terms of understanding how the machloket came about. – Double AA♦ Mar 6 at 17:33
@DoubleAA, A) It's either one way or the other. If you would ask Rabenu Tam - someone wearing rashi isn't yotze. B) I understood that's his understanding of the gemara. – JNF Mar 6 at 20:25

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