Also called "phylacteries": a religious object worn by Jewish men, usually during morning weekday prayers.
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Wearing Tefillin over toupe
If someone wears a toupe which is only removed twice a month, is there any way to still get the mitzvah of wearing tefillin? Removing the toupe every morning to put in the tefillin would be an extreme ...
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1answer
43 views
What kind of cleanliness is required to put on Tefillin?
The Rama says (OC 38:3) that one must protest a woman's putting on Tefillin. The Magen Avraham there (sk 3) says that this is...:
מפני שצריכין גוף נקי ונשים אינם זריזות להזהר...
...because ...
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3answers
93 views
What do Sephardic sources have to say about women wearing t'filin?
This answer to another question about women and talit/t'filin says (about t'filin):
Because of the Rema is the foremost Ashkenazic authority of halakha, the great modern Askenazic poskim (R. Moshe ...
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Do the Gemara and the Rema prohibit, or encourage, women putting on talit and/or tefillin?
An article in Ynet Judaism (in Hebrew) addresses the resent controversy regarding the prayer of Women of the Wall at the western wall. And claims the following claims:
אף אחד גם לא הקריא להן את ...
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When did the Kanievsky family switch from Chasidic to Litvish?
R' Chaim Kanievsky shlita davens Ashkenaz and wears Ashkenazi tefilin. His grandfather z'l was a Chernobyler chasid. It's not clear to me how the Steipler Gaon ztz'l conducted himself with regards ...
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1answer
61 views
What is the origin of the dispute on which way to wrap tefilin shel yad?
Non-Chasidic Ashkenazim wrap their tefilin shel yad inward toward the body when coming over the top of the arm, while Sefardim and Chasidim wrap outward away from the body when coming over the top of ...
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56 views
Prayer and tefillin for Jews who were not raised in religious Judaism? [closed]
I was born in a family who has abided by the Torah for more than five generations. Last weekend, I was approached by an Orthodox Jew to pray. As he began to place the tefillin, he asked me whether I ...
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1answer
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Comparrison of Tefillin to the Beis HaMikdash
The Darchei Moshe in the beginning of Hilchos Tefillin, Siman 32, cites from the Mordechai (Halachos Katanos) the following: One has to make the mitzvah (of tefillin) "nice" on the outside, "and chol ...
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3answers
196 views
Rashi's Daughters wearing Tefillin
There is a commonly held "tradition" that Rashi's daughters wore Tefillin.
One highly educated rabbi/professor has publicly stated that he's spent 35 years searching for a source but to no avail.
...
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1answer
50 views
Wearing pieces from two different sets of tefillin
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 ...
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1answer
66 views
Tefillin with chipped paint
Is there a problem with wearing tefillin whose paint has started to chip off? Would such a situation require one to get the tefillin repainted? Can someone still be yotzei by tefillin whose paint is ...
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46 views
Times where one must refrain from flatulence?
From my understanding one should refrain from passing gas during the amidah prayer and when wearing tefillin. Are there other times where one is adjured not to flatulate, perhaps when holding a sacred ...
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1answer
93 views
Why put shel-rosh straps behind the body when donning?
When I'm putting my t'fila shel rosh, it starts off before me, and I wish to fit it onto my head so that the knot is behind me, the box (bayis) before me, and the dangling straps before me: that's how ...
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1answer
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Wrapping up Tefilin to form dove's wings
Gemara Shabbos 49a mentions a story about Elisha Baal Kenafayim who was saved by his Tefilin turning into dove's wings. Magen Avraham Orach Chaim 28:4 says the Minhag is to wrap the Tefilin like ...
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Shin on Tefilin - changed in Belz?
I recently heard that in Belz they changed the Shin on the Tefilin Shel Rosh due to an old pair that was found that the Rebbi believed to be the true Mesorah. Is this true? How does the new Shin ...
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2answers
112 views
How long after the Torah was given did the Jewish people start wearing tefillin?
From one of the explanations of eating milky foods on Shavuos, we understand that it was not possible to do all the mitzvos connecting with preparing meat for food immediately after accepting the ...
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72 views
Tefillin on top of a wig if someone can only wear Tefillin once a day
As a rule, there shouldn't be anything that is a separation between a man's head and the tefillin, so seemingly a wig would be a problem. In Igros Moshe Orach Chaim Chelek 4 Siman 40 Ois 18, Rabbi ...
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1answer
68 views
Tefilin and clothes
Is there is any "dress code" or limitation regarding what to wear (I mean at the minimum) when the time comes to put on the tefelin?
I see many people putting them on wearing pajamas for example... I ...
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1answer
141 views
If you didn’t put on tefilin at shacharis, when should you? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Putting on tefillin late
Someone was unable to put on tefilin when he 'davened' (prayed) shacharis.
When should he put on tefilin — immediately when he has the ...
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1answer
126 views
Why remove tfilin before talis?
I've heard why we put on the talis before tfilin (tadir or maylin bakodesh), but why take it off in the reverse order?
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2answers
138 views
Red string on Tefillin arm?
I've heard a man shouldn't wear anything on his left arm (as a bracelet, watch, etc) while having tefillin tied on. If this is true, would it be completely wrong to wear a red string on the left arm ...
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2answers
468 views
Can a non-Jew don tefillin?
May a non-Jew or a person who is in the conversion process don tefillin? If not, what are the reasons that they cannot?
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2answers
145 views
Speaking while wearing Tefillin - revisited
In today's day and age the vast majority of the time we only wear Tefillin when we are Davening. However, in theory, we should wear them all day (ibid). So what about the requirement not to speak ...
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1answer
175 views
Wearing Tefillin the Wrong Way
If:
A) You don't have your Tefillin and the only pair available for you to borrow is for the opposite hand you generally use (ie, your dominant hand), or
B) You have a cast or splint on your arm or ...
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2answers
179 views
Tefilin - broke left middle finger, and it's now splinted
How should one tie his shel yad on his hand if his middle finger is splinted?
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5answers
154 views
Where can I buy kosher Tefillin scrolls?
Can anyone recommend a place/person to get kosher tefillin? I heard about the fraud with scrolls.
There is no sofer or judaica store near me.
Please include information about why you recommend the ...
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2answers
162 views
Contemporary rabbinic views on social pressure to get people to do Mitzvoth
Background
While on vacation recently, I was walking down the street with a newly acquainted co-traveler, when we were approached by a young Lubavitch Yeshivah student encouraging Jewish men to lay ...
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3answers
286 views
Is there a deeper significance of squares and cubes?
I've noticed that many of the structures in the Mishkan as well as elsewhere in Judaism are cubes and squares, or multiples of cubes and squares.
The luchot are two half-cubes which combine to make ...
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2answers
167 views
bracha on tefillin while sitting
The shulchan aruch apparently writes (by hilchos tzitzis) that one should stand while reciting birchas hamitzvah. Tefillin are a mitzvah. So why is the Sfardic minhag to sit while putting them on and ...
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2answers
233 views
Brachot on Tzitzit
As a continuation of this question (Tallit Katan and Tallit Brachot):
My understanding is that when one takes off a Tallit Katan and then puts it back on, the bracha is not said again. What is the ...
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1answer
132 views
No mitzvah to wear tefillin every day?
I heard that the Bet HaLevi and the Peri Megadim hold that there is no Mitzva for a person to don Tefilin everyday. Can someone source these opinions and explain exactly what they are meaning to say?
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Why do some people wrap their Tefilin around their arms 8 times?
I have seen people who wrap the Tefilin 7 times around their arm and some that wrap it 8 times around their arm. Why do the people who wrap it 8 times do so?
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2answers
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Different Teffilin, now what am I required to do?
If I do not have my regular Teffilin one morning and need to borrow someone else's, but that person's Teffilin are different from mine, is that sufficient, or should I get a pair of Teffilin later on ...
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1answer
58 views
Bracha - Al Mitzvas Tefilin - does it count for the 100 daily Brachos
Saying 100 Berachoth in a day
There is a Mitzva to say 100 Brachos each day. Does the Bracha - Al Mitzvas Tefilin - which those who say it, say immediately Boruch Shem afterwards Mishna Berura ...
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2answers
222 views
Are Rabbeinu Tam's Tefillin really Rabbeinu Tam's Tefillin?
I once heard from a Sofer the shocking revelation that Rabbeinu Tam's Tefillin do not actually follow Rabbeinu Tam's opinion. Is that correct? Did I misunderstand? Are there any Soferim in our ...
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2answers
115 views
Can tefillin be what covers our heads?
If we have our heads covered by a kippa/yarmulka to remind that HaShem is above us, does wearing tefilin fulfill that requirement?
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1answer
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Baal haTanya's donning shel yad seated
I have heard that the baal haTanya put on his t'fila shel yad while seated (as S'faradim do).
Does anyone have a source for this (or for the opposite: that he put on his shel yad standing)?
If he ...
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1answer
81 views
decree of two days of Yom Tov
The decree of keeping two days of Yom Tov outside of Israel is because Rosh Chodesh used to be determined by Beis Din and its messengers couldn't reach all of exiles in time, thereby requiring people ...
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1answer
127 views
What is the significance of the two letter shins (ש) on tefillin?
What is the significance of the two letter shins (ש) on tefillin?
One side of tefillin has a regular shin (ש) and the second has four-prongs.
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3answers
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Does a Late Bris Necessitate Teffilin?
When one makes a Bris after Shacharis, he wears Tefilin. If a Bris is made later on in the day, does he wear Tefilin? Why or why not? And if he does, does it require a second Bracha?
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When did people stop wearing Tefilin all day?
At what point in history did most religous people stop wearing Tefilin all day?
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3answers
316 views
Why aren't Tefillin called Totafot?
They're called Totafot in the Torah, so why do we call them Tefilin?
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1answer
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Why are the ends of Tefilin Retzuos cut on a slant?
I noticed than the end of my Tefillin Retzuos are cut on a slant. In the comments to this answer various reasons are postulated. What is the true reason?
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5answers
140 views
Do Tefilin need to be painted with “special” ink?
When painting tefillin, are there any requirements regarding the ink (other than the need to be black)? Or is any ink okay to use?
Like in the comments to this answer, shoe polish is recommended. Is ...
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3answers
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What is the Minimum Width of Tefillin Straps?
What is the minimum width of tefillin straps?
For example: if one's tefillin straps partially tore, how much is required to remain for the tefillin to remain Kosher?
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2answers
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Why is the right strap longer than the left strap by the Tefilin Shel Rosh?
What is the reason that the right strap is longer than the left strap by the Tefilin Shel Rosh?
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2answers
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What is the proper length of the Tefilin Shel Rosh straps?
How long are the Tefilin Shel Rosh straps supposed to be? What is the minimum Shiur and what is the maximum?
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1answer
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Buying New Tefillin during Nine Days / 3 Weeks
Is one allowed to buy new tefillin during the 9 days or 3 weeks? Is one then allowed to wear that same new tefillin during the 9 days / 3 weeks?
And if the answer is yes: why?
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1answer
235 views
What is the difference between Rashi and Rabbeinu Tam's tefillin?
I understand that there are two types of tefillin, the standard Rashi, and Rabbeinu Tam's. How do they actually differ in construction and in makeup? I have heard that the scriptural passages are ...
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6answers
234 views
Why put on Tefillin shel yad halfway?
When we put on the tefillin shel yad, I've noticed that virtually everyone ties the tefillin up until the actual hand (like a placeholder), puts on the shel rosh, and only then finally completes the ...
