Also called "phylacteries": a religious object worn by Jewish men, usually during morning weekday prayers.
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Shachris in the Dark
When do people who live in places where it is dark for days Daven Shachris and put on Tefillin?
Please provide a source (Mareh Makom).
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3answers
1k views
Putting on tefillin late
For whatever reason, I was unable to put on tefillin while davening shacharit this morning. However, I have access to tefillin now, and the sun has not yet set. After I put on the tefillin, what ...
6
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1answer
173 views
Speaking while wearing Tefillin
Is there a real halachic source for the widespread practice not to speak while wearing tefillin? Of course, one is required to keep his mind on the tefillin, and may not get drawn into conversations ...
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3answers
331 views
Cutting Tefillin Retzuos
As we know, the outside of the tefillin's retzuos (phylacteries' straps) must be black. Lately, I've noticed that the very end of the retzuah of my shel yad (tefillin of the arm) is cracking and ...
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2answers
221 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
177 views
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2answers
144 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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2answers
65 views
What qualities are necessary in a halachic wrapping?
There are occasions, e.g. a mezuza in a sometimes-unbecoming environment, in which we're required to cover a holy object with one or two wrappings to separate it from various environmental elements. ...
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2answers
464 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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1answer
94 views
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?
6
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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?
6
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1answer
125 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
272 views
Best practices for praying in public with talit and tefilin
I just learned that a flight out of New York was diverted because a flight attendant saw a passenger putting on tefilin and freaked out, thinking that he was strapping on bombs.
So, do you have any ...
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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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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
147 views
Is it possible to convert a Rosh of a Rabeynu Tam Tefillin into a rosh of a Rashi Tefillin?
If I find a Rabeynu Tamm tefillin and I do not have another one , can I take it appart , and I know how to , and change the ROSH from Rabeynu Tam to a Rashi tefillin ?
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2answers
219 views
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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4answers
318 views
Why does the Tefilin Shel Yad have a protective cover?
When you purchase Tefilin, the Tefilin Shel Yad has a protective cover. Why? Is it Halachically necessary?
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1answer
124 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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1answer
106 views
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 ...
6
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3answers
189 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.
...
6
votes
1answer
190 views
Tefillin On Shabbos
Why do we not put on Tefillin on Shabbos?
Why is one not allowed to put on Tefillin on Shabbos?
And similarly, why is Tefillin Muktzah?
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votes
6answers
267 views
Are tefillin supposed to be removed before a bris (circumcision)? If so, why?
I remember in yeshiva one day as a bris was about to start after minyan, someone came around and told everybody, "take off your tefilin!"
Recently I saw R' Moshe Feinstein explaining why we leave ...
5
votes
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
161 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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2answers
105 views
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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4answers
200 views
God's Pair of Teffilin
How when moshe turns his head not to see God's face, he sees He's got on teffilin? I thought God had no physical form.
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3answers
137 views
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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2answers
148 views
Composition of Sofer's ink
What ingredients are currently used in the manufacture of ink for Safrus? Is there a different formulation for the paint that is used to dye tefillin straps/boxes?
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3answers
350 views
Should I wear tefillin during Chol HaMoed?
If I don't have a known family minhag regarding this, how should I decide whether to wear tefillin during Chol HaMoed? Which communities generally follow each option, and what are the reasons behind ...
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votes
3answers
98 views
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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votes
3answers
143 views
Are there standard sizes for tefilin batim (leather cases/housings) today?
I just looked down at the little plastic cover on my arm-tefilin and it had the number 4 on it. I assume that's a size ... while tefilin must be square, there are definitely a variety of sizes out ...
2
votes
2answers
134 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 ...
2
votes
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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3answers
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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 ...
