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Up to (and including) the period of the Rishonim, are there multiple documented instances of Jewish women wearing tefillin?

Edit: As discovered by another user on this website, there is another question similar in nature to the question above. In contrast to the other post, I would like a comprehensive answer with multiple sources and within a more specific time range.

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  • 1
    Why are you inquiring about this? Adding motivation to your question can improve it.
    – Double AA ♦
    Jun 12, 2015 at 18:32
  • Related: judaism.stackexchange.com/q/27823/1713
    – Daniel
    Jun 12, 2015 at 18:50
  • Would like to add regarding this question, if a woman did put tefillin, would she also put it on during Shabbat?
    – Zeev
    Jun 13, 2015 at 21:29
  • It's a good question. The answer that avoids the question, is that many poskim hold that men can wear tefillin provided that they do not have the intention of fulfilling a mitzvah. If I recall correctly, the Shulchan Aruch says that people would conceivably wear tefillin on Shabbat because the tefillin acted as a protective amulet in some sense. (There are source(s), I believe the Zohar in particular, that says that one is "chayav mitah" for wearing tefillin.) In short, I believe the question merits a separate post.
    – Lael345
    Jun 14, 2015 at 3:10
  • @Zeev judaism.stackexchange.com/q/41169/759
    – Double AA ♦
    Jun 15, 2015 at 16:02

1 Answer 1

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See this article for a more comprehensive discussion. Here are some sourced examples of women who donned tefillin:

  1. The gemara in Eruvin Daf 96 states that Queen Michal (wife of King David) wore tefillin.

  2. "[There] is the opinion [that women are obligated to wear tefillin] attributed to two prominent tannaim, R. Meir and R. Yehuda, as cited in multiple Talmudic passages (see, for example, Kiddushin 35a and Eruvin 96a-b)." Presumably their families and students followed the psak.

  3. "Rabbi Avigdor Ha-Tzarfati (13th century Vienna), [noted] that a few pious women in his time period donned tefillin."

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  • Rashis daughters? No mention
    – Shoel U'Meishiv
    Jun 14, 2015 at 4:53
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    There is no clear written/historical evidence for it that I am aware of.
    – Lael345
    Jun 14, 2015 at 5:30
  • So it is implied but uncertain that Beruriah, Rabbi Meir's wife wore tefillin?
    – Mike
    Jun 14, 2015 at 22:30

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