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In many places where I have davened I have observed people (apparently intentionally) putting on their tallis and tefillin in a different room from where davening takes place.

I have seen this even

  • In places where it would likely be less comfortable to do it outside than inside (e.g. in the hallway where there's only a very small table to balance tallis bag, tefillin bag, tefillin covers, siddur, etc. while there are long tables inside the shul with plenty of space).

  • In times when davening has not started yet and whatever noise and motion occurs during the process of putting on tefillin would not disturb anybody (indeed many other people are putting on their tefillin inside the shul).

  • In a minyan near me that often gets a late start, there is one person who sometimes gets up to lead berakhos before putting on his tefillin just to get the davening started. After finishing berakhos, he takes his tefillin into a different room to put them on, then comes back.

Is there some kind of halakhic or minhagic reason for doing this? If not, why do many people prefer to put on tefillin in a different room from where the davening is going on?

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  • See ShA OC 25:2 and the Beit Yosef and Magen Avraham there in particular.
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Jun 15, 2016 at 19:54
  • @DoubleAA Why does the ShA rule that we should put on tefillin at home? (You have a partial answer to the question already, though)
    – Daniel
    Commented Jun 15, 2016 at 20:07
  • Because then angels give you blessings or something I don't begin to understand. See the Beit Yosef who quotes the Zohar. More simply (and I don't see anyone who says this) you wear Tefillin and Tzitzis all day so you put them on when you get up like everything else. Why wouldn't you? The Minhag became to take them off [after Davening] before work, but that doesn't change what is done in the morning.
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Jun 15, 2016 at 20:10
  • @DoubleAA Ok, I haven't had a chance to look at the Beit Yosef yet. If the reason is because of your pshat, why does the SA have to say anything? Why doesn't he say to put on your shirt and pants and wear them to shul?
    – Daniel
    Commented Jun 15, 2016 at 20:11
  • Because he is especially advocating it due to the Zohar, not because of my pshat. R Yonah who he also quotes doesn't mention anything about angels and if you look him up he seems to be thinking along the lines I said above (he even mentions taking off your Tefillin when you get home after Davening; maybe that was just because you don't leave your stuff at Shul or something). Perhaps someone who understands the Zohar will post an answer explaining it. (Or better someone could do a survey about various Rishonim's morning routines!)
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Jun 15, 2016 at 20:20

2 Answers 2

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The Shulchan Aruch 25:2 says that one should put on a Tallis Kattan and Tefillin at home, walk to Shul in them, and put His Tallis Gadol on in Shul. Other opinions say to put on the Tallis Gadol and Tefillin on at home, and walk to Shil like that.

The Mishnah Brura 25:8 says that if one is worried of passing by Goyim or going through unclean places, he should put his Tefillin and Tallis Gadol on in a hallway in the Shul.

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    Why do any of this?
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Jun 23, 2016 at 23:55
  • I believe it's for 2 reasons. They used to wear Tefillin all day long. Some also have the Minhag of leaving Shul while wearing Tefillin. This extra time with Tefillin also has its benefits of giving you a bigger Mitzvah. The other reason is because as @sabbahillel said above, you want to show for the king fully dressed, not just get dressed in his inner chambers.
    – M. Broder
    Commented Jun 24, 2016 at 0:10
  • Did you make those reasons up or are they the traditional explanation? Either way please edit your answer with the relevant info. Always just put relevant info into a post not in comments.
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Jun 24, 2016 at 0:21
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The shulchan aruch brings up people used to put tefillin on at home and walk to shul but have stopped doing this to avoid having problems from goyim and bc of dirty condituons in cities. As a result many developed the minhag to at least put their tallis and tefillin on before walking unto the main part if the shul where they will be davening.

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  • Where does the Shulchan Arukh say this?
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Jun 23, 2016 at 23:25
  • Of what value is putting them on "before walking into the main part of the shul where they will be davening"?
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Jun 23, 2016 at 23:26

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