Also called "phylacteries": a religious object worn by Jewish men, usually during morning weekday prayers.
Questions tagged [tefilin]
498 questions
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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 tying of the shel yad.
Why is this so? Is it…
yydl
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Sources on covering tefilin shel yad
I've read several things about covering the tefilin shel yad :
covering it with the tallit while fixing it
covering it with the tallit for the entire tefila
covering it with the shirt sleeve for the entire tefila
covering it with the jacket sleeve…
Frank
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Why would there be a piece of retzuah in the compartment of the tefillin shel yad?
Recently, I came across an old pair of tefillin peshutim of mine. They became un-fit for use years ago, and I have since replaced them with a sturdier pair, B''H. They aren't vintage, but they have seen better days for sure (peshutim don't hold up…
ezra
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When removing Tefillin, why do we start by taking off the finger, hand, and two windings of the forearm before removing the shel rosh?
When removing Tefillin, why do we start by taking off the finger, hand, and two windings of the forearm before removing the shel rosh? The shel yad needs to be on first and last. So why not simply remove the shel rosh right away with none of the…
Sidney76
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How did Romaniotes wrap tefillin?
Everyone knows that Sephardics and Ashkenazis wrap tefillin differently. But how did/do Romaniotes (from parts of Greece, mainly Ioannina) wrap it?
AviG
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Tefillin Before Rashi's Time
If we speak of Rashi tefillin and Rabbeinu Tam tefillin, what kind of tefillin did people put on before Rashi's time?
AdM
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Extra cover on tefillin shel yad
I've noticed that a lot of protective cases for the tefillin shel yad have an extra inner cover which slides out, usually a plastic cube with one side missing and a corner cut out for the knot, sometimes with a hole in the top. Sometimes I've seen…
Moses Supposes
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Is the extra casing over tefillin required
On the tefillin shel yad, there is an outer black box that covers the actual tefillin box. Is this required?
Curious Yid
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Can tefillin be "switched"?
The arm tefilla has one compartment and one parchment and the head tefilla has four.
Let's say someone has only one type available. He has two head tefillin or two arm tefillin. In such a situation, may one place the head tefiila on his arm or arm…
DanF
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If a Strap is partially torn are the Tefillin still Kosher?
Obviously if the Shel Yad Strap is fully torn then the Tefillin are no longer Kosher, but what if it’s a partial rip? Is there a distinction based on how much of the width is torn? Or is a rip a rip?
Lages
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How long will a pair of Tefillin last?
After how many years are Tefillin supposed to still be acceptable and Kosher?
Do people often pass down Tefillin from generation to generation?
If so, how old is the oldest pair still in use?
Allen Lux
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Why are tefillin worn on the head and not between the eyes?
Take a look at these images of people wearing tefillin.
From this:
https://www.karaiteinsights.com/article/mamzer
You shall tie them as a sign on your arm and as frontlets between your eyes.”
and…
user4951
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Why do some (e.g., Chabad) only say one tefillin blessing?
I have noticed that while most Ashkenazi siddurim have blessings for both arm and head tefillin (להניח תפלין and then וציונו על מצות תפלין), Chabad only does one blessing, and I remember seeing a disagreement somewhere about the second blessing…
Marc Stober
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How can you politely stop people from coercing performance of a mitzvah?
I read this question - Contemporary rabbinic views on social pressure to get people to do Mitzvoth - and it seemed to apply to a recent situation.
I was with a group of friends recently on a Sunday evening in a Northeastern city, getting ready to…
Gary
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Identifying the Grade of Your Tefillin
So I was wondering how someone would go about determining whether his tefillin was Peshutim Mehudarim, Dakos, or Gassos, or even Gassos Prudos? Can this be done without taking the tefillin apart?
ezra
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