Tefillin

Tefillin, (Hebrew: תפילין‎), is a pair of black leather boxes including scrolls of parchment etched with bible verses. The hand-tefillin is worn by Jews wrapped encircling the arm, hand and fingers, while the head-tefillin, is placed on top of the forehead. They attend as a "sign" and "remembrance" that God carried the children of Israel out of Egypt and tend to several objectives in the fulfillment of the scriptural commandments proscribing them to be worn by Jews.

Tefillin is cubic worked leather cases coloured black with leather leashes, coloured black on one side, that Jews wear on their head and their upper arm throughout weekday morning prayers. This practice has been functioning for thousands of years. Observant Jews consider wearing tefillin to be a very great mitsvah.

The source texts for tefillin in the Torah are enigmatic in literal meaning. For example, the following verse from the shema states: "And you shall bind them as a sign upon your arm, and they shall be as totafot between your eyes."

The verse does not designate what specifically to “bind upon your arm,” and the definition of totafot is not obvious—the only other appearances of this word are in identical contexts (Ex.13:16. & Deut. 11:18). However, the authoritative oral tradition (Oral Torah) explains that it is these scriptural passages themselves (including the shema) that are to be bound to the body in the form of tefillin. It is thus the Oral Torah that provides the details of the construction and application of tefillin.

The expression “to lay tefillin” is frequently used in English as in this article. The expression is received from the Yiddish leigen. It is also correct to use the term "wear" when referring to tefillin.

Putting on the Tefillin

1. Place on Arm

You have two black leather boxes with straps in your tefillin bag. One is for the arm, the other for the head. Take out the arm one first--that's the one that's one smooth box, rather than four compartments.

Remove the tefillin from the plastic case.
The arm tefillin goes on the weaker arm -- right-handed people do the left arm, lefties do the right arm.
Roll up your sleeve so that the tefillin is in direct contact with your arm. Put your arm through the loop formed by the knotted strap. Place the black box up on your biceps, just below the halfway point between the shoulder and the elbow right across from your heart. (see illustration).

2. The Blessing

Recite the blessing. If you can read and understand the original Hebrew, say it in Hebrew. Otherwise, you can say it in any language you understand.

Here's the Hebrew text:



Here's how it sounds:
Baruch Atta Ado-nay, Elo-hainu Melech Ha'olam, Ashair Kidishanu, B'mitzvotav, V'tzivanu L'haniach Tefillin.

Here's what it means:
Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to put on Tefillin.
Focus on what you're doing. From the time you make the blessing until both tefillin are in place, do not talk. Don't even wink. Just concentrate on hooking up your mind, heart and deeds and binding them to G-d.

3. Bind the Arm Tefillin

Tighten the strap around your arm, mindful that the knot stays in direct contact with the box.

Continue to wrap: two more times over the strap-socket of the black box and around the biceps, then seven times around your arm and once around your palm. Leave the remainder of the strap loose.

4. Place the Head Tefillin

Next, get out the head tefillin. Remove the tefillin from the plastic case. The box goes on your head, just above your forehead. Center it in the middle of your head directly above the point that's right between your eyes. The daled-shaped knot should rest on the base of your skull.

5. Tie on Hand

Now back to your hand. Wrap the remainder of the strap three times around your middle finger, like this: once around the base, then once just above the first joint, then one more time around the base. You've got some strap left over, so wrap it around your palm and tuck in the tail end.

6. Recite the Shema Yisrael

This is what it means (say this if you don't read Hebrew):

Hear, O Israel, the L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is One.

Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever.

You shall love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might. And these words which I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them thoroughly to your children, and you shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign upon your arm, and they shall be for a reminder between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates.

Transliteration:
She-ma Yis-ro-el Ado-noy Elo-hay-nu Ado-noy Ech-od.

Bo-ruch Shaym Ke-vod Mal-chu-so Le-olom Vo-ed.

Veohavto Ays Ado-noy Elo-he-cho Bechol Levov-cho Uve-chol Naf-she-cho Uve-chol Meo-de-cho. Ve-ho-yu Ha-devorim Ho-eleh Asher Ono-chee Me-tzav-cho Ha-yom Al Le-vovecho. Veshi-nan-tom Levo-ne-cho Ve-dibar-to Bom, Be-shiv-techo Be-vai-se-cho Uve-lech-techo Va-derech Uve-shoch-be-cho Uvekume-cho. Uke-shar-tom Le-os Al Yo-de-cho Ve-ho-yu Le-to-tofos Bein Eine-cho. Uche-savtom Al Me-zuzos Beis-echo U-vishore-cho.