From the Sofer's Workshop: A Bar Mitzvah Tefillin Mishap

Two weeks ago, I received a call from a concerned father who wanted to check his son's tefillin. These tefillin had been purchased just two years ago for his son’s Bar Mitzvah, and he wanted to ensure they were in good condition.

Right away, I noticed a problem.

At the bottom of the batim, there was a sticker indicating the kashrut certification of the tefillin. While this might seem reassuring, it actually presented a halachic issue:

A sticker on the batim is a chatzitza (separation), rendering the tefillin unusable.

A kashrut sticker on tefillin batim creates a halachic problem: it's a chatzitza (separation), invalidating the tefillin.

Tefillin must be placed directly on the head and arm with no barrier in between. This sticker should have been removed before the tefillin were given to the Bar Mitzvah boy.

But that was only the beginning…

Upon further examination, I discovered a far more serious issue: the parshiyot inside the tefillin were pasul (invalid).

Invalid Torah scrolls inside. or Tefillin parshiyot invalid.

One of the psulim was in the letter ג (gimel)—the “leg” of the letter was not connected to the “body,” which completely invalidates the writing. (See the enclosed picture.)

1. When purchasing tefillin, always have them checked by a qualified sofer. Even new tefillin can have halachic issues.

2. Stickers, tags, or any other barriers must be removed from tefillin before use. A chatzitza can make them unusable until corrected.

3. Regular inspections are essential—even after just a couple of years, problems can arise that need to be addressed.

   
   

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