Tefillin Gassot Beis Yosef (Ashkenazi)

Tefillin, also known as phylacteries, are a set of small black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah. These verses include the 'Sh'ma Yisroel' ("Hear O Israel...") and other passages from the books of Deuteronomy and Exodus. Tefillin are worn during weekday morning prayers by Jewish men as a commandment from the Torah.

The Tefillin set consists of two parts: the Tefillin shel Yad, which is worn on the arm, and the Tefillin shel Rosh, which is worn on the head. Each box contains four Torah passages, written by a trained scribe with special ink on parchment. These passages remind the wearer of God's unity, the duty to love and serve God, and the commitment to keep God's commandments.

The process of creating Tefillin is intricate and requires adherence to numerous halachic details. Any deviation in the writing of even one letter can render the Tefillin invalid. The scribe's work is inspected by professional examiners and often verified through computer scanning to ensure accuracy.

1 Preparation:

• Before putting on Tefillin, make sure your hands are clean.
• Recite the blessing for putting on the Tefillin. The blessing for the Tefillin shel Yad (arm Tefillin) is: "Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Haolam, Asher Kidshanu B’mitzvotav V’tzivanu L’hani’ach Tefillin."

2 Wearing the Tefillin shel Yad (Arm Tefillin):

• Place the Tefillin shel Yad on your weaker arm (left arm for right-handed individuals, right arm for left-handed individuals).
• Position the black leather box (the bayit) on the bicep, just above the midpoint of the upper arm, so that when your arm is bent, the box faces your heart.
• Tighten the strap around your arm to secure the bayit in place.
• Wrap the strap around your arm seven times, moving down toward the hand, ensuring that the strap is snug but not too tight.

3 Reciting the Blessing for Tefillin shel Rosh (Head Tefillin):

• After placing and wrapping the Tefillin shel Yad, recite the following blessing for the Tefillin shel Rosh: "Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Haolam, Asher Kidshanu B’mitzvotav V’tzivanu Al Mitzvat Tefillin."
• Some add the phrase "Baruch Shem Kevod Malchuto L'olam Va'ed" after this blessing.

4 Wearing the Tefillin shel Rosh (Head Tefillin):

• Place the Tefillin shel Rosh on your head, just above the hairline and centered between your eyes.
• Ensure that the leather box sits snugly and is not tilted to one side.
• Allow the straps to hang down evenly on both sides, with the knot at the back of your head resting on the base of your skull.

5 Final Wrapping of the Tefillin shel Yad:

• Complete the wrapping of the Tefillin shel Yad by wrapping the strap around your hand and fingers. This process involves specific wraps and knots:
  • Wrap the strap around your palm once.
  • Then wrap it three times around your middle finger, once around the base, once in the middle, and once towards the top.
  • Complete the process by wrapping the remaining strap around your palm, securing the end of the strap.