Tefillin are black leather boxes that contain small parchment scrolls on which specific passages from the Torah are written. Tefillin are worn on the upper arm and forehead, usually during morning prayers, except on Shabbat and holidays, as the means of fulfilling the commandment to "bind them as a sign on your hand and as a symbol between your eyes" (Deuteronomy 6:8).
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Crafting Sacred SymbolsHALAKHAH
Crafting Sacred Symbols
HALAKHAH
The making of tefillin is a meticulous process, with specific requirements and details relevant to the scrolls and to the boxes that contain them. In his comprehensive twelfth-century code of Jewish law, the Mishneh Torah, Rambam provides a detailed guide to the creation of tefillin, from their shape to the materials used.
Embodying Love of GodTANAKH
Embodying Love of God
TANAKH
The commandment to love God is not just a spiritual or emotional task but is linked to physical actions. The book of Deuteronomy instructs us to bind the words of the Torah upon our bodies — an action the rabbis understand as the commandment to wrap tefillin.
On Your Arms and Between Your EyesCOMMENTARY
On Your Arms and Between Your Eyes
COMMENTARY
Tefillin are traditionally placed both on the forehead and on the arm. In his fourteenth-century commentary on the Torah, the Tur HaArokh, Jacob ben Asher explores the symbolic significance of wearing tefillin on these parts of the body, arguing that each has a different symbolic meaning.
Crafting Sacred SymbolsTALMUD
Crafting Sacred Symbols
TALMUD
The boxes containing the tefillin scrolls are made of black leather, and the scrolls themselves are made of animal hide. The Babylonian Talmud in tractate Shabbat derives legal requirements about which animal skins may be used for the preparation of tefillin.
Keeping God in MindHALAKHAH
Keeping God in Mind
HALAKHAH
The act of wrapping and wearing tefillin is meant to serve as a reminder of God’s power and unity, so state of mind is fundamental to the ritual. In the Shulchan Arukh, the foundational sixteenth-century code of Jewish law, Joseph Karo gives detailed instructions on the proper intentions and blessings to recite while performing this mitzvah (commandment).
Beautifying the Mitzvah of TefillinMUSAR
Beautifying the Mitzvah of Tefillin
MUSAR
As with many mitzvot (commandments), the act of laying tefillin should be performed with care and attention to the aesthetic dimension of the mitzvah. Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, in his eighteenth-century ethical work, Mesilat Yesharim, explores the concept of beautifying a commandment and its application to the mitzvah of tefillin.
God’s TefillinTALMUD
God’s Tefillin
TALMUD
What if God also wore tefillin? The Babylonian Talmud in tractate Berakhot uses biblical verses to suggest that God too wears tefillin and that just as our tefillin remind us of our love for God, God’s tefillin serve as a reminder of God’s love for God’s treasured people.
Obligations and ExemptionsMISHNAH
Obligations and Exemptions
MISHNAH
Who is obligated to lay tefillin each day? The Mishnah, the first codification of Jewish law from the third-century land of Israel, discusses the obligations of different social groups within Jewish society.
Binding the CovenantMIDRASH
Binding the Covenant
MIDRASH
Tefillin contain different compartments, each containing a different passage of the Torah. The ancient midrash from the land of Israel Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael provides detailed instructions about the different compartments of the tefillin and their placement on the body, deriving these rules from biblical verses.
The Power of TefillinKABBALAH
The Power of Tefillin
KABBALAH
According to the kabbalistic tradition, the act of wearing tefillin summons angels. The Zohar Chadash, a collection of Jewish texts related to the foundational mystical work the Zohar, explores this symbolic and kabbalistic understanding of this daily ritual.
A Public Declaration of FaithTALMUD
A Public Declaration of Faith
TALMUD
Tefillin, worn during weekday morning prayers, are a declaration of Jewish faith and identity. The Babylonian Talmud in tractate Menachot derives the public significance of tefillin from a verse in Deuteronomy.
The Power of IntentionCHASIDUT
The Power of Intention
CHASIDUT
The physical act of laying tefillin is only part of the equation. Jacob Joseph of Polonne in his work Ben Porat Yosef, emphasizes the centrality of intention in the performance of many mitzvot (commandments), mentioning tefillin as one mitzvah for which intention is particularly important.
Two Ways to Wear TefillinHALAKHAH
Two Ways to Wear Tefillin
HALAKHAH
There are two different customary ways to wear tefillin: according to the opinions of Rashi and Rabbeinu Tam, two medieval legal thinkers. The Ben Ish Hai, a late nineteenth-century work of Jewish law, offers guidance for navigating these different practices, arguing that each of these practices has its own merit.
A Divine Crown JEWISH THOUGHT
A Divine Crown
JEWISH THOUGHT
Throughout Jewish tradition, tefillin is described using the metaphor of a crown. In his eighteenth-century philosophical work, Derekh Hashem, Moshe Chaim Luzzatto explains this metaphor, its meaning, and its ramifications for some of the details of the ritual of laying tefillin.
Treating Tefillin with RespectMUSAR
Treating Tefillin with Respect
MUSAR
Because of the sanctity of tefillin, Jewish law requires special attentiveness to bodily purity while wearing them. Yonah Gerondi, a thirteenth-century Spanish rabbi, provides detailed guidelines about maintaining those standards of bodily purity and making sure that tefillin are handled respectfully.
Defiance in the Face of PersecutionTALMUD
Defiance in the Face of Persecution
TALMUD
Wearing tefillin publicly has served as a symbol of Jewish resilience and commitment to faith even amidst persecution. The Babylonian Talmud in tractate Shabbat story tells of Elisha, a man who defied a Roman decree against wearing tefillin.
Protecting the Sacred on ShabbatTALMUD
Protecting the Sacred on Shabbat
TALMUD
Because of tefillin’s sanctity, the talmudic sages made exceptions to the prohibition of carrying on Shabbat in order to protect them. The Babylonian Talmud in tractate Eruvin, records a rabbinic discussion of the specific rules and conditions for handling and transporting tefillin on Shabbat.
