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[Mezuzah][>Tefillin
<][Sefer-Torah][Megillot]
Tefillin
Tefillin
Batim
Retzuot
Checking & Inspection
Tefillin are phylacteries, the leather boxes which Jewish men from the age of 13 bind with
leather straps onto their left arm (unless they are left-handed, in which case they bind it onto
their right arm) and on the crest of their foreheads. Tefillin are donned each weekday morning
during the morning prayers. The boxes contain parchments, on which are written the four relevant
sections of the Torah, in which the commandment of Tefillin are mentioned. "And you
shall bind them for a sign upon your hand and for a remembrance between your eyes"
(Exodus 13,9, and with slight variations in Exodus 13,16, Deuteronomy 6,8 and 11,18).
The Biblical texts must be written by hand, in order, on parchment from a kosher animal.
Tefillin for the head contain the four Biblical passages written on four different pieces of
parchment and placed in four separate compartments. In Tefillin for the arm all four passages
are written consecutively on a single parchment and inserted into a single box. These parchments
are known as Parashot, and are written by a Scribe in the three basic Hebrew Scripts used today.
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Batim
The boxes of the Tefillin (known as Batim, "containers" for the written parchments) must be square.
They vary in quality, in the way they are made, and in their halachic desirability. On the market
today there are four types:
1] Peshutim: Peshutim means simple. These batim are made from
many pieces of parchment which are glued together. They are generally poor quality, do not last long and
are the least halachically preferable.
2] Peshutim Mehudarim: The upper section of these batim
are made from one piece of parchment which is cut in a manner so that they can be folded and glued to
create solid boxes. Additional pieces may be added to strengthen them. The batim are then set into a base
of thin hide. These batim are not halachically preferable by many authorities even though the upper
section is one solid piece which is preferred by Halacha. They require that the upper sections be one
solid piece of leather without the need for glue. Due to their lightweight and thin walls they tend to
gradually warp more easily and have a shorter life span.
3] Dakos: These are made from a thin-skinned animal such as a goat.
The thin hides are stretched over and glued to frames of thicker hide in the shape of batim. They are
reasonably sturdy. They are not aesthetically pleasing and not as halachically preferable as gasos batim.
These were the best types of batim available until the early 20th century. Since gasos are now available,
are far superior and are quite reasonable therefore, dakos are no longer invested with the same precision
and concern for quality and exactness.
4] Gasos: These are made from one solid piece of hide, from the
face and neck, from a thick-skinned animal such as a bull. Great expertise, time, effort and precision
are required. On the one hand they require delicate handiwork while on the other hand they are pressed
with many tons of pressure. They take many months to make as they need to dry properly in between each
stage, preferably through the summer and winter seasons, so they will permanently retain their form. They
are far superior both aesthetically, halachically and qualitatively. They last many years and can be
repaired and refinished as new.
One may summarize that it is worth every effort to acquire gasos!
Almost all the Tefillin written today are produced in Israel. Even the scribes working in the Diaspora
generally import their merchandise from Israel.
According to the Halacha (Jewish law), hundreds of laws govern every detail about the making of Tefillin,
including the minutest details of the materials and the writing. Due to the meticulous requirements, it
is very easy for something to go wrong during the production of Tefillin, sometimes in ways that cannot
be seen at all afterwards. This is one of the reasons it is imperative to purchase Tefillin only from an
honest, authorized reputable scribe.
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Reztuot - Straps
Retzuot - Tefillin Straps: The black leather straps used to attach Tefillin to arm and forehead.
The Retzuot (Straps) have a specific significance, forming the letters of one of
Hashem's 'Names' with their knots. The Retzuot, since they are used to function the Teffilin, they
are considered items which serve holiness, and they may not be disposed of. Instead, they are buried.
As with other STAM items, Retzuot come in various types of quality and Kashrut grades. In addition they vary in width sizes.
Highest standards calls for the Retzuot to be hand crafted (Avodat Yad) and painted black with high
quality paint to ensure longevity.
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Checking & Inspection
Jewish law does not require checking Tefillin that are in regular daily use unless some mishap befalls
them, such as exposure to water or excessive sun. Nonetheless, it is customary that they be examined
from time to time to ensure that they are kosher (some check yearly, some twice in seven years--like
Mezuzot, some less frequently). Our recommendations depend on the quality and kind of Tefillin that
you have. Tefillin, which are not being used, must be checked like Mezuzot, twice in seven years.
Despite the best efforts of the expert scribe, checkers usually find a number of mistakes and
problems requiring improvement or correction. In our time it has become common to substitute a check by
computer for one of the human checks. The computer is better than human checkers at locating mistakes
in the consonantal text--missing, garbled, or extra words--but it cannot substitute entirely for expert
human inspectors, who also locate fine breaks and joins between letters and various other problems which
the computer doesn't catch.
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