Tefillin

1 You may not write the four scrolls of tefillin on skins of ritually unclean cattle or on skins of ritually unclean wild animals. You may, however, write them on skins of nebeloth and ṭerefoth and there is no need to consider the possibility that they were pierced at the animal’s heart.

2 If tefillin scrolls are perforated, they become unfit for religious use if the hole occurred in the written part, but if it occurred in the margin they remain fit. If the letter waw was shaped like a zayin or the reverse, straight-lined letters like curved ones or the reverse, open letters closed or the reverse, or if the shape of their letters has been altered in any other way, or if they were written in obsolete Hebrew, or were made as a kind of amulet, they are unfit for religious use.

3 Women, slaves and minors are exempt from the commandment of tefillin. A minor who knows how to take care of his tefillin is subject to the law of tefillin. It is reported that Ṭabi, Rabbi Gamaliel’s slave, used to put on tefillin. Michal, Saul’s daughter, used to put on tefillin. Jonah’s wife used to make the festival pilgrimages to Jerusalem.

4 Regarding those carrying a bier to the burial place and those who relieve them and those who relieve that second group, whether in front of the bier or behind the bier, all who are required to carry the bier are exempt from putting on tefillin, but those who are not required for the bier are obligated. When they stop for lamentations, those who are engaged in the lamentations are exempt, but those who cannot see the inside space between the rows are obligated.

5 If a person says to another, “Come and read a Scriptural text over my son because he is frightened,” or “Write, or place, on him a holy scroll,” or “Put tefillin on him so that he may sleep,” he should not be listened to.

6 A tefillah is susceptible to ritual uncleanness. If it becomes unclean, the priest sprinkles on it the water of the red heifer and repeats the process, and then immerses it in a ritual bath. Rabbi Ḥanina ben Gamaliel says, “It must be untied.” If a tefillah fell into water and remained there long enough for the writing to be washed away, it should be examined.

7 Straps of tefillin may be bought anywhere. Rabbi Simeon ben Gamaliel says, “Any skin that has been used for a secular purpose is forbidden to be used for the straps of tefillin.”

8 Tefillin may be bought only from a reliable person. Where there is no reliable person a pair of tefillin should be given to an expert who examines them. This does not mean that the seller gives him the scrolls. Instead, he himself chooses whichever he wants and has them examined. If on examination the selected tefillin are found to be fit, he may take the entire batch without any misgivings.

9 The sections of the head-tefillah are written on four separate scrolls beginning with “Consecrate to MeExodus 13:1–10,” “And it will be when the Lord brings youExodus 13:11–16,” “HearDeuteronomy 6:4–9,” and “And it will be, if you listenDeuteronomy 11:13–21.” The same applies to the hand-tefillah, except that all four sections are written in one scroll. If someone wrote them in four separate scrolls the tefillah is fit for religious use. Rabbi Judah says, “They should be sewn together and put into one capsule.” Rabbi Judah, however, acknowledges that if two tefillin were like the head-tefillah, one may wrap one of them in a piece of leather and in this way turn it into a hand-tefillah.

10 The hand-tefillah is put on the upper part of the hand because Scripture states, “And it will be a sign for you on your handExodus 13:9,” which means that the sign will be for you but not for others. Likewise, the Scriptural expression “between your eyes” implies the upper part of the head. Because “on your hand” and “between your eyes” occur next to each other, we infer that as “on your hand” means on the upper part of the hand, so “between your eyes” means on the upper part of the head. This is according to Rabbi Eliezer ben Jacob. Rabbi Judah says that it is stated “on your hand” and it is also stated in the same verse “between your eyes.” From this we infer that as “on your hand” refers to a place that is susceptible to ritual uncleanness by one symptom of leprosy, so also “between your eyes” refers to a place that is susceptible to ritual uncleanness by one symptom of leprosy. Another reason: It is stated “between your eyes” and it is also stated, “Do not make any bald patch between your eyesDeuteronomy 14:1.” As baldness occurs where there is hair on the head, so you must put the tefillah only where there is hair on the hand. It is stated, “And you shall write themDeuteronomy 6:9,” and it is also stated next to it “and you shall bind themDeuteronomy 6:8.” From this we infer that the hand that writes the mezuzah is the hand that binds the tefillah.

11 The commandment of wearing tefillin is from dawn until evening. If a person sleeps in the daytime he does not need to remove his tefillin. If a man rises early to go on a journey, he should not put them on before the time to perform the commandment. But if he has put them on before the proper time to perform of the commandment, he should place his hand on them at the time to perform the commandment and say the blessings.

12 Absence of the hand-tefillah does not prevent the religious use of the head-tefillah, nor does the absence of the head-tefillah prevent the religious use of the hand-tefillah. If a man turns over a tefillah capsule he has not fulfilled his religious duty. When a man puts on the tefillin, he should put on the hand-tefillah first, and when he takes them off, he should take off the head-tefillah first. A similar rule applies in the case of sandals, namely, when he puts them on, he should put on the right sandal first, and when he takes them off, he should take off the left sandal first. Likewise, any dish that is served last is removed first, except bread.

13 If a man makes his head-tefillah round, this is a dangerous practice that does not fulfill the commandment. To put the head-tefillah on one’s forehead or the hand-tefillah on the palm of one’s hand is the practice of heretics. To cover them with gold or put the hand-tefillah on one’s neḳlah, which means a sleeve, is the practice of outsiders.

14 Tefillin may be moved within a house even on the Sabbath. If on the Sabbath day a man finds tefillin in a public domain, he should carry them into a safe place one pair at a time. Rabbi Gamaliel says, “Two pairs at a time.” This rule applies to both men and women, to new tefillin and to old. Rabbi Judah says, “This procedure is permitted with old tefillin but forbidden with new.”

15 If a man finds a Torah scroll or a bundle of tefillin, he should pass them on to the next person, and the next person should pass them on to the next person on the Sabbath, even if there are a hundred people. If there is no other person with him, he should pick them up while standing within four cubits distance from them and move them to the next point within four cubits distance from the first point, because Rabbi Simeon said, “Any prohibition imposed by a rabbinical court does not apply to holy writings.” If a man is in a schoolhouse or in a house of study, or in a toilet or a bathhouse, and has forgotten to remove his tefillin, he should cover them with his hair and leave the place. If he is unable to do so, he should go to a nearby house where he takes them off.

16 Tefillin may be put into a money bag even when there is money in it. They may also be suspended from the legs of a bed, but if another person is with him in bed it is forbidden. They must not be placed under one’s head, but if this protects them it is permitted. If a man is carrying a heavy load and is sweating, he does not need to remove his tefillin. A potter should remove the hand-tefillah but wear the head-tefillah. A baker should remove the head-tefillah and wear the hand-tefillah, but if he uses both hands in baking he also takes off the hand-tefillah.

17 Regarding a bathhouse, if a man is about to enter the room where people are undressed, he removes his tefillin at a distance of four cubits from the undressed people. If some are undressed and others dressed, he does not remove his tefillin but should not put them on to begin with.

18 If a person is about to enter a tannery, a pond enclosure or a washhouse, he removes his tefillin at a distance of four cubits. If a person is about to enter a toilet, he removes the tefillin at a distance of four cubits. If it is a superior bathing place, one does not remove the tefillin until he reaches it.

19 It once happened that Rabbi Eliezer went to Ubelin where he stayed with a certain homeowner. It was customary there to bathe in a cave. When Rabbi Eliezer took his clothes off and removed his tefillin, the host said to him, “Rabbi, isn’t the water in that cave better than the water in this one?” And although there was only a distance of four cubits between the one and the other, Rabbi Eliezer dressed and put on his tefillin, because he never walked four cubits without tefillin. In this way Rabbi Eliezer made the commandment of tefillin a permanent practice.

20 Rabbi Eliezer used to say, “The commandment of tefillin is great, because the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, ‘But you shall meditate on it day and nightJoshua 1:8.’” “Sovereign of the universe,” said Israel to the Holy One, blessed be He, “is it possible for us to meditate day and night in the Torah?” The Holy One, blessed be He, answered them, “My children, put tefillin on your heads and on your arms and I will count it for you as if you meditated in the Torah day and night.” As it is stated, “And it will be a sign for you on your hand, and as a reminder between your eyes, so that the law of the Lord may be in your mouthExodus 13:9.”

21 Israel is loved by God, because they observe all the commandments that are in the Torah. How? Tefillin on their hands, tefillin on their heads, a mezuzah on their doors and four ẓiẓith on their garments. Concerning them David, king of Israel, said, “Seven times a day I praise You because of Your righteous judgmentsPsalms 119:164.” The Sages illustrated this with a parable. What is this like? It is like a king who said to his wife, “Be well dressed and wear ornaments in my presence.” “For what reason?” she asked him. “So that you may be acceptable to me,” he replied. Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “My children, be well dressed and wear ornaments in My presence with your performance of the commandments.” “For what reason?” they asked Him. “So that,” He replied, “you may be acceptable to Me.” As it is stated, “You are beautiful, my love, like TirzahSong of Songs 6:4,” which means, “You are beautiful when you are acceptable to Me through your performance of the commandments.”