...Continued from previous week
1) Jewish males [over the age of 13] must don Tefilin every single day, except Shabbos and Yom Tov (and Chol HaMoed according to some)
One who does not don Tefilin is shunned by Hashem (Talmud Pesachim 113b)
One who fulfills the Mitzvah of Tefilin is as if he fulfilled all the Mitzvos of the Torah (Talmud Kidushin 35a)
2) The Tefilin is placed on the weaker hand. (Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim Siman 27:1 and Mishna Berura S”K 1)
Thus, right handed men place the Tefilin on their left hands and left handed people [who do everything with their left hands] place the Tefilin on their right hands. (Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim Siman 27:6)
If the Tefilin was placed on the wrong hand, the obligation has not been fulfilled even B’dieved. (See Be’er Heitev Siman 27:11 and Mishna Berura Siman 27:1 and 24)
3) There is a minority opinion amongst the Poskim that rules that even a left handed person should place Tefilin on his left hand.
Some Poskim are stringent and say that lefties should first place the Tefilin on their right hands and then also place on their left hands to satisfy the minority opinion. (See Sha’arei Teshuva Siman 27:7 and Kaf HaChaim Siman 27:31. See also Shu”t Az Nidberu Vol. 14 Siman 33, Ohr L’Tzion Vol. 2 Siman 83:3 and Shu”t Teshuvos V’Hanhagos Vol. 1 Siman 41)
The prevalent custom, however, is for lefties to just place their Tefilin on the right hand.
4) If a person writes with his right hand but does everything else (eats, throws a ball etc.) with his left hand or vice versa, a Rav must be consulted as to which hand is considered his stronger hand. (Shulchan Aruch Siman 27:6. See also Igros Moshe Orach Chaim Vol. 4 Siman 11 and Vol. 3 Siman 2, Shu”t Minchas Shlomo Vol. 2 Siman 3, Kobetz Teshuvos from Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv Shlita Vol. 1 Siman 4 and Shu”t Teshuvos V’Hanhagos Vol. 1 Siman 41)
5) Every Jewish male is obligated to recite the entire Krias Shma twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening.
Women, M’Ikar HaDin, are exempt from reciting the entire Krias Shema. However, they should (and according to some Poskim must) recite the first Posuk of “Shema Yisroel...” and “Baruch Sheim...” each morning and evening as they are definitely obligated in Kabolas Ol Malchus Shamayim, accepting upon themselves the yoke of Hashem’s sovereignty. (Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim Siman 70:1 and Mishna Berura S”K 4)
6) The custom is to cover the eyes with the hand when saying the first Posuk of Shma Yisroel as to ensure that the eyes do not wander and prevent proper concentration (Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim Siman 61:5)
The hand that should be used to cover the eyes is the right hand. (Mishna Berura Siman 61:17)
The Poskim discuss that the reason for using the right hand is because the left hand is already occupied with holding the Tzitzis (as we previously discussed) and thus the free hand is used to cover the face. The Sefarim also write that there are kabalistic reasons for using the right hand for this purpose. (See Sefer Od Yosef Chai from the Ben Ish Chai Parshas V’Eira Os 2 Dibur Hamaschil U’Mah Shekasav)
Since both righties and lefties hold their Tzitzis in their left hands, they both use their right hands for covering the face. (See Kaf HaChaim Siman 61:21)
7) Although women do not hold Tzitzis when reciting Krias Shma, they should still use their right hand to cover their face, due to the kabalistic reasons for using this hand.
8) Some people have the custom to simply close their eyes when saying Shma, without putting any hand on their eyes. This is not a proper custom according to kabalistic sources. (See Ben Ish Chai ibid. Os 1)
...to be continued next week B’Ezras Hashem
