Tefillin
Parsha Pages | July 23, 2023
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Tefillin

Parsha Pages | December 31, 2025

TEFILLIN(לקוטי שיחות ט')

ולטוטפות בין עיניך ידכה לאות על והיה
שמות יג:טז
רש"י ארבעה בתים
לטוטפות בין עיניך והיו לאות על ידך וקשרתם
דברים ו:ח
רש"י מנין פרשיותיהם

שמות

  • Indicates focus of the pair as one unit towards remembrance of our going out of Egypt
  • והיה
  • Hand is the power of deed even to the “left” side, place where deeds are the weakest
  • ידכה
  • Emphasis on four batim since in the first 40 years of the desert the head Tefillin contained two parshiyos and two empty batim; the increased number of batim enlarged the remembrance
  • רש"י

דברים

  • Plural refers to these words of the different parshiyos and not a single unit
  • והיו
  • Establishes distinction between tefillin of the head and of the arm
  • וקשרתם
  • Previously only 4 batim; now, four also applies to the count of parshiyos
  • רש"י

In Shmos the pair of Tefillin appear as one unit; in D’varim appear as separate. Arm alludes to middos and head alludes to mochin, each having its own function. But the ultimate aim is to harness both and operate together as one unit.

תפילין של ראשתפילין של ידיחודא עילאהיחודא תתאהפני משה כפני חמהפני יהושע כפני לבנהראיהשמיעהקדש והיה כי יביאך שמע והיה אם שמעלפני מתן תורה אחר מתן תורהמוחיןמדותאתכפיאאתהפכא

שמות פרק יג
ט וְהָיָה לְךָ לְאוֹת עַל-יָדְ ךָ וּלְזִכָרוֹן בֵּין עֵּינֶיךָ לְמַעַן תִהְיֶה תוֹרַת הי בְפִיךָ כִי בְיָד חֲזָקָה הוֹצִאֲךָ יְהוָֹה מִמִצְרָיִם :

שמות פרק יג
י וְשָמַרְ תָ אֶת -הַחֻקָה הַזֹּאת לְמוֹעֲדָהּ מִיָמִים יָמִימָה:

בעל הטורים
והיה לך לאות על ידך. בגימטריא זרֹּ ע שמאל.
This alludes to the concept of putting the arm Tefillin on your “left” arm.
תורת ה' בפיך. בגימטריא זהו קריאת שמע.
This alludes to the law to say a minimum of Shema Yisrael while wearing Tefillin.
למועדה. מלא ו' לומר לך כי ששה ימים בשבוע חייב בתפלין. ויש ששה ימי מועד שאין בהם תפלין והם פסח, עצרת , ראש השנה, ויום הכפורים, סוכות שמיני Disagreement whether this verse refers to the Mitzvah of Tefillin or to the Mitzvah of Pesach. Allusion to the law not to wear Tefillin on Yomim Tovim.
עצרת פארך חבוש (יחזקאל כד, יז) בגימטריא אלו תפילין

שמות פרק יג
טז וְהָיָה לְאוֹת עַל -יָדְ כָה וּלְטוֹטָפֹּת בֵּין עֵּינֶיךָ כִי בְחֹּזֶק יָד הוֹצִיאָנוּ ה' מִמִצְרָיִם:

בעל הטורים
והיה לאות על ידכה. ה' תגין על הה"א כנגד ה' פרקים עד הפרק שמניחין בו תפלין.
Alludes to the placement of the arm Tefillin.
ולטוטפות בין עיניך. בגימטריא אלו ארבעה בתים:
Alludes to the concept that the Tefillin of the head has 4 compartments (Tefillin of the arm has only one compartment)

The Shulchan Aruch presents two different methods of the order of the placement of the parshiyos in the four compartments of one’s shel rosh. According to Rashi and Rambam beginning from the left side of the wearer the order is קדש, כי יביאך, שמע, והיה אם שמוע. According to Rabbeinu Tam the parsha היה אם שמוע is placed in the third compartment and שמע is in the fourth compartment.

This disagreement relates to how they understand the Gemara in Menachos (34b) and could be traced to a disagreement between the Mechilta (סוף פרשת בא) and the Yerushalmi.

The Bach cites the Semag and the Mordechai who report that a beam once fell on the grave of Yechezkel HaNavi that uncovered a pair of tefillin. Upon examination it was discovered that the tefillin were consistent with Rashi’s opinion giving weight to Rashi’s position. There are authorities who reject this as proof to Rashi’s position since it could be that the tefillin were buried since they were invalid since they were made in accordance with Rashi’s position. Nevertheless, the Bach found the discovery compelling. He reasoned that even if the parshiyos were in the wrong compartment they could be moved to their correct location and there would be no reason to bury them.

There are two additional opinions about the correct placement of the parshiyos. Shimusha Rabba follows the order of Rashi and Rambam but orders them beginning on the right side rather than the left side. Ra’avad orders the parshiyos as did Rabbeinu Tam but he also begins from the right side of the wearer rather than the left side. It is not uncommon to see people wearing Rabbeinu Tam’s tefillin and in some communities it is standard practice based on Arizal’s comment that both opinions are Halacha L’Moshe M’Sinai. It is rare to find those who wear tefillin in accordance with Shimusha Rabba or Ra’avad. Authorities explain that only the holiest of people may wear these other pairs of Tefillin.

Notes:

Tosfos explains that the disagreement is regarding the order of placement of the four parshious in the head Tefillin. However, all agree on the order that the Sofer writes the Tefillin. They must be written according to the order that they appear in the Torah. Thus, according to the opinion of those that hold according to Rabbeinu Tam, the Sofer would write first קדש, then would write כי יביאך, then leave a blank space, and then write the fourth Parsha שמע. Afterwards, the Sofer would return to the third (blank) area and write the Parsha היה אם שמוע. Thus, the writing is according to the order of the Torah, but not the placement.

The decision in Shulchan Aruch is that one should wear Tefillin according to the order proposed by Rashi and Rambam. However, a “Yiras haShamayim” should endeavor to put on both pairs of Tefillin. Some actually place both pairs on at the same time. The common practice is to place “Rashi” Tefillin on for the main portion of Shacharis and then put on the “Rabbeinu Tam” Tefillin afterwards. If one does not need to rush out of shuel, one should wait to put on “Rabbeinu Tam” Tefillin after Aleinu. (Ariz”l, Chida, Y’via Omer).

The Chida and Ben Ish Chai also state that it is proper to learn while wearing “Rabbeinu Tam” Tefillin for a short time or for longer.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe advised his followers that Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin should be worn in addition to Rashi Tefillin even in the two months prior to Bar Mitzvah. Previously the Chassidim only wore Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin after they were married. Yet the young unmarried Chassidim were not the only ones to begin wearing Rabbeinu Tam. The legal authority of the time, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein zt”l, also decided to take on this practice.

It seems that when Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch, a Chabad chasid, met with Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, he brought up the subject of Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin. He was surprised to learn that Rabbi Feinstein had put on Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin until he was eighteen, but stopped. Rabbi Feinstein now said based on the message from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, he would happily comply if the Rebbe was involved in their procurement (picking the sofer and other details).

Rabbi Hershel immediately wrote to the Rebbe about these developments. A few hours later, at midnight, Rabbi Zirkind was called to 770 to meet with the Rebbe to discuss the details of the Tefillin for Rabbi Feinstein. The next day, Rabbi Zirkind met with Rabbi Feinstein as how the Tefillin should be written. Rabbi Zirkind wrote one section, and then brought it to Rabbi Feinstein for review and acceptance. The entire process took two days to complete. After placing the boxes on his head, Rabbi Feinstein requested smaller boxes that would lay flat on his head. Rabbi Zirkind replaced them that day, and on that same day Rabbi Feinstein resumed wearing Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin.

A letter from Rabbi Feinstein to the Lubavitcher Rebbe appears in Igros Moshe humbly thanking the Rebbe for urging the wearing of Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin. Rabbi Feinstein ends the letter with the salutation, “who greatly esteems him (the Rebbe).”

A few days later Rabbi Feinstein received a response from the Rebbe in which the Rebbe acknowledged his letter and made some points about tefillin Rabbeinu Tam (free translation):

The Rabbi and Gaon... Rabbi Moshe Feinstein:
... that you should live long, good days and years. And especially, since you attached a response discussing a number of matters regarding Tefillin and the conclusion regarding the actual practice of tefillin (d’Rabbeinu Tam). And being that the middah [trait] of HaKadosh Baruch Hu is measure for measure with (but many times more), then according to this, (an increase in) one who puts on Tefillin (brings an increase in the reward of) lengthens his days as it says, “HaShem is upon them, may they live... and He should fortify me (with health) and grant me life (end of Menachos 44a).” Particularly as regards (the arm that is opposite) the heart and (the head that is opposite) the brain – Chabad of our Holy Torah all the way to drawing conclusions according to halacha.
With honor and esteem and manifold blessings, M. Schneersohn

TEFILLIN(לקוטי שיחות ט')

ולטוטפות בין עיניך ידכה לאות על והיה
שמות יג:טז
רש"י ארבעה בתים
לטוטפות בין עיניך והיו לאות על ידך וקשרתם
דברים ו:ח
רש"י מנין פרשיותיהם

שמות

  • Indicates focus of the pair as one unit towards remembrance of our going out of Egypt
  • והיה
  • Hand is the power of deed even to the “left” side, place where deeds are the weakest
  • ידכה
  • Emphasis on four batim since in the first 40 years of the desert the head Tefillin contained two parshiyos and two empty batim; the increased number of batim enlarged the remembrance
  • רש"י

דברים

  • Plural refers to these words of the different parshiyos and not a single unit
  • והיו
  • Establishes distinction between tefillin of the head and of the arm
  • וקשרתם
  • Previously only 4 batim; now, four also applies to the count of parshiyos
  • רש"י

In Shmos the pair of Tefillin appear as one unit; in D’varim appear as separate. Arm alludes to middos and head alludes to mochin, each having its own function. But the ultimate aim is to harness both and operate together as one unit.

תפילין של ראשתפילין של ידיחודא עילאהיחודא תתאהפני משה כפני חמהפני יהושע כפני לבנהראיהשמיעהקדש והיה כי יביאך שמע והיה אם שמעלפני מתן תורה אחר מתן תורהמוחיןמדותאתכפיאאתהפכא

שמות פרק יג
ט וְהָיָה לְךָ לְאוֹת עַל-יָדְ ךָ וּלְזִכָרוֹן בֵּין עֵּינֶיךָ לְמַעַן תִהְיֶה תוֹרַת הי בְפִיךָ כִי בְיָד חֲזָקָה הוֹצִאֲךָ יְהוָֹה מִמִצְרָיִם :

שמות פרק יג
י וְשָמַרְ תָ אֶת -הַחֻקָה הַזֹּאת לְמוֹעֲדָהּ מִיָמִים יָמִימָה:

בעל הטורים
והיה לך לאות על ידך. בגימטריא זרֹּ ע שמאל.
This alludes to the concept of putting the arm Tefillin on your “left” arm.
תורת ה' בפיך. בגימטריא זהו קריאת שמע.
This alludes to the law to say a minimum of Shema Yisrael while wearing Tefillin.
למועדה. מלא ו' לומר לך כי ששה ימים בשבוע חייב בתפלין. ויש ששה ימי מועד שאין בהם תפלין והם פסח, עצרת , ראש השנה, ויום הכפורים, סוכות שמיני Disagreement whether this verse refers to the Mitzvah of Tefillin or to the Mitzvah of Pesach. Allusion to the law not to wear Tefillin on Yomim Tovim.
עצרת פארך חבוש (יחזקאל כד, יז) בגימטריא אלו תפילין

שמות פרק יג
טז וְהָיָה לְאוֹת עַל -יָדְ כָה וּלְטוֹטָפֹּת בֵּין עֵּינֶיךָ כִי בְחֹּזֶק יָד הוֹצִיאָנוּ ה' מִמִצְרָיִם:

בעל הטורים
והיה לאות על ידכה. ה' תגין על הה"א כנגד ה' פרקים עד הפרק שמניחין בו תפלין.
Alludes to the placement of the arm Tefillin.
ולטוטפות בין עיניך. בגימטריא אלו ארבעה בתים:
Alludes to the concept that the Tefillin of the head has 4 compartments (Tefillin of the arm has only one compartment)

The Shulchan Aruch presents two different methods of the order of the placement of the parshiyos in the four compartments of one’s shel rosh. According to Rashi and Rambam beginning from the left side of the wearer the order is קדש, כי יביאך, שמע, והיה אם שמוע. According to Rabbeinu Tam the parsha היה אם שמוע is placed in the third compartment and שמע is in the fourth compartment.

This disagreement relates to how they understand the Gemara in Menachos (34b) and could be traced to a disagreement between the Mechilta (סוף פרשת בא) and the Yerushalmi.

The Bach cites the Semag and the Mordechai who report that a beam once fell on the grave of Yechezkel HaNavi that uncovered a pair of tefillin. Upon examination it was discovered that the tefillin were consistent with Rashi’s opinion giving weight to Rashi’s position. There are authorities who reject this as proof to Rashi’s position since it could be that the tefillin were buried since they were invalid since they were made in accordance with Rashi’s position. Nevertheless, the Bach found the discovery compelling. He reasoned that even if the parshiyos were in the wrong compartment they could be moved to their correct location and there would be no reason to bury them.

There are two additional opinions about the correct placement of the parshiyos. Shimusha Rabba follows the order of Rashi and Rambam but orders them beginning on the right side rather than the left side. Ra’avad orders the parshiyos as did Rabbeinu Tam but he also begins from the right side of the wearer rather than the left side. It is not uncommon to see people wearing Rabbeinu Tam’s tefillin and in some communities it is standard practice based on Arizal’s comment that both opinions are Halacha L’Moshe M’Sinai. It is rare to find those who wear tefillin in accordance with Shimusha Rabba or Ra’avad. Authorities explain that only the holiest of people may wear these other pairs of Tefillin.

Notes:

Tosfos explains that the disagreement is regarding the order of placement of the four parshious in the head Tefillin. However, all agree on the order that the Sofer writes the Tefillin. They must be written according to the order that they appear in the Torah. Thus, according to the opinion of those that hold according to Rabbeinu Tam, the Sofer would write first קדש, then would write כי יביאך, then leave a blank space, and then write the fourth Parsha שמע. Afterwards, the Sofer would return to the third (blank) area and write the Parsha היה אם שמוע. Thus, the writing is according to the order of the Torah, but not the placement.

The decision in Shulchan Aruch is that one should wear Tefillin according to the order proposed by Rashi and Rambam. However, a “Yiras haShamayim” should endeavor to put on both pairs of Tefillin. Some actually place both pairs on at the same time. The common practice is to place “Rashi” Tefillin on for the main portion of Shacharis and then put on the “Rabbeinu Tam” Tefillin afterwards. If one does not need to rush out of shuel, one should wait to put on “Rabbeinu Tam” Tefillin after Aleinu. (Ariz”l, Chida, Y’via Omer).

The Chida and Ben Ish Chai also state that it is proper to learn while wearing “Rabbeinu Tam” Tefillin for a short time or for longer.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe advised his followers that Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin should be worn in addition to Rashi Tefillin even in the two months prior to Bar Mitzvah. Previously the Chassidim only wore Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin after they were married. Yet the young unmarried Chassidim were not the only ones to begin wearing Rabbeinu Tam. The legal authority of the time, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein zt”l, also decided to take on this practice.

It seems that when Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch, a Chabad chasid, met with Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, he brought up the subject of Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin. He was surprised to learn that Rabbi Feinstein had put on Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin until he was eighteen, but stopped. Rabbi Feinstein now said based on the message from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, he would happily comply if the Rebbe was involved in their procurement (picking the sofer and other details).

Rabbi Hershel immediately wrote to the Rebbe about these developments. A few hours later, at midnight, Rabbi Zirkind was called to 770 to meet with the Rebbe to discuss the details of the Tefillin for Rabbi Feinstein. The next day, Rabbi Zirkind met with Rabbi Feinstein as how the Tefillin should be written. Rabbi Zirkind wrote one section, and then brought it to Rabbi Feinstein for review and acceptance. The entire process took two days to complete. After placing the boxes on his head, Rabbi Feinstein requested smaller boxes that would lay flat on his head. Rabbi Zirkind replaced them that day, and on that same day Rabbi Feinstein resumed wearing Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin.

A letter from Rabbi Feinstein to the Lubavitcher Rebbe appears in Igros Moshe humbly thanking the Rebbe for urging the wearing of Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin. Rabbi Feinstein ends the letter with the salutation, “who greatly esteems him (the Rebbe).”

A few days later Rabbi Feinstein received a response from the Rebbe in which the Rebbe acknowledged his letter and made some points about tefillin Rabbeinu Tam (free translation):

The Rabbi and Gaon... Rabbi Moshe Feinstein:
... that you should live long, good days and years. And especially, since you attached a response discussing a number of matters regarding Tefillin and the conclusion regarding the actual practice of tefillin (d’Rabbeinu Tam). And being that the middah [trait] of HaKadosh Baruch Hu is measure for measure with (but many times more), then according to this, (an increase in) one who puts on Tefillin (brings an increase in the reward of) lengthens his days as it says, “HaShem is upon them, may they live... and He should fortify me (with health) and grant me life (end of Menachos 44a).” Particularly as regards (the arm that is opposite) the heart and (the head that is opposite) the brain – Chabad of our Holy Torah all the way to drawing conclusions according to halacha.
With honor and esteem and manifold blessings, M. Schneersohn

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Parsha Pages | July 23, 2023