Why Women Should Not Wear Tefillin
Torah Musings | December 01, 2023
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Why Women Should Not Wear Tefillin

Torah Musings | December 31, 2025

In se’if six, AH uses the discussion so far to answer a question I have heard more than once, why halachah objects to women wearing tefillin in particular, when there is no halachic resistance to their fulfilling other mitzvot from which they are exempt, like shofar, sukkah, and lulav.

The answer starts with our distrust of men to maintain the proper bodily cleanliness (not to expel air, burp, etc.), and therefore minimize the time they wear them to the extent possible. But men are obligated, so they have to do something. For women to decide to undertake what a high percentage of men will fail to handle well makes too little sense to allow.

However, AH throws a bit of a wrench into the works, because he raises Eruvin 96b, which says Michal the daughter of Shaul wore tefillin and no one objected. He suggests she was known to be righteous, someone who could be trusted to treat the tefillin properly. [Once that’s said, of course, some today will argue they, too, can be careful about their bodily functions while wearing tefillin. He doesn’t say more, so neither will I.]

In se’if six, AH uses the discussion so far to answer a question I have heard more than once, why halachah objects to women wearing tefillin in particular, when there is no halachic resistance to their fulfilling other mitzvot from which they are exempt, like shofar, sukkah, and lulav.

The answer starts with our distrust of men to maintain the proper bodily cleanliness (not to expel air, burp, etc.), and therefore minimize the time they wear them to the extent possible. But men are obligated, so they have to do something. For women to decide to undertake what a high percentage of men will fail to handle well makes too little sense to allow.

However, AH throws a bit of a wrench into the works, because he raises Eruvin 96b, which says Michal the daughter of Shaul wore tefillin and no one objected. He suggests she was known to be righteous, someone who could be trusted to treat the tefillin properly. [Once that’s said, of course, some today will argue they, too, can be careful about their bodily functions while wearing tefillin. He doesn’t say more, so neither will I.]

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