How to Lay Tefillin

Hand and head Tefillin

Tefillin are small black boxes containing scriptures relating to the exodus of the Jews from Egypt. Each scripture has a prayer, and each prayer is recited during the services. The tefillin are put on prior to the services, and removed immediately after. Learning how to Lay (put on) the Tefillin takes time, and seems awkward, but it is not as difficult as it might look.

Things You'll Need

• Tefillin Prayer shawl Yarmulk Prayer book

Instructions

Learning Takes Time and Patience

1. 

   Look at both boxes in the tefillin bag. One is for the hand and the other for the head. The one for the hand is put on bare skin that lacks jewelry or shirt sleeves. The tefillin must be wrapped only on the weakest arm, so those that are right-handed wrap it on their left hand, and those who are left-handed wrap it on their right hand.

2. Take the tefillin from the bag and unwrap it. Place the black box on top of the muscle area of your left arm, if you are right-handed, and on your right arm if left-handed. Make sure that the leather point on the box points to your shoulder. The knot itself will be put on the arm muscle, hanging down near your side.

3. Make sure the tefillin stays in place by pulling the strap around the tefillin and your arm. Wrap about seven times and then wrap it outside of your hand, to make sure it stays put (see photo above).

4. 

   Take the head tefillin and set it on top of your forehead, centered between your eyes, placing the knot behind your head. The straps should be brought forward and placed on your shoulders. Wrap the strap from your hand three times around your center finger, once on the top, then middle, and finally wrapping the fingers together (see photo).

Resources

• Mitzvah Of the Tefillin
• Tefillin pictorial and information
• Putting on the tefillin pictorial
• All about Judaism, tefillin and more