How to Do Kosher Tefillin

Positioning of the shel Rosh tefillin.

Tefillin are small black boxes containing verses from the Torah. They are worn, in Judaism, either on the forehead, pointing upward, or on the upper arm, pointing toward the heart. Black straps are attached to the boxes, which wrap down the dominant arm and around the hands and fingers.

Tefillin are worn by men and women over the age of 13 (there are conflicting views in Orthodox Judaism as to whether women may wear tefillin), which is considered the beginning of adulthood in Judaism. They are worn as a mitzvah, a good deed and blessing, while the individual prays, or davens--the Hebrew word for praying.

There is a specific way to do kosher tefillin--in other words, there is a specific way to wear tefillin according to ritual practice. When putting on tefillin, three prayers are said: one, while positioning the prayer box on your arm, another, while wrapping your arm with the strap, and a third when putting the prayer box on your head. There is also a prayer that is said when a person takes off the tefillin. Also, the wearer must stand when putting on and taking off tefillin.

Things You'll Need

• Shel Yad tefillin (hand tefillin)
• Shel Rosh tefillin (head tefillin)

Instructions

1. Purchase tefillin that are kosher. Ensure that they have been inspected by a sofrim, a trained scholar who inspects tefillin, mezuzot and Torah scrolls. Tefillin.biz sells kosher tefillin from Israel.

2. Stand up and take the shel Yad tefillin (hand tefillin) out of its packaging. Position the tefillin box on your upper arm at the same level as your heart, and make sure it is pointing toward your heart.

3. Say the prayer for putting on the shel Yad tefillin. It translates to: Blessed are you, Adonai, ruler of the universe, who has made us holy through God's commandments, and commanded us to put on tefillin.

4. Tighten the strap, securing the tefillin box in its position. Begin wrapping it, in horizontal lines, not on a diagonal, down your bicep. Wrap the strap around your forearm seven times, stopping at your hand.

5. Hold the strap in place with the fingers of the arm you wrapped, and pick up the shel Rosh, the head tefillin. Position the box in the middle of your head, and at your hairline, so the box is pointing slightly upward.

6. Recite the blessing for putting on the shel Rosh. It translates to: Blessed are you, Adonai, ruler of the universe, who has made us holy through God's commandments, and commanded us concerning the mitzvah of tefillin.

7. Take the head strap and put it on so the knot is even on the back of your head. Bring the two hanging straps down and over each shoulder, so they hang down in front of you like braids, or a talis.

8. While tightening the head strap for the shel Rosh, recite the prayer which translates to: Blessed is God's name, whose glorious kingdom is forever and ever. From your wisdom you, o supreme God, may you imbue me; from your understanding give me understanding; with your kindness do greatly with me; with your power cut down my foes and rebels. May you pour goodly oil upon the seven arms of the menorah, to cause your good to flow to your creatures. May you open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

9. Continue by wrapping the shel Yad straps around your middle finger. First, wrap it once above your knuckle, then twice at the base of your finger. Recite the prayer that translates to: I will betroth you to me forever, and I will betroth you to me with righteousness, justice, kindness and mercy. I will betroth you to me with fidelity, and you shall know Hashem.

10. Bring the strap around the inside of your hand and wrap it once around your pinkie finger. Then wrap the strap around your entire hand, excluding your thumb. Keep wrapping until there is only a small amount of strap left, and use this end of the strap to secure it: Loop it around the part of the strap that wraps around your palm.

11. Pray, or daven. When finished, stand up again and take off the straps on your fingers and hand. Then take off the shel Rosh and wrap it up in the way it was wrapped when you opened it, so it looks like a butterfly. Next, unwrap the strap on your arm and wrap up the shel Yad.

Resources

• Kosher Tefillin from Israel
• Kosher Tefillin Sold by Hasofer
• Mile Chai: About Tefillin