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About Tefillin |
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Tefillin are two black leather cubes (boxes) that are worn by many Jewish men while
at morning prayer. One of the cubes is called "Shel Rosh" and is placed on the forehead.
The second is termed "Shel Yad", and is worn on the upper left arm. The cubes have long
straps of leather attached to it which enable the man to wrap the tefillin on his head
and arm. The straps of the Shel Yad are wound seven times down the arm and three times
down the middle finger. Within the cubes are four sections of the Bible written on parchment
paper. These sections declare the existence and unity of God and recall the liberation from
Egypt. Once a man has had his Bar Mitzvah, he may wear the Tefillin during weekday prayers.
Tefillin are not worn on the Sabbath (day of rest) nor on the Jewish holidays.
The putting on of tefillin is like a ceremony in itself, for as the man puts on his tefillin,
he recites a prayer. The use of tefillin stems from the Biblical commandment:
"And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be as frontlets
between thine eyes" (Deut. 6:8). Today some women are reclaiming tefillin as part of
their Jewish ritual.
Without a doubt tefillin are the most complex of the scribes activities, not in the
writing but in the construction of the batim (housings) themselves which have to be
perfectly square and take enormous efforts and craftsmanship.
They vary in quality, in the way they are made, and in their halakhic desirability.
On the market today there are four types:
Peshutim (Simple Ones) -
These are made using several pieces of parchment to form the inner walls of the head
tefillin, glued within a slit square to divide it into the four required compartments.
If the inserts are glued incorrectly then these batim are not kosher for use.
The parshiyot inside commercially bought peshutim are generally of very poor quality,
and often not valid for use.
Peshutim Mehudarim (Superior Simple Ones) -
These make the box of the tefillin out of a single piece as required. They are typically
made with 32 mm sides to the boxes, which are quite small. However, goat skin is used to
form lighter weight batim, which when finished look almost identical to the more expensive
cowhide type, but they are not as durable.
Dakkot (Thin Ones) -
These are made by stretching a thin layer of parchment over a structural base similar
to the peshutim. This outer parchment forms the entire box of the tefillin, including
the inner as well as the outer walls and also the base, which is halachically desirable.
Its extreme thinness, though, means that the tefillin can become halachically invalid
relatively easily if knocked or through normal wear and tear.
Gassot (Thick Ones) -
These are made entirely out of a single piece of thick leather (usually with inserts to
ensure they close flat). This requires the repeated use of several tons of pressure in
industrial presses as part of a complicated but delicate production plan. The resulting
batim are so durable and thick that they can be renewed even if seriously damaged and they
typically last a lifetime. Gassot are made with boxes varying in size from about 20 mm per
side to over 40 mm, though sides of 31-36 mm are considered standard. The pictures on this
page show Gassot being made from a single piece of skin.
The choicest cow-hide is used from the cheeks and the neck where it is the thickest.
Thus only one pair of tefillin is produced for each head of cattle. After undergoing
a softening process the leather is cut to the size needed and left to dry slowly in the
open air for at least three months. The box shapes are then formed through the appliance
of considerable pressure and gradually the shape we are familar with starts to appear in
the skin.
Each titura (cube), averaging 35 square millimeters in size, is sanded, squared perfectly,
painted jet black with paint made from only kasher ingredients and measured, as many as
twelve times. A lacquer finish provides wear resistant protection and a fine, faultless
appearance which must be completely square or they are invalid for use.
On the head tefillin two shins, one with four heads protude. Once the parchments are placed
inside in the specified manner, involving wrapping them in pieces of parchment and tying
them loosely with calf’s hair. The batim are sewn shut with giddin (sinew) from a kosher
animal with one of the calf’s hairs visible outside.
Finally, the leather retsu’ot (straps) which are black on one side and left plain are pushed
through the ma’avarta (channel) and knotted according to the Ashkenazi or Sephardi custom.
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