What is Tefillin?
Tefillin consist of two leather boxes. Each box contains strips of parchment inscribed with the four passages of the Torah that mention the mitzvah (commandment) of wearing Tefillin.
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The Four Passages:
Deuteronomy, 6:4-8:
"Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, The Lord is One. And you shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your means. And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart. And you shall teach them to your children And speak of them when you sit in your home, when you walk up the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be an ornament for your head between your eyes."
Deuteronomy 11:13-21:
"And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto My commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, that I will give the rain of your land in its season, the former rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. And I will give grass in thy fields for thy cattle, and thou shalt eat and be satisfied. Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; and the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and He shut up the heaven, so that there shall be no rain, and the ground shall not yield her fruit; and ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you. Therefore shall ye lay up these My words in your heart and in your soul; and ye shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, talking of them, when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates; that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, upon the land which the LORD swore unto your fathers to give them, as the days of the heavens above the earth."
Exodus 13:1-10:
"And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 'Sanctify unto Me all the first-born, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast, it is Mine.' And Moses said unto the people: 'Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place; there shall no leavened bread be eaten. This day ye go forth in the month Abib. And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which He swore unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD. Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee, in all thy borders. And thou shalt tell thy son in that day, saying: It is because of that which the LORD did for me when I came forth out of Egypt. And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thy hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in thy mouth; for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt. Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year."
Exodus 13:11-16:
And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanite, as He swore unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee, that thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the womb; every firstling that is a male, ... And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying: What is this? that thou shalt say unto him: By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage; and it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go that the LORD slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the first-born of man, and the first-born of beast; therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all that openeth the womb, being males; but all the first-born of my sons I redeem. And it shall be for a sign upon thy hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes; for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt."
How to wear Tefillin?
One of the leather boxes is worn on the head between the eyes. The other box is worn on the arm, opposite the heart. The headpiece is called Shel Rosh (belonging to the head), and the handpiece is called Shel Yad (belonging to the hand).
Tefillin are worn on the head to remind Jews to subject their thoughts to God's service, on the arm to remind Jews to subject their deeds to God's service, and opposite the heart to remind Jews to subject their hearts' desires to God's service.
When to wear Tefillin?
Tefillin are put on during morning prayers. Tefillin are not worn on the Jewish Sabbath (Shabbat) or most holidays because these times are signs in themselves of the Covenant between the Jewish People and God. A second reminder of the Covenant is not needed.
An Interpretation:
The four Biblical passages are stored in four separate compartments in the headpiece. All four Biblical passages are written on one parchment and stored in one compartment in the handpiece. This has been interpreted to mean that honest differences of opinions are fine, but Jews should strive to achieve uniformity in their practices.
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