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tefilin
Source Sheet by Dovid Goldstein

Tractate Tefillin 1:1 ‫א׳‬:‫מסכת תפילין א׳‬

It is not permitted to write [the four ‫אין כותבין תפילין לא על עורות בהמה‬
scrolls of ] tefillin1These are specified below.
‫טמאה ולא על עורות חיה טמאה אבל‬
Cf. also the Introduction. on skins of
ritually unclean cattle or on skins of ‫כותבין על עורות נבלות וטרפות ואין‬
ritually unclean wild animals. It is :‫חוששין שמא עורות לבובין הן‬
permitted, however, to write them on
skins of nebeloth and ṭerefoth and there is
no need to consider the possibility of their
having been pierced at the animal’s
heart.2There was a heathen practice to
remove the heart from an animal while it
was still alive and offer it as a sacrifice.
Rabbinic law regards such an animal as an
idolatrous offering (cf. Mishnah ‘A.Z. 29b,
Sonc. ed., p. 145) and forbids its entire use,
including the skin.

Tractate Tefillin 1:2 ‫ב׳‬:‫מסכת תפילין א׳‬

If [tefillin scrolls] were perforated, they ‫נקבו במקום הכתב פסולים במקום‬
become unfit for religious use [if the hole
‫הריוח כשרים עשאן ווין זיינין זיינין ווין‬
occurred] in the written part; but if it
occurred in the margin they remain fit. If ‫פשוטים כפופים כפופים פשוטים‬
the letter waw was shaped like a zayin or ‫פתוחים סתומים סתומים פתוחים או‬
vice versa, straight-lined letters like curved ‫ששנה אותיותיהן או שכתבן עברית או‬
ones3The final kaf, e.g., like an ordinary
:‫שעשאן כמין קמיע הרי אלו פסולים‬
kaf. or vice versa, open letters closed4Such
as an ordinary mem like a final mem. or
vice versa, or if the shape of their letters
had been altered [in any other way], or if
they were written in [obsolete] Hebrew, or
were made as a kind of amulet—they are
unfit for religious use.

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Tractate Tefillin 1:3 ‫ג׳‬:‫מסכת תפילין א׳‬

Women, slaves and minors5Boys under ‫נשים ועבדים וקטנים פטורין מן‬
thirteen years of age. On the exemption of
‫התפילין כל קטן שהוא יודע לשמור‬
women, cf. Ẓiẓith §1. are exempt from [the
commandment of ] tefillin. A minor who ‫את תפיליו חייב בתפילין מעשה בטבי‬
knows how to take care of his tefillin is ‫עבדו של רבי גמליאל שהיה מניח‬
subject to the law of tefillin. It is related ‫תפילין מיכל בת שאול היתה מנחת‬
that Ṭabi, R. Gamaliel’s slave, used to put
‫תפילין אשתו של יונה היתה עולה‬
on tefillin; Michal, Saul’s daughter, used to
put on tefillin; Jonah’s wife used to make :‫לירושלם‬
the festival pilgrimages6[For Ṭabi, cf.
j.‘Erub. X, I, 26a; for the two women, cf.
‘Erub. 96a (Sonc. ed., p. 665).] to
Jerusalem.7Although the commandment
applied only to males (cf. Ex. 34, 23).

Tractate Tefillin 1:4 ‫ד׳‬:‫מסכת תפילין א׳‬

[Regarding] the bearers of a bier [to the ‫נושאי המטה וחילופיהן וחילופי‬
burial place] and those who relieve
)‫חילופיהן (או) [את] שלפני המטה (או‬
them8In carrying the bier. and those who
relieve the latter, whether in front of the ‫[את] שלאחר המטה כל שלצורך‬
bier or behind the bier9Who have not yet ‫המטה פטורין ושאין צורך המטה בהם‬
carried it or have done so respectively.—all ‫חייבין עמדו להספד המספידין פטורים‬
who are required [to carry] the bier are
:‫והרואים את הפנים חייבין‬
exempt10This is in disagreement with the
ruling in the Mishnah (Ber. 17b, Sonc. ed.,
p. 106) where only those who are in front of
the bier are exempt if they are required to
carry it. Those behind are always liable even
if their help is required, since they had
already done their duty to the dead (cf. Rashi
ad loc.). [from putting on tefillin], but
those who are not required for the bier are
liable. When a halt is made for
lamentations,11A number of such halts were
made by those who returned from a burial to
the mourner’s house. (Cf. Semaḥoth X.]
those who are engaged in the lamentations
are exempt, but those12In the back rows
when they stand several deep. who cannot
see13So in accordance with Ber. 19b (Sonc.
ed., p. 117). V reads ‘those who see’. the
inside [space between the rows]14Where
the mourner is. are liable.

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Tractate Tefillin 1:5 ‫ה׳‬:‫מסכת תפילין א׳‬

If a person says [to another], ‘Come and ‫האומר בא על פני שהוא כתב או נתן‬
read [a Scriptural text] over my son
‫עליו ספר נתן עליו תפילין ה״ז לא‬
because he is frightened’, or ‘Write, or
place, upon him a [holy] scroll’, or ‘Put :‫ישמע לו‬
tefillin upon him that he may
sleep’,15This is the reading in j.Shab. VI, 2,
8b. The text in V is corrupt. he should not
be listened to.16Because sacred objects
should not be used for such purposes. Cf.
Sanh. 101a (Sonc. ed., p. 684, nn. 6f.).

Tractate Tefillin 1:6 ‫ו׳‬:‫מסכת תפילין א׳‬

A tefillah17V has the plural form. is ‫(ש)התפילין מקבלת טומאה מזה ושונה‬
susceptible of ritual uncleanness. [If it
‫ומטביל רבי חנינא בן גמליאל אומר‬
becomes unclean, the priest] sprinkles
upon it [the water of the red heifer]18Cf. ‫צריך הוא להתירה נפלה לתוך המים‬
Num. 19. and repeats the process, and :‫ושהתה כדי שתמחק צריכה בדיקה‬
then immerses it [in a ritual bath]. R.
Ḥanina b. Gamaliel says: It is necessary to
unloose it.19To remove the stitches that hold
the parts of the capsule together, in order that
the water may penetrate to all parts. If [a
tefillah] fell into water and remained there
long enough [for the writing] to be
washed away, it should be subjected to an
examination.20To make sure that the
writing is still in a good condition or to
repair it if necessary.

Tractate Tefillin 1:7 ‫ז׳‬:‫מסכת תפילין א׳‬

Straps of tefillin may be bought ‫רצועות תפילין לוקחין מכל מקום‬
anywhere.21There is no need, as in the case
‫רשב״ג אומר כל עור שנעשה בו‬
with the tefillin, to buy them from a reliable
person. R. Simeon b. Gamaliel says: Any :‫מלאכה אסור‬
skin that had been used [for a secular]
purpose is forbidden [to be used for the
straps of tefillin].22Hence they must be
bought only from a reliable person who can
guarantee that no previous use had been
made of the skin.

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Tractate Tefillin 1:8 ‫ח׳‬:‫מסכת תפילין א׳‬

Tefillin may be bought only from a reliable ‫אין לוקחין תפילין אלא מן המומחה‬
person;23One who can testify that they were
‫ואם אין שם מומחה נותן זוג אחד‬
prepared in accordance with the law. and
where there is no reliable person a pair of ‫ובודק לא שיתן לו פרשיות המוכר‬
tefillin should be given [to an expert] who ‫אלא שיטול הוא לעצמו ויבדוק בדק‬
examines them. This does not mean that ‫ומצא כראוי נוטל כל האגודה ואינו‬
the seller gives him the scrolls, but that he
:‫חושש‬
himself chooses what he pleases and has
them examined.24lit. ‘that he takes for
himself and he examines’. If on examination
the selected tefillin prove to be fit,25lit. ‘he
examined and found as proper’. he may take
all the batch without any scruples.26The
fitness of the sample is assumed to represent
the fitness of the whole batch.

Tractate Tefillin 1:9 ‫ט׳‬:‫מסכת תפילין א׳‬

The [sections of the] head-tefillah are ‫תפלה של ראש נכתבת ארבע פרשיות‬
written on four separate scrolls27lit.
‫קדש לי והיה כי יביאך שמע והיה אם‬
‘sections’. [beginning with] Sanctify unto
Me;28Ex. 13, 1-10. And it shall be when ‫שמוע וכן של יד אלא שהוא עושה של‬
the Lord shall bring thee;29ibid. 11-16. ‫יד פרשה אחת ואם עשאה ארבע‬
Hear;30Deut. 6, 4-9. And it shall come to ‫פרשיות כשרה רבי יהודה אומר יתפור‬
pass, if ye shall hearken.31ibid. XI, 13-21.
‫ויתנם לתוך קמיע מודה ר׳ יהודה שאם‬
So also with the hand-tefillah, except that
[all the four sections] are written in one ‫היה שניהם של ראש חופה אחת מהן‬
scroll.32lit. ‘he makes one section’. If one :‫(כעודן) [בעור] ועושה אותה של יד‬
wrote them in four separate scrolls [the
tefillah] is fit for religious use. R. Judah
says: They should be sewn together and
put into one capsule.33Unlike the head-
tefillah, which consists of four compartments
joined together to form one capsule. R.
Judah, however, admits that if two
tefillin34lit. ‘both of them’. were [like] the
head-tefillah, one may wrap one of them
in a piece of leather and so convert it into
a hand-tefillah.

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Tractate Tefillin 1:10 ‫י׳‬:‫מסכת תפילין א׳‬

The hand-tefillah is put on the upper part ‫תפלה של יד ניתנה בגובה של יד אף‬
of the hand35The biceps, and not on the
‫בין עיניך בגובה של ראש על ידך בין‬
palm of the hand. [because Scripture
declares, And it shall be for a sign unto thee ‫עיניך מה על ידך בגובה של יד אף בין‬
upon thy hand,36Ex. 13, 9. which means ‫עיניך בגובה של ראש כדברי ר״א בן‬
that the sign shall be for thee37Where only ‫יעקב ר׳ יהודה אומר נאמר על ידך‬
he who wears the tefillah can see it, i.e. on
‫ונאמר בין עיניך מה על ידך שהוא‬
the biceps covered by the sleeve. but not for
others38Had the tefillah been put on the ‫ראוי ליטמא (ברגע) [בנגע] אחד אף‬
palm of the hand it would be visible to all.]. ‫בין עיניך מקום שהוא ראוי ליטמא‬
39The part enclosed in square brackets is ‫(ברגע) [בנגע] אחד נאמר בין עיניך‬
based on Men. 37b (Sonc. ed., p. 229).So
also [the Scriptural expression] between
‫א׳) ולא תשימו‬:‫ונאמר (דברים י״ד‬
thine eyes40Ex. 13, 9. [implies] the upper ‫קרחה בין עיניכם מה קרחה במקום‬
part of the head, [because] upon thy hand ‫השער אף תפלה לא תתן אלא במקום‬
and between thine eyes [occur in ‫השיער נאמר וכתבתם ונאמר וקשרתם‬
juxtaposition we infer]: as upon thy hand
[means] on the upper part of the hand, so
:‫יד הכותבת היא יד הקושרת‬
between thine eyes [means] on the upper
part of the head. This is according to R.
Eliezer b. Jacob; R. Judah says: It is stated
upon thy hand and it is also stated [in the
same verse] between thine eyes [the
inference being that] as upon thy hand
[refers to] a place that is susceptible of
ritual uncleanness by one [symptom of ]
leprosy,41The biceps, like any other part of
the body that is free from hair, is declared
ritually unclean by one symptom only, viz.
white hair in the leprous spot. so also
between thine eyes [refers to] a place that is
susceptible of ritual uncleanness by one
[symptom of ] leprosy.42Viz. the upper
part of the head, whose symptom of
uncleanness is yellow hair in the leprous spot.
The region between the eyes, however, where
both hair and clean flesh are to be found,
can be declared unclean by either of the two
symptoms (yellow or white hair) and must
therefore be ruled out. [Another reason:] It
is stated between thine eyes and it is also
stated, Nor make any baldness between your
eyes:43Deut. 14, 1. as baldness occurs
where there is hair [on the head] so you
must put the tefillah only where there is
hair [on the hand].44Since both verses
contain the expression between … eyes. It is

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stated, And thou shalt write

them45Referring to the mezuzah (Deut. 6,
9). and it is also stated [in juxtaposition]
and thou shalt bind them;46The tefillin
(ibid. 8). [hence the inference that] the
hand that writes [the mezuzah]47i.e. the
right hand, with which most people write. is
the hand that binds [the tefillah].48The
hand-tefillah is therefore put on the left
hand.

Tractate Tefillin 1:11 ‫י״א‬:‫מסכת תפילין א׳‬

The commandment of [wearing] tefillin is ‫מצות תפילין מהשחר עד הערב הישן‬
from dawn until evening. If a person
‫ביום אינו חושש לחלוץ את תפילין‬
sleeps in the day-time he need not trouble
to remove his tefillin. If a man rises early ‫(המתכנין) [המשכים] לילך בדרך לא‬
to go on a journey, he should not put ‫יתננה קודם למצוה ואם נותנה קודם‬
them on before the time [for the ‫למצוה נותן ידו עליהם בשעת מצוה‬
performance] of the commandment; but if
:‫ומברך‬
he had put them on before [the proper
time for the performance of ] the
commandment, he should place his hand
upon them at the time [for the
performance] of the commandment49At
dawn. and say the benedictions.

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Tractate Tefillin 1:12 ‫י״ב‬:‫מסכת תפילין א׳‬

[Absence of ] the hand-tefillah does not ‫תפלה של יד אינה מעכבת של ראש‬
prevent the religious use of the head-
‫ושל ראש אינה מעכבת של יד אם‬
tefillah, neither does [the absence of ] the
head-tefillah prevent the religious use of ‫הפך את הקמיע מלמעלה לא יצא‬
the hand-tefillah.50Each tefillah is ‫כשהוא נותן נותן של יד תחילה‬
independent of the other. If a man inverted ‫וכשהוא חולץ חולץ של ראש תחלה‬
a tefillah capsule51When it is on his hand
‫וכן לענין הסנדלין כשהוא נועל נועל‬
or head. he has not fulfilled his religious
duty. ‫של ימין תחלה וכשהוא חולץ חולץ‬
When a man puts on [the tefillin], he ‫של שמאל תחלה כיוצא בו כל הנכנס‬
should put on that of the hand first; and ‫לסעודה (ראשון) [אחרון] יוצא ראשון‬
when he takes them off, he should take off
that of the head first. A similar rule applies
:‫חוץ מן הפת‬
in the case of sandals, viz. when he puts
them on, he should put on that of the
right foot first, and when he takes them
off, he should take off that of the left foot
first.52[Cf. DER. X, 1.] Likewise, any
[dish] that is served last53Another and
better reading is ‘first’. is removed first,
except bread.54Which must remain on the
table until the Grace after meals had been
recited (cf. Sanh. 92a, Sonc. ed., p. 617).

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Tractate Tefillin 1:13 ‫י״ג‬:‫מסכת תפילין א׳‬

If a man makes his head-[tefillah] round, ‫העושה תפלתו עגולה סכנה שאין בה‬
this is a dangerous practice55Because an
‫מצוה נותנה על מצחו או על פיסת ידו‬
accidental blow on it might split one’s head.
Cf. Meg. 24b (Sonc. ed., p. 148, n. 2). ‫הרי זו דרך המינות ציפה זהב ונותנה‬
which does not carry with it [the ‫על נקלה שלו והוא בית יד הרי זו דרך‬
fulfilment of ] the commandment.56The :‫החיצונים בית‬
commandment being that it must be cube-
shaped and flat at the base. To put [the
head-tefillah] on one’s forehead or [the
hand-tefillah] on the palm of one’s
hand57In accordance with the literal
meaning of the verse, And thou shalt bind
them for a sign upon thy hand, and they
shall be for frontlets between thine eyes
(Deut. 6, 8), which is contrary to the
traditional interpretation. is in the manner
of heresy.58Heb. minuth, used especially of
the views and practices of the early Jewish-
Christians. According to Maimonides the
minim were Sadducees. To overlay them
with gold or put [that of the hand] on
one’s neḳlah, which means a sleeve, is the
manner of the outsiders.59Persons who
follow their own interpretation of Scripture
and not that of the Rabbis. [On this
paragraph, cf. J. Rabbinowitz, Mishnah
Megillah, pp. 128f.] [63a]

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Tractate Tefillin 1:14 ‫י״ד‬:‫מסכת תפילין א׳‬

Tefillin may be moved within a house ‫מטלטלין תפילין בתוך הבית המוצא‬
[even on the Sabbath].60They are not
‫תפילין ברשות הרבים מכניסן זוג זוג‬
regarded as articles forbidden to be handled
on the Sabbath or Festival, although not ‫ר״ג אומר שני זוגות אחד איש ואחד‬
worn on the holy days. If [on the Sabbath ‫אשה אחד חדשות ואחד ישנות ר׳‬
day] a man finds tefillin in a public ‫יהודה אומר מותר בישנות ואסור‬
domain,61Where they may be trodden
:‫בחדשות‬
upon. he should carry them [into a safe
place] one pair at a time.62The hand-
tefillah on his arm and the head-tefillah on
his head in the same manner as they are
worn on week-days. R. Gamaliel says: Two
pairs at a time.63As there is sufficient room
on the arm and on the head for two sets, he
may put two hand-tefillin on his arm and
two head-tefillin on his head. [This rule
applies to] both men and
women,64Although the latter are exempt
from the commandment of tefillin. to new
tefillin and to old. R. Judah says: [This
procedure] is permitted with old
tefillin65Which show marks of wear or have
a proper knot, so that there can be no doubt
that they were genuine tefillin. but
forbidden with new.66Since they may be
only amulets.

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Tractate Tefillin 1:15 ‫ט״ו‬:‫מסכת תפילין א׳‬

If a man finds a [Torah] scroll or a bundle ‫המוצא ספר או תכריך של תפילין‬
of tefillin,67In a public domain where they
‫נותנם לחבירו וחבירו לחבירו בשבת‬
may be trodden upon. he should pass them
on to his fellow, and his fellow should pass ‫ואפילו הם מאה אם עמו נוטלו אחד‬
them on to his fellow on the ‫מתוך ארבע אמות ונותנו לתוך ארבע‬
Sabbath,68Each one carrying them a lesser ‫אמות שהיה ר׳ שמעון אומר כל שהוא‬
distance than four cubits. Carrying an article
‫עומד בפני ב״ד אינו עומד ולא בכתבי‬
a longer distance in a public domain is
forbidden on the Sabbath. even though they ‫הקדש מי שהיה בבית הספר או בבית‬
be a hundred persons. If [there is no other ‫המדרש בבית הכסא או בבית המרחץ‬
person]69The words in square brackets are ‫ושכח לחלוץ את תפילין מכסן בשערו‬
missing in V but inserted by H. with him,
he70lit. ‘one [man]’. should take them up
‫ויוצא ואם אינו יכול נכנס לבית קרוב‬
[while standing] within four cubits :‫וחולצן‬
[distance from them] and remove them to
[the next point] within four cubits
[distance from the first point];71And so
on, until he reaches a place where they can be
properly deposited. because R. Simeon said:
Any prohibition72Read ’issur with H
instead of ‘omed (standing) in V. imposed
by a Rabbinical Court73Such as the
prohibition to carry objects in a public
domain even within a distance of four
cubits. does not apply to holy
writings.74Consequently it is permitted on
the Sabbath to carry a Torah scroll or tefillin
to a place of safety, provided all the stages
between the points of taking up and setting
down are each less than four cubits in length.
If a man is in a school house or in a House
of Study,75Places in which the tefillin
would not be sufficiently protected if left
there. [or] in a privy or a bath-house,76It
would be disrespectful for the tefillin to be
left there. and forgot to remove his
tefillin,77Before the Sabbath had
commenced, or before he entered the two last-
mentioned places. he should cover them
with his hair78So as not to be seen wearing
tefillin on the Sabbath in public. and leave
the place.79Taking them off when he
reaches his home. If he is unable to do so,
he should proceed to a near-by house
where he takes them off.80Leaving them
there until the termination of the Sabbath.

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Tractate Tefillin 1:16 ‫ט״ז‬:‫מסכת תפילין א׳‬

[Tefillin] may be put into a money-bag ‫ונותנן לתוך אפונדתו אע״פ שיש‬
even when there is money in it. They may
‫לתוכה מעות ותולה אותם בכרעי‬
also be suspended from the legs of a bed;
but if another person81A variant reading ‫המטה אם יש עמו אחר אסור לא יתנם‬
is: ‘if his wife be with him’. be with him [in ‫תחת ראשו ואם היה משמרן מותר אם‬
bed] it is forbidden. They must not be ‫היה משא כבוד והזיע אינו חושש‬
placed under one’s head;82To sleep on
‫לחלוץ את תפילין היוצר חולץ של יד‬
them; and much more so under any other
part of the body. but if thereby they are ‫ומניח של ראש הנחתום חולץ של‬
protected83From thieves or disrespectful ‫ראש ומניח של יד ואם היה אופה‬
treatment. it is permitted. :‫בשתי ידיו חולץ אף של יד‬
If a man carried a heavy load84[This and
the following regulations applied at the time
when the tefillin were worn throughout the
day and not, as now, only during the
morning prayers.] and was perspiring, he
need not trouble to remove his tefillin. A
potter should remove the hand-tefillah but
wear the head-tefillah.85Since his work
requires the use of his hands only. A baker
should remove the head-
tefillah86Otherwise the heat of the oven
might damage it. and wear the hand-
tefillah;87Using his right hand for the
baking. but if he uses both hands in
baking he also takes off the hand-tefillah.

Tractate Tefillin 1:17 ‫י״ז‬:‫מסכת תפילין א׳‬

[Regarding a bath-house], if a man is ‫הנכנס לבית הערומים חולץ את תפיליו‬
about to enter the room where persons are
‫ורוחק ארבע אמות מבין הערומים‬
undressed, he removes his tefillin at a
distance of four cubits from the nude ‫מקצתן ערומים ומקצתן מכוסים לא‬
persons. If some are undressed and others :‫יחלץ בתחלה‬
dressed, he does not remove his tefillin but
should not put them on at the outset.88So
according to H. V reads: ‘he shall not remove
them at the outset’.

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Tractate Tefillin 1:18 ‫י״ח‬:‫מסכת תפילין א׳‬

If a person is about to enter a ‫הנכנס לבורסקי למשרה ולכובסים‬
tannery,89Where there are unpleasant
‫חולץ את תפיליו ורוחק ארבע אמות‬
smells. a pond [enclosure]90For steeping
flax or similar things. or a wash-house, he ‫הנכנס לבית הכסא חולץ את תפיליו‬
removes his tefillin at a distance of four ‫ורוחק ארבע אמות ואם היתה רחיצה‬
cubits. If a person is about to enter a privy, :‫של כבוד לא יחליץ עד שיגיע‬
he removes the tefillin at a distance of four
cubits. If it was a superior bathing-
place,91[Cf. Tamid I, 1, Sonc. ed., p. 2,
where the Temple was said to have ‘a
superior privy’, its superiority being that it
could be locked to prevent intrusion.] one
does not remove the tefillin before he
reaches it.

Tractate Tefillin 1:19 ‫י״ט‬:‫מסכת תפילין א׳‬

It once happened that R. Eliezer went to ‫מעשה שהלך ר׳ אליעזר לאובלין אצל‬
Ubelin92Or, ‘Obelin’. There was a village of
‫בעל הבית אחד נהגו שיטבל במערה‬
that name near Jaffa in S. Palestine, and one
near Sepphoris in Galilee. A visit by R. ‫פשט ר״א את כליו ופשט את תפיליו‬
Eliezer to Obelin is mentioned in ‘Erub. ‫אמר ליה רבי והלא מי המערה זו יפים‬
11b-12a (Sonc. ed., pp. 71f.). [where he ‫משל זו ולא היה בין זו לזו אלא ארבע‬
stayed] with a certain house-owner. It was
‫אמות לבש ר״א את כליו ונתן את‬
a practice there to bathe in a cave. When
R. Eliezer took his clothes off and ‫תפיליו שלא היה ר״א מהלך ארבע‬
removed his tefillin,93To bathe in one of :‫אמות בלא תפילין‬
the caves. [the host] said to him, ‘Rabbi, is
not the water of that cave better than that
of this one?’ And although there was only
a distance of four cubits between the one
and the other, R. Eliezer dressed and put
on his tefillin,94To walk to the other cave.
because he never walked four cubits
without tefillin. In this manner did R.
Eliezer make the commandment of tefillin
a permanent practice.

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Tractate Tefillin 1:20
Thus used R. Eliezer to say: Great is the
commandment of tefillin, for the Holy
One, blessed be He, spoke as follows to
Israel, But thou shalt meditate therein day
and night.95Josh. 1, 8. ‘Sovereign of the
universe,’ said Israel to the Holy One,
blessed be He, ‘is it possible for us to
meditate day and night [in the Torah]?’
The Holy One, blessed be He, answered
them, ‘My children, put tefillin on your
heads and on your arms and I shall
account it to you as if you meditated in
the Torah day and night’; as it is stated,
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.96Ex. 13, 9.
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tefilin | Sefaria
‫כ׳‬:‫מסכת תפילין א׳‬
‫כך היה ר״א עושה מצות תפילין קבע‬
‫כך היה י׳א אומר גדולה היא מצות‬
‫תפילין שכך אמר הקב״ה לישראל‬
‫ח׳) והגית בו יומם ולילה‬:‫(יהושע א׳‬
‫אמרו ישראל לפני הקב״ה רבון‬
‫העולמים וכי אנו יכולין להגות יומם‬
‫ולילה אמר להם הקב״ה בני הוו‬
‫נותנים תפילין על ראשיכם ועל‬
‫זרועותיכם ואני מעלה עליכם כאילו‬
‫אתם הוגים בתורה יומם ולילה שנאמר‬
‫ט׳) והיה [לך] לאות על ידך‬:‫(שמות י״ג‬
‫ולזכרון בין עיניך למען תהיה תורת ה׳‬
:‫בפיך‬
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Tractate Tefillin 1:21 ‫כ״א‬:‫מסכת תפילין א׳‬

Beloved are Israel [by God], for they ‫חביבים ישראל שהם מקיימין כל‬
observe all the commandments that are in
‫המצות שבתורה הא כיצד תפילין על‬
the Torah. How? Tefillin on their hands,
tefillin on their heads, a mezuzah on their ‫ידיהם ותפילין על ראשיהם ומזוזה על‬
doors and four ẓiẓith on their garments. ‫פתחיהם וארבע ציציות על בגדיהם‬
Concerning them David, king of Israel, ‫עליהם אומר דוד מלך ישראל (תהילים‬
said, Seven times a day do I praise Thee,
‫קס״ה) שבע ביום הללתיך‬-‫קס״ד‬:‫קי״ט‬
because of Thy righteous ordinances.97Ps.
119, 164. ‫על משפטי צדקך משלו משל למה‬
[The Sages] illustrated this with a parable. ‫הדבר דומה למלך שאמר לאשתו תהא‬
To what may this be compared? To a king ‫מקושטת ומתוקנת לפני אמרה לו מפני‬
who said to his wife, ‘Be well dressed and
adorned in my presence’. ‘For what
‫מה אמר לה כדי שתהא רצויה לי כך‬
reason?’ she asked him. ‘In order that you ‫אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא לישראל בני‬
may be acceptable to me,’ he replied. ‫הוו מתוקנים ומקושטים לפני במצות‬
Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, ‫אמרו לו מפני מה אמר להם כדי‬
said to Israel, ‘My children, be well dressed
and adorned in My presence with [your
)‫שתהיו רצוים לי שנאמר (שה״ש י‬
performance of ] the commandments’. ‘For ‫יפה את רעיתי כתרצה יפה את‬
what reason?’ they asked Him. ‘In order,’ :‫כשתהא רצויה לי במצות‬
He replied, ‘that you may be acceptable to
Me’; as it is stated, Thou art beautiful, O
my love, as Tirẓah,98Cant. 6, 4. [which
means,] ‘Thou art beautiful when thou art
acceptable99Tirẓah is of the same root as
raẓuï (acceptable). to Me through [thy
performance of ] the commandments’.

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