1. What are Tefillin Prayer phylacteries?
Teffilin (also: Tefillim, prayer phylacteries) are small black boxes that are worn by religious men in Judaism during morning prayers. These prayer boxes contain handwritten texts from the Torah and are tied to the arm and forehead with leather straps. The Teffilin serve as a physical reminder of God's commandments and are intended to remind the wearer to direct his heart and mind to God during prayer.
2. Why do Jews wear tefillin?
Jews wear tefillin as part of the morning prayer to fulfill the commandment from the Tanakh (Old Testament). The Torah states in several places that God's commandments should be worn "as a sign on your hand and as a reminder between your eyes." Tefillin thus serve as a physical manifestation of these commandments. They are an expression of faith and devotion to God.
3. Who wears tefillin (phylacteries)?
In Judaism, tefillin is usually worn by adult, observant men. Women are not required to wear tefillin, although there are some progressive Jewish movements in which women also wear tefillin.
4. How do you put on tefillin?
Putting on tefillin is a ritual act before the morning prayer. Here are the basic steps to put on tefillin:
1. The wearer places the arm prayer cap (Tefillin Shel Yad) on the left upper arm, or the weaker arm, about a hand's width above the elbow.
2. He wraps the leather strap around his arm seven times and ties it tightly.
3. He holds the head tefillin (Tefillin Shel Rosh) with a leather strap over the forehead so that it is directly above the hairline.
4. He wraps the leather strap of the tefillin frame around his head and ties it tightly. The two strap ends are carried in front, hanging over the shoulder.
It is important to note that putting on tefillin requires a specific technique and traditional Jewish laws and customs must be taken into account. Typically, putting on tefillin is taught by an experienced Jew or rabbi.