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✡ Hindu Zionist ॐ:
can you pls tell me what is this?
muman613:
--- Quote from: ✡ Hindu Zionist ॐ on June 25, 2010, 01:13:39 PM ---can you pls tell me what is this?
--- End quote ---
Shalom HZ,
You have posted a picture of a Jew donning Tefillin. Tefillin is one of the commandments of the Torah which an observant Jew is to obey.
The commandment of Tefillin comes from the verse "And you shall bind them as a sign on your arm, and they shall be as frontlets on your head between your eyes" (Deuteronomy 6:8).
Tefillin are ritual objects which consist of two black leather boxes with leather straps which a Jew will bind to his head and his arm during the process of praying. The Oral law has many halachos concerning the making of the leather boxes.
Each box also contains a parchment which contains the sections of the Torah which describe this mitzvah. This scroll contains portions of the Shema which outline the mitzvahs of Tefillin, Tzit-Tzits, and Mezuzah...
Here is some more information:
http://www.beingjewish.com/mitzvos/tefillin.html
--- Quote ---The Torah tells us "And you shall bind them as a sign on your arm, and they shall be as frontlets on your head between your eyes" (Deuteronomy 6:8). This is the Mitzvah of Tefillin, though of course the details are much more complex than that.
The Torah tells us in four places that we should put on tefillin. (The four places are: Deut.6:4-9; Deut. 11:13-21; Exodus 13:1-10; and Exodus 13:11-16.) Each of these places is a separate chapter in the Torah (according to the original chapter and paragraph system, not according to the more popular one now in use, which was created by Christians and bears no relation or similarity to the original system).
Therefore, each of these chapters are written on small pieces of parchment and placed into leather housings, which a man places on the arm and the head, along with special leather straps.
The Rabbis say many great things about the Mitzvah of Tefillin. The Sefer Hachinuch (Book of Jewish Education) says that it is one of the Mitzvos that helps protects us against sin.
...
We put tefillin on once a day, usually for the morning prayers.
We may not wear tefillin at night.
The Laws of creating tefillin are very complex. It is impossible for a layperson to make them. They must be written with Halachically acceptable ink, on Halachically acceptable parchment. Each letter must be formed according to specific and exacting details. If only one point on one letter is slightly rounded off when it should be pointed, the entire pair of tefillin is invalid. The housings must be perfectly square when viewed from the top. Even the stitches that keep the housing closed must be square when viewed from above, and may be done only with Halachically acceptable kosher animal sinews.
The letters must all be written in order. If a letter has been written incorrectly, it cannot be fixed out of sequence. Sometimes one bad letter can invalidate an entire pair of tefillin.
Since there are so many Laws about tefillin, one should buy them only from an honest Jew who knows the Laws, and can be trusted to make them correctly. A dishonest man might find a problem, and fix it incorrectly, just to save money. Therefore we must be very careful from whom we buy our tefillin.
When you go to buy tefillin, be aware that there are various levels of quality in tefillin. This is not a scam. The more expensive ones are actually better, and they will also last longer. They are also more preferred, the Talmud says, because they are created with a greater adherence to various spiritual concepts. But you should get what you are ready, willing and able to buy.
Get your tefillin checked periodically -- at least once every four years, preferably once a year if possible. Any other time, if you see something wrong, such as the housings bending slightly, or paint chipping or cracking, get your tefillinchecked immediately.
Here are some of the Laws you should know about wearing tefillin.
If for some reason you have only one half of the set, whether it be only the one for the head, or only the one for the arm, put that one on and recite only the blessing for that one.
When putting on tefillin it is very important to have a clean body. In addition to general cleanliness, one must be especially careful to be clean after going to the bathroom.
Someone who has no control over what comes out of his body is forbidden to wear tefillin. Anyone in that situation should discuss it with his Rabbi to find out when and how he may wear tefillin.
One should go to the bathroom before putting on tefillin, or at least be absolutely sure he will not have to go while wearing the tefillin. If while wearing tefillin you feel the need to go to the bathroom, you must immediately remove the tefillin and go.
If you feel the need to pass gas while wearing tefillin, you must first remove your tefillin.
Never take tefillin or any holy item into a bathroom.
While wearing tefillin, one should think no thoughts at all except thoughts of Hashem, Torah or prayer. All the more so should he be careful about what he says out loud.
We may wear tefillin only during the day.
We do not put on tefillin on Shabbos.
Tefillin should be put on your weaker hand. If you are right-handed, use your right hand to put your tefillin on your left hand. If you are left-handed, use your left hand to put tefillin on your right hand. If you are ambidextrous, you must ask your Rabbi, because each case is different. If you are unable to contact a Rabbi for some reason, assume in the interim that the hand with which you write is your stronger hand (for this purpose, at least).
Always treat your tefillin with the greatest of respect and reverence. Do not remove them from the bag by shaking them out of the bag, for example. Always take them out carefully, and put them back carefully.
To show our love for the Mitzvah, we use our stronger hand to put the tefillin onto our weaker hand. We also use our stronger hand to put the tefillin on our head. When taking off the tefillin, we use our weaker hand, to show our reluctance to take off the Mitzvah.
Tefillin are made of leather. That means that you must keep them safe from things that hurt leather, like moisture and extreme temperatures.
--- End quote ---
Chabad has an excellent site for Jews to learn about Tefillin...
http://www.chabad.org/generic_cdo/aid/102436/jewish/Tefillin.htm
Rubystars:
Do you think other sects of Judaism in the far past also used tefillin, or was it only the modern sect? For example did the Saducees use it? Did King David use it?
muman613:
--- Quote from: Rubystars on June 27, 2010, 12:59:50 AM ---Do you think other sects of Judaism in the far past also used tefillin, or was it only the modern sect? For example did the Saducees use it? Did King David use it?
--- End quote ---
It is clear that every Jew from Sinai used Tefillin. It is believed that Hashem himself 'wears' tefillin {Of course we are talking metaphorically because everyone knows that Hashem has no corporeality}... I take this from the Rashi, who takes it from the Talmud:
http://www.torah.org/learning/Parasha-insights/5761/kisisa.html
--- Quote ---The Talmud [Brachos 7A] explains that Moshe wanted to understand why some of the righteous prosper while others suffer and why some of the wicked prosper while others suffer. Moshe wanted to fathom the seeming injustices in the world as we perceive it.
"And He (Hashem) said: You are not able to see my face, for no man can see my face and (continue to) live... and you will see the back of me. [33:20,23]"
That explains it! No more problems in understanding the world’s seeming injustices!
And just in case that doesn't do a thorough enough job of leaving us in the dark, Rashi quotes the Talmud [Brachos 7A] that teaches that Hashem showed Moshe the knot of His tefillin {phylacteries}.
Now it's perfectly clear! You see it wasn't actually Hashem’s back but rather it was the knot of His tefillin! Thanks!
The Talmud [Brachos 6A] shows the source from which we derive that Hashem wears tefillin and reveals that His parchments contain the verse: "Who is like your people, Israel, a unique nation on the earth. [Divrei Hayamim I 17]"
--- End quote ---
Since the commandment of donning tefillin is one of the 613 mitzvot from the Torah it is clear that it came straight from Sinai and Jews have been wearing them from the beginning of Jewish history...
http://www.shemayisrael.com/Parasha/kahn/archives/lech68.htm
NOTE: The stupid forum filter changes p*a*r*s*h*a to P*a*r*a*s*h*a which I think is dumb... It messes up every link to this site...
--- Quote ---Abraham's descendants' reward
This concept is mentioned in the Midrash Tanchuma. The Midrash says: "G'd said I will bring about a war between the kings of the world in order that Abraham eventually will come and receive all the spoils." However, Abraham, in his great modesty, refused to keep what was rightfully his and returned the spoils of war to its original owners. The Talmud (Sotah 17a) explains that in this merit Abraham and his descendants were rewarded with two special mitzvot (commandments): the mitzvah of tzitzis and the mitzvah of tefillin.
--- End quote ---
http://israel613.com/books/IMPORTANCE_OF_MITZVAH_OF_TEFILLIN-E.pdf
--- Quote ---19) Every single Jew is surrounded by seven Mitzvot. He has Tefillin on his arm and head, a Mezuzah on his door, and four Tzitzit on his garment. Thus, King David said (Psalm 119:164), "I will praise You each day with seven." Tosefta, Berachos 6:31
--- End quote ---
Obviously those 'sects' which disregard the Oral tradition will have no Tefillin because the laws of Tefillin are only in the Oral Law. The mention of them in Chumash is only that we should 'bind these words as frontlets before our eyes'... Of course I don't know for sure but this is what I believe.
http://www.messiahtruth.com/orallaw.html
Rubystars:
Very interesting Muman.
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