http://www.ajudaica.com/category/3/Tefillin/
Regarding Sephardic vs. Ashekenazi... is it a big deal for a person of European Jew descent to be more interested in Sephardic customs?
No. All the customs are beautiful. Anyone who tells you otherwise has an agenda. And I have been told otherwise, personally, by certain so-called rabbis, and I disagree strongly with their point of view. Often times it is people with the least knowledge who say such things as "You're from Poland (or, russia, or france, etc etc), so you have to do everything like Ashkenazim" "You have to follow the 'customs of your forefathers' " etc. These are usually the most ignorant people and "rabbis" who really know next to nothing about halacha or what the sources say. These types of arguments are especially irrelevant for Jews like you and me, who really did not receive customs from our parents/fathers/grandfathers, since we are baalei teshuvah. But even for people who did, there is no reason why a person has to maintain the galut-based distinctions between types of Jews which only developed in the darkness of galut due to dispersed populations and different locations. The historical fact of these developed distinctions has been distorted into a racial theory/segregation plan by some Jews. In my opinion, this is not only unnecessary but it leads to sinat chinam and the perpetuation of this system in our day in fact might even be based in sinat chinam.
It always sounds very funny to me, that let's say a Jew born into an Orthodox family who is 3rd or 4th generation American, or several generations living in Israel, that somehow he has to pretend that he's Hungarian because his family at some arbitrary (convenient) point in history lived in Hungary or came from Hungary to his current place, several generations before he was born. Such a person has no connection to Hungary. The person is American. Or Israeli. etc. And if we're going back in history, why don't we go all the way back? Why stop at 100 years or 150 or 200 years? Why not go back to the time when ALL Jews originated from the Middle East, from the land of Israel which we settled as the tribes of Yaakov, and later from a secondary location of Bavel which we were exiled to and spread out from in addition to Eretz Yisrael. So we all stem from Israeli/Babylonian forefathers. Yet these same people/"rabbis" will have no problem with a Sephardic Jew baal teshuvah taking on customs of Europe and/or becoming Ashkenazi, and they even encourage it in most cases! I have seen this with my own eyes many many times. Such utter hypocrisy.
I LOVE many things about Ashkenazic culture, but in my opinion Judaism is a middle eastern religion and Sephardic Jews practice customs more similar to Mizrahim [middle eastern] Jews. -- What would Moshe wrap?
On the one hand, it may be that Ashkenazim are more culturally removed from ancient Jews since you're correct that Jews are middle eastern and Judaism originated in the Middle east, however, that should not be applied as a blanket statement to all matters. Because, in fact, there are many issues in which the populations of Ashkenaz (Germany) and France preserved the traditions of the Talmud Yerushalmi and the minhagim of the Jews from Eretz Yisrael! This is because Jews ending up in Europe were mostly coming from Eretz Yisrael and from Eretz Yisrael by way of Italy, whereas the "Sephardic" (ie those who settled into Spain) and Middle Eastern/Mizrahi Jews mostly spread out from Bavel (Babylon). And both groups preserved various ancient customs from either Eretz Yisrael or Bavel or both, and one would need to examine each issue specifically. When it comes to halacha, thanks to the compilation and then writing of the Talmud, most of these things were preserved, and it is more customary/cultural things where there are variations and different cultural factors involved, and the unclear minhagim or questions not addressed directly in Talmud where errors could have creeped in or just local differences (ie singing style, songs, etc).
As far as tefillin goes, it seems that today all people sephardi and ashkenazi ,and other groups (except maybe teymanim) wear the same type of tefillin which is made from cowhide, and cut with precision instruments to make the familiar black-box look. The ancient type of tefillin was different in ashkenaz and in the middle east because it was not made of cow hide, and it was much less strong and less durable. I believe it was made from the sheep if I remember correctly. And of course hand made.
I have seen online that certain Teymani scribes sell their traditional tefillin, which they did not adapt their method when the times changed or new technologies introduced. While it's probably very expensive, it is a nice feeling to help a scribe with his parnassa who is handmaking your tefillin and to have an ancient set. But most people go for the standard set, which is what I have. It may be that some Sephardim wear a smaller tefillin. In that case, I'm not sure if there were multiple traditions, or if maybe the smaller kind is more ancient etc. That may also be slightly more money since it takes more precision to make. I would say you can't really go wrong with any type of tefillin you get that is halachically sound, but if you prefer a more ancient or hand-made variety go with what you like.
I am excited! The only times I have wrapped Teffilin have been when either Chabad or Orthodox Jews sit out in society looking for Jews to ask, "have you wrapped Teffilin today"? -- Soon I will be able to wrap Teffilin every day when I wake up [except Shabbat, I understand]. I have gotten a handsome musician stand to hold my Siddur, so everything seems to be clicking into place for a proper dignified [and easy] way to pray in my home each day.
Todah Rabbah. 
Kol Hakavod. It's an amazing thing that you have embraced your identity as a Jew. This is one step of "naaseh venishma." The first step is the commitment (naaseh, we will do), you're loyal to G-d and the Torah, and the second step is venishma (and we will hear/understand) - to learn about what it all entails. It's a process (there's all manner of recommiting along the way), and these two steps commitment and learning are inseparable. I wish you hatzlaha on your personal journey. What you've done already is an amazing accomplishment.
Topic: What do you think about these Tefillin? (Read 6418 times)