Mental Concentration
The main thing in the commandment [of putting on Tefillin] and its fulfillment depends on the mental concentration during the fulfillment of the commandment. [Mishnah Berurah 25:5]*
Focus on the thought when putting them [Tefillin] on, that the Holy One commanded, Blessed is He, to put on these four parshiot [which are inside Tefillin], that there is in them [in parshiot] the unity of His Name and the Exodus from Egypt.[To put] on the hand opposite the heart and on the head opposite the brain, in order to remember the signs and wonders that He did to us, which indicate His unity, and He is omnipotent in the upper worlds and in the lower worlds. And will praise the Holy One, Blessed is He for the soul, which is in the brain and also the heart, which is the main source of desires and thoughts, and in this one will remember the Creator and diminish his own significance (Shulchan Aruch, 25: 5)
BACH wrote … the reason for this is as it is written: “And it will be for you a sign to you on your hand … so that the Hashem’s Torah may be on your mouth, for with a strong hand Hashem removed you from Egypt …” (Shemot, 13: 9). [Mishnah Berurah 25:5]
Pri-Magodim wrote that in any case the bedieved , even if he concentrated only on the intention to fulfill the commandment, he fulfilled the duty of the commandment. [Mishnah Berurah 25:5] This means that one don’t have to redo putting on Tefillin if not concentrated properly but lechatchila one can fulfill the commandment only by concentrating on what is written above in the Shulchan Aruch
*Note: The deepest mental concetration will not help to fulfill the commandment if the Tefillin is not kosher. Unfortunatelly planty of posul Tefillin are sold on the market. Be very carefull to follow recommendations of qualified Rabbi to order kosher Tefillin.
Order of putting on Tefillin
1. Roll up a sleeve on the hand you put Tefillin on.
2. Take the hand Tefillin (Tefillin shel yad/ של יד) from the pouch and .
3. Put the hand through the loop, place the Tefillin in the middle of the bicep, turning it slightly inward towards the heart
4. Holding the belt Tefillin say the following blessing. See important notes below before you say the blessing
Bressing
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי, אֱ־לֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּנוּ לְהָנִיחַ תְּפִלִּין.
Transliteration
Boruch Ato Ado-noy Elo-hay-nu Me-lech Ho-lom A-sher Kidshonu B’mitz-vo-sov V’tzi-vonu L’ho-niach Tefillin.
Translation
Blessed are You, L-rd our G‑d, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to put on tefillin.
Notes:
- This blessing falls on both Tefillin and not only on the hand Tefillin even if the second blessing is pronounced before putting on head Tefillin. Both hand Tefillin and head Tefillin should be borne in mind when pronouncing this blessing.
- From this moment it is forbidden to say anything until putting on of the head Tefillin (step 12).
5. Tighten the knot of hand Tefillin, thereby fulfilling the commandment of the Torah: “Bind them as a sign upon your arm…” (Dvarim 6:8)
6. Then make seven more turns on the forearm.
7. Make another turn around the wrist to the side of the palm remote from the thumb.
8. Continue this way.
9. Make another loop around the palm so that the strap overlaps the previous loop at the edge of the palm.
10. Take the head Tefillin out of the pouch and remove the protective case.
11. Put Tefillin on the head lightly without tightenning the straps and say the following blessing.
Note: The head tefillin is placed just above the hairline. Kippah or anything else should not interrupt between the straps and the head.
Blessing
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי, אֱ־לֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּנוּ עַל מִצְוַת תְּפִלִּין
Transliteration
Boruch Ato Ado-noy Elo-hay-nu Me-lech Ho-olom A-sher Kidshonu B’mitz-vo-sov V’tzi-vonu Al Mitz-vas Tefillin.
Add Your Heading Text Here
Blessed are You, L-rd our G‑d, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the mitzvah of Tefillin.
12. Tighten Tefillin on your head immediately after the blessing, thereby fulfilling the commandment of the Torah: “… and let them be totafos between your eyes” (Dvarim 6:8)
13. The head Tefillin must be exactly in the middle “…between your eyes”
14. The node of head Tefillin should be in the middle of the occiput just above the neck at the base of the skull
15. Say the following formula immidatelly after tightening the head Tefillin:
Note: Do not say this formula before you tightened the head Tefillin. It is considered an interraption if said between blessing and putting on.
Blessing
בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוד מַלְכוּתו, לְעולָם וָעֶד
Transliteration
Boruch shaym k’vod malchuso l’olom vo-ed
Translation
Blessed is the Name of His glorious kingdom for all eternity
16. Turn your palm. A strap of hand tefillin now drops down from the palm. Wrap the strap three times around the middle finger. The first loop is made around the first phalanx, the second loop is made around the second phalanx, and the third loop is again around the first phalanx.
Say the following formula while wrapping the strap around the finger:
Original text:
וְאֵרַשְׂתִּ֥יךְ לִ֖י לְעוֹלָ֑ם וְאֵרַשְׂתִּ֥יךְ לִי֙ בְּצֶ֣דֶק וּבְמִשְׁפָּ֔ט וּבְחֶ֖סֶד וּֽבְרַחֲמִֽים׃ וְאֵרַשְׂתִּ֥יךְ לִ֖י בֶּאֱמוּנָ֑ה וְיָדַ֖עַתְּ הושע אֶת־יְהוָֽה
Translation:
And I will espouse you forever: I will espouse you with righteousness and justice, And with goodness and mercy, And I will espouse you with faithfulness; Then you shall be devoted to God. (Hosea 2:21-22)*
* Rabbi Jonathan Sacks comments: will betroth you to Me: These exquisite lines from the Book of Hosea speak of God’s covenant with Israel as a marriage – a mutual pledge of faith, born of love. Wrapping the strap of the hand-tefillin around the middle finger like a wedding ring, we remind ourselves of God’s love for Israel, and Israel’s love for God.
17. Move the strap to the side of the palm remote from the thumb and wraps the rest of the strap around the palm.
18. Lock the tip of the strap by wrapping it several times around the strap on the inside of the palm.
19. You should have the letter ש on the back of your palm.
You’ve just fulfilled the written commandment of Putting on Tefillin. Read Shema if you just want to fullfil the commandment before you remove Tefillin. You don’t need to read these passages here if you continue with Shacharit and you are ready to go immidatelly after you put your Tefillin on.
Reading Shema
Translation
Transliteration
Original Text
Cover your eyes with your right hand and say:
Hear, O Israel, the L-rd is our God, the L-rd is One.
Recite the following verse in an undertone:
Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever.
You shall love the L-rd your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you today shall be upon your heart. You shall teach them thoroughly to your children, and you shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for a reminder between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates.
And it will be, if you will diligently obey My commandments which I enjoin upon you this day, to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, I will give rain for your land at the proper time, the early rain and the late rain, and you will gather in your grain, your wine and your oil. And I will give grass in your fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be sated. Take care lest your heart be lured away, and you turn astray and worship alien gods and bow down to them. For then the Lord’s wrath will flare up against you, and He will close the heavens so that there will be no rain and the earth will not yield its produce, and you will swiftly perish from the good land which the Lord gives you. Therefore, place these words of Mine upon your heart and upon your soul, and bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for a reminder between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, to speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you rise. And you shall inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates – so that your days and the days of your children may be prolonged on the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give to them for as long as the heavens are above the earth.
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the children of Israel and tell them to make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to attach a thread of blue on the fringe of each corner. They shall be to you as tzizit, and you shall look upon them and remember all the commandments of the Lord and fulfill them, and you will not follow after your heart and after your eyes by which you go astray – so that you may remember and fulfill all My commandments and be holy to your God. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I, the Lord, am your God. True.
Cover your eyes with your right hand and say:
Sh’ma Yis-ra-eil, A-do-nai E-lo-hei-nu, A-do-nai E-chad.
Recite the following verse in an undertone:
Ba-ruch sheim k’vod mal-chu-to l’o-lam va-ed.
V’a-hav-ta eit A-do-nai E-lo-he-cha,
B’chawl l’va-v’cha,
u-v’chawl naf-sh’cha,
u-v’chawl m’o-de-cha.
V’ha-yu ha-d’va-rim ha-ei-leh,
A-sher a-no-chi m’tsa-v’cha ha-yom, al l’va-ve-cha.
V’shi-nan-tam l’-va-ne-cha, v’di-bar-ta bam
b’shiv-t’cha b’vei-te-cha,
uv-lech-t’cha va-de-rech,
u-v’shawch-b’cha uv-ku-me-cha.
Uk-shar-tam l’ot al ya-de-cha,
v’ha-yu l’to-ta-fot bein ei-ne-cha.
Uch-tav-tam, al m’zu-zot bei-te-cha, u-vish-a-re-cha.
V’ha-ya, im sha-mo-a tish-m’u el mits-vo-tai
a-sher a-no-chi m’tsa-veh et-chem ha-yom
l’a-ha-va et A-do-nai E-lo-hei-chem
ul-awv-do b’chawl l’vav-chem, u-v’chawl naf-sh’chem,
V’na-ta-ti m’tar ar-ts’chem b’i-to, yo-reh u-mal-kosh,
v’a-saf-ta d’ga-ne-cha,
v’ti-ro-sh’cha v’yits-ha-re-cha.
V’na-ta-ti ei-sev b’sa-d’cha liv-hem-te-cha,
v’a-chal-ta v’sa-va-‘ta.
Hi-sha-m’ru la-chem pen yif-te l’vav-chem, v’sar-tem,
va-a-vad-tem E-lo-him a-chei-rim, v’hish-ta-cha-vi-tem la-hem.
V’cha-rah af A-do-nai ba-chem, v’a-tsar et ha-sha-ma-yim,
v’lo yi-h’yeh ma-tar, v’ha-a-da-ma lo ti-tein et y’vu-la,
va-a-vad-tem m’hei-ra mei-al ha-a-rets ha-to-va
a-sher A-do-nai no-tein la-chem.
V’sam-tem et d’varai ei-leh, al l’vav-chem v’al naf-sh’chem,
uk-shar-tem o-tam l’ ot al yed-chem,
v’ha-yu l’to-ta-fot bein ei-nei-chem.
V’li-mad-tem o-tam et b’nei-chem, l’da-beir bam
b’shiv-t’cha b’vei-te-cha, uv-lech-t’cha va-de-rech
u-v’shawch-b’cha uv-ku-me-cha.
Uch-tav-tam, al m’zu-zot bei-te-cha, u-vish-a-re-cha.
L’ma-an yir-bu y’mei-chem, vi-mei v’nei-chem, al ha-a-da-ma
a-sher nish-ba A-do-nai la-a-vo-tei-chem, la-teit la-hem
ki-mei ha-sha-ma-yim al ha-a-rets.
Va-yo-meir A-do-nai el Mo-she lei-mor:
Da-beir el b’nei Yis-ra-eil, v’a-mar-ta a-lei-hem
v’a-su la-hem tsi-tsit, al kan-fei vig-dei-hem l’do-ro-tam,
v’na-t’nu al tsi-tsit ha-ka-naf p’til t’chei-let.
V’ha-ya la-chem l’tsi-tsit, ur-i-tem o-to
uz-char-tem et kawl mits-vot A-do-nai, va-a-si-tem o-tam,
v’lo ta-tu-ru a-cha-rei l’vav-chem,
v’a-cha-rei ei-nei-chem
a-sher a-tem zo-nim a-cha-rei-hem,
L’ma-an tiz-k’ru, va-a-si-tem et kawl mits-vo-tai
vi-h’yi-tem k’do-shim lei-lo-hei-chem.
A-ni A-do-nai E-lo-hei-chem,
a-sher ho-tsei-ti et-chem mei-e-rets Mits-ra-yim
li-h’yot la-chem lei-lo-him;
A-ni A-do-nai E-lo-hei-chem… Emet
שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, יְהֹוָה אֱלהֵינוּ, יְהֹוָה אֶחָד
Remove tefillin in reverse order
1. Unwind the strap of the hand tefillin on the palm and middle finger, leaving it on the wrist.
2. remove the head tefillin and place back in the case and in the pouch on the right side.