The place and manner of donning the tefillin — and it contains 11 seifim: The של יד is placed on the left arm, בבשר התופח, on the raised flesh of the biceps (the bone that is בין הקובד״ו ובית השחי, between the elbow and the armpit); one tilts it a little toward the body so that when he bends his arm it is כנגד לבו, opposite the heart — thereby fulfilling « והיו הדברים האלה על לבבך ». The יו״ד of the knot faces the heart, the box faces out. Nothing may form a חציצה between the tefillin and the flesh, neither for the arm nor for the head. The left-handed person (איטר) places according to the hand he uses / writes with. The של ראש is placed from the hairline of the forehead to the end of the infant's soft spot (מוחו של תינוק רופס), the knot behind the head, on the nape, in the shape of a דל״ת, opposite between the eyes. The black of the straps faces out.
The 4 levels of study — Siman כ״ז, 11 seifim
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רמת המתחיל
Level 1 — Beginner & Intermediate
Vocalized Hebrew text of the 11 seifim with a fluent English translation. Pedagogical, uplifting explanation: the של יד on the raised flesh of the biceps (left arm), tilted toward the heart (על לבבך); the של ראש at the hairline, centered between the eyes; the knot (יו״ד and דל״ת), the חציצה, the איטר, the כריכות and the black of the straps. Practical cases: placing each tefillin correctly, a watch or bandage that forms a חציצה, and the orientation of the straps.
In-depth pilpul: the drasha of ידכה — יד כהה (Menachot 37a) and the left arm; the anatomical measures of the בשר התופח, כנגד הלב and בין העינים (the hairline, not the forehead — קרחה); the principle of חציצה (של יד/של ראש vs. the רצועות, Rashba); the knot יו״ד ודל״ת and the letters of the Name שד״י; the case of the איטר (seif 6); the כריכות and the שיעור of the straps. Beit Yossef, Tur, רמב״ם (Hilchot Tefillin 4), הרא״ש, סמ״ק, רשב״א, Mg״A, Taz, Mishna Berura and Beour Halakha.
Structured summary for review and memorization: where to place the של יד (biceps, left arm, כנגד הלב) and the של ראש (hairline, בין העינים); the knot יו״ד ודל״ת; the principle of חציצה; the left-handed person; the כריכות and the black of the straps. Conduct le-maaseh in daily life, with a referral to a Rav and cf. siman 25, 26, 28 and 32.
The Choulhan Aroukh HaRav of the Admour HaZaken on Orach Chaim siman 27 (where the Rav develops כ״ד seifim): full text and the force of the psak relative to the Mechaber — the placement of the של יד (the biceps, בשר התופח, tilted כנגד הלב — « על לבבך »), the knot (יו״ד), the חציצה, the של ראש (hairline → מקום מוחו של תינוק, בין העינים, קשר in the shape of a דל״ת on the nape), the איטר, the כריכות, the black of the straps facing out and the length. For in-depth study, a referral to a Chabad Rav.
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The של יד is placed on the left arm, on the raised flesh of the biceps (בשר התופח), tilted toward the body so that when he bends his arm it is opposite the heart — fulfilling « והיו הדברים האלה על לבבך ».
מְקוֹם שֶׁל רֹאשׁ
בין העינים
The של ראש is placed from the hairline of the forehead to the end of the infant's soft spot (מוחו של תינוק רופס), the box centered opposite between the eyes.
חֲצִיצָה
nothing between box and flesh
לא יהא דבר חוצץ — nothing may interpose between the tefillin and the flesh, for the arm as for the head (Rama: but one is not strict for the straps, in the name of the רשב״א).
הַקֶּשֶׁר — יוּ״ד וְדָלֶ״ת
the letters of the Name שד״י
The knot of the של יד has the shape of a יו״ד (toward the heart), that of the של ראש the shape of a דל״ת (on the nape); with the שי״ן of the box, the three letters of the Name שד״י.
אִיטֵּר
the left-handed person
The left-handed person places according to the hand he uses (יד כהה); if he writes with one hand and works with the other, there is a machloket (the writing hand or the weaker one) — והכי נהוג (Rama).
הַכְּרִיכוֹת וְהָרְצוּעוֹת
black facing out · the length
Three כריכות on the middle finger and 6 or 7 winds on the arm (the custom); the black of the straps facing out (השחור לצד חוץ), the width at least like a barley grain.
Structure of the Siman — landmarks in the 11 seifim
Seif
Subject
Theme
Detail
סעיף א
מקום של יד
✦ heart of the siman
On the left arm, on the raised flesh (בשר התופח), tilted toward the body so it is opposite the heart (על לבבך). Rama: on the half of the bone closer to the elbow, not the armpit [סמ״ק].
סעיף ב-ג
the יו״ד and the מעברתא
manner of donning
The יו״ד of the knot faces the heart and the box faces out; the מעברתא through which the strap passes faces the shoulder and the box faces the hand.
סעיף ד-ה
חציצה and נזילות
חציצה
Nothing may interpose between the tefillin and the flesh (arm and head). Rama: for the straps one is not strict [רשב״א]. One prone to נזילות places the של ראש on a thin cap, without a berakha on the של ראש.
סעיף ו
איטר
יד כהה
A left-handed person — according to the hand he uses; and one who writes with one and works with the other, a machloket (יד כהה / the writing hand). Rama: והכי נהוג.
סעיף ז-ח
a wound and the strap length
the כריכות
There is room on the arm for two tefillin. Length of the של יד strap — 3 כריכות on the finger, and the custom is 6 or 7 winds on the arm [מהרי״ל].
סעיף ט-י
place of the של ראש and the knot
✦ בין העינים
From the hairline of the forehead to the end of the infant's soft spot. The knot on the nape in the shape of a דל״ת, the box opposite between the eyes. Rama: likewise for the knot of the של יד [מרדכי].
סעיף יא
the black and the straps
black facing out
The black of the straps faces out and should not turn over; the straps hang down to the navel; width at least like a barley grain; the של ראש is best kept visible.
מקום ההנחה ואופן הקשירה — where and how to place each tefillin
Object
Source
Placement
Central idea
של יד
Mechaber · seif 1 · Menachot 37a
✦ כנגד הלב
Left arm, on the raised flesh of the biceps (בשר התופח), tilted toward the body so it is opposite the heart: « והיו הדברים האלה על לבבך ». Rama: on the bone closer to the elbow.
של ראש
Mechaber · seif 9-10
בין העינים
From the hairline of the forehead to the infant's soft spot; box centered opposite between the eyes, knot on the nape in the shape of a דל״ת.
the knot
Mechaber · seif 2, 10
יו״ד ודל״ת
The arm knot has the shape of a יו״ד (toward the heart), the head knot a דל״ת (on the nape); take care they do not turn over. With the שי״ן of the box: שד״י.
the straps
Mechaber · seif 8, 11
black facing out
Three כריכות on the middle finger, 6-7 winds on the arm (the custom); the black facing out, width like a barley grain, hanging down to the navel.
Frequently asked questions — Siman כ״ז
Where and how does one don the arm tefillin (של יד), according to Siman 27?
According to the Choulhan Aroukh, Orach Chaim 27:1, מקום של יד בזרוע שמאל — the arm tefillin is placed on the left arm, בבשר התופח, on the raised flesh of the biceps, on the bone that is בין הקובד״ו ובית השחי (between the elbow and the armpit). One tilts it a little toward the body, ויטה התפלה מעט לצד הגוף, so that when he bends his arm it is כנגד לבו, opposite the heart, thereby fulfilling « והיו הדברים האלה על לבבך ». The Rama specifies: on the half of the bone closer to the elbow (הסמוך לקובד״ו), not the half closer to the armpit [סמ״ק].
Where does one don the head tefillin (של ראש), and where is the knot, according to Siman 27?
According to the Choulhan Aroukh, Orach Chaim 27:9-10, מקום של ראש מהתחלת עיקרי השער שממצחו — the head tefillin is placed from the start of the hairline of the forehead to עד סוף המקום שמוחו של תינוק רופס, the end of the place where the infant's soft spot is soft. The box (הקציצה) is centered כנגד בין העינים, opposite between the eyes, and the knot (הקשר) is behind the head, בעורף, centered on the nape; the place of the knot has the shape of a דל״ת facing out.
What forms a forbidden חציצה between the tefillin and the flesh, according to Siman 27?
According to the Choulhan Aroukh, Orach Chaim 27:4, לא יהא דבר חוצץ בין תפילין לבשרו — nothing may interpose between the tefillin and the flesh, לא שנא של יד לא שנא של ראש, both for the arm and for the head (the box must touch the flesh). The Rama adds (in the name of the רשב״א, תשובה סי׳ תתכ״ז): ודוקא בתפילין אבל ברצעות אין להקפיד — this requirement applies to the boxes of the tefillin, but not to the straps (the רצועות), for which one is not strict about חציצה. For a concrete case (watch, bandage, hair), one is referred to a Rav.
Where does the left-handed person (איטר) place his tefillin, according to Siman 27?
According to the Choulhan Aroukh, Orach Chaim 27:6, ואיטר יד ימינו — the left-handed person: if he does all his work with his left (which is everyone's « right »), he places on his left; if ambidextrous, he places on everyone's left. If he writes with one hand and works with the other, there is a machloket: יש אומרים he places on the weaker hand (דבעינן יד כהה), ויש אומרים the hand he writes with is deemed the « right » for this and he places on the opposite hand. The Rama rules: והכי נהוג. For a specific case, one is referred to a Rav.