And it contains a single seif (סעיף אחד):אין לברך שום ברכה כשחולץ תפילין — one makes no berakha when removing the tefillin; אפילו כשחולצם ערב שבת בין השמשות — even when one takes them off on the eve of Shabbat, at בין השמשות (at the entry of Shabbat, the moment one must remove them). Removal (חליצה, סילוק מצוה) is not itself a mitzva act carrying a berakha, unlike donning, which one blesses עובר לעשייתן, just before performing it.
The 4 levels of study — Siman כ״ט, 1 seif
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Vocalized Hebrew text of the seif with a fluent English translation. Pedagogical, uplifting explanation: one makes no berakha when removing the tefillin, for removal (סילוק) is not a mitzva act carrying a berakha — one blesses on performance (עובר לעשייתן), not on cessation; and even on the eve of Shabbat, at בין השמשות, when one must take them off, one does not bless. Practical cases: the daily removal, the entry of Shabbat, and the grateful awareness of the heart at the moment of removing the tefillin.
In-depth pilpul: the yesod of אין ברכה על הסילוק — why removal carries no berakha (one blesses עובר לעשייתן, on performance, not on the end of the mitzva); the comparison with leaving the sukkah and removing the tallit; why one takes off the tefillin at the entry of Shabbat — Shabbat and Yom Tov are not זמן תפילין, for the tefillin are an אות and Shabbat is itself an אות (a brief referral to siman 31); the respect at removal (חליצה, recalling siman 28). Beit Yossef, Tur, רמב״ם, הרא״ש, Mg״A, Taz, Pri Megadim, Mishna Berura and Beour Halakha, on Menachot 36b.
Structured summary for review and memorization: one makes no berakha at removal (the סילוק carries no berakha); the contrast with donning (עובר לעשייתן); the case of the eve of Shabbat at בין השמשות; and the grateful awareness of the heart in place of a berakha (the hiddur of the משמוש, siman 28). Conduct le-maaseh in daily life, with a referral to a Rav and cf. siman 25, 28, 30 and 31.
The Choulhan Aroukh HaRav of the Admour HaZaken on Orach Chaim siman 29 (one seif): full text and the force of the psak relative to the Mechaber — one makes no berakha when removing the tefillin, removal (סילוק מצוה) not carrying a berakha, even at the entry of Shabbat at בין השמשות. The yesod and the conduct le-maaseh developed from the Rav's actual text. For in-depth study, a referral to a Chabad Rav.
Rebuild this siman according to the Rabbanim YOU follow. Choose your Poskim (Rav Ovadia, the Admour HaZaken, the Rebbe, Ben Ish Chai, Mishna Berura, Rav Mordechai Eliyahu…) — Daat AI rebuilds the siman with their opinions, their reasoning, and their disagreements. If your Poskim do not address a point, the AI asks you before expanding.
One makes no berakha when removing the tefillin: the act of removal (חליצה) is not in itself a mitzva act over which one recites a berakha.
סִלּוּק מִצְוָה
the end is not blessed
One blesses on the performance of a mitzva, עובר לעשייתן — just before doing it — and not on its cessation (סילוק). Removal is the end, not the act.
עֶרֶב שַׁבָּת בֵּין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת
at the entry of Shabbat
Even when one takes off the tefillin on the eve of Shabbat, at בין השמשות — the moment one must remove them — one makes no berakha on the removal.
שַׁבָּת אוֹת הִיא
Shabbat is not זמן תפילין
One removes the tefillin at the entry of Shabbat, for the tefillin are an אות and Shabbat is itself an אות — two signs are not added one to the other. See siman 31.
הַשְׁוָאָה לְמִצְווֹת
sukkah & tallit
Just as one does not bless upon leaving the sukkah or removing the tallit, one does not bless upon removing the tefillin: the end of a mitzva carries no berakha.
הוֹדָאָה בַּלֵּב
grateful awareness
In place of a berakha, one removes the tefillin with respect and gratitude — in continuity with the משמוש and the deference of siman 28.
Structure of the Siman — the single seif
Seif
Subject
Theme
Detail
סעיף א
removing tefillin
✦ heart of the siman
אין לברך שום ברכה כשחולץ תפילין, אפילו כשחולצם ערב שבת בין השמשות — one makes no berakha at removal, even on the eve of Shabbat at בין השמשות.
אין ברכה על הסילוק — why removal is not blessed
Case
Source
Conduct
Central idea
removing tefillin
Mechaber · seif 1 · Menachot 36b
✦ אין ברכה
One makes no berakha when removing the tefillin: the berakha accompanies performance (עובר לעשייתן) and not the סילוק — the cessation of the mitzva.
ערב שבת בין השמשות
Mechaber · seif 1
still without a berakha
Even when one takes them off at the entry of Shabbat, at בין השמשות, one does not bless: the reason for removal does not change the rule. And Shabbat is not זמן תפילין (cf. siman 31).
sukkah · tallit
by way of comparison
no berakha on cessation
Just as one does not bless upon leaving the sukkah or removing the tallit, the end of a mitzva carries no berakha — a principle that illumines the חליצה of the tefillin.
Frequently asked questions — Siman כ״ט
Does one make a berakha when removing the tefillin, according to Siman 29?
No. According to the Choulhan Aroukh, Orach Chaim 29:1, אין לברך שום ברכה כשחולץ תפילין — one makes no berakha when removing the tefillin. Removal (חליצה, סילוק מצוה) is not itself a mitzva act carrying a berakha: one blesses on the performance of a mitzva (עובר לעשייתן, just before doing it), not on its cessation. So too when one leaves the sukkah or takes off the tallit — the end of a mitzva is not blessed.
And if one removes the tefillin on the eve of Shabbat, at בין השמשות, according to Siman 29?
Even then, one makes no berakha. The Mechaber (Orach Chaim 29:1) specifies אפילו כשחולצם ערב שבת בין השמשות — even when one takes them off on Friday, at the בין השמשות of the entry of Shabbat (the moment one must remove them), one does not bless on this removal. The principle stands: the סילוק carries no berakha, whatever the reason for the removal.
Why is there no berakha at removal, whereas there is one at donning, according to Siman 29?
Because the berakha accompanies the performance of the mitzva, called עובר לעשייתן — just before doing it — and not its cessation. Donning the tefillin is the mitzva act; removing them (חליצה) is only the סילוק, the end, which is not itself a mitzva. That is why one says nothing at removal, just as one does not bless upon leaving the sukkah or taking off the tallit.
Why does one remove the tefillin at the entry of Shabbat, according to Siman 29?
Because Shabbat (and likewise Yom Tov) is not זמן תפילין: the tefillin are an אות, a sign of the covenant, and Shabbat is itself an אות — two signs are not added one to the other. One therefore removes the tefillin at the entry of Shabbat, at בין השמשות. But this removal, like any removal, is not blessed. On the prohibition of donning tefillin on Shabbat and Yom Tov, see siman 31.