And it contains five seifim (ה׳ סעיפים):זמן הנחתן בבוקר משיראה את חבירו הרגיל עמו קצת ברחוק ארבע אמות ויכירנו — the time for donning, in the morning, is from when one sees a familiar person one is somewhat acquainted with, at a distance of four amot, and recognizes him. This is the same shiur as for the tzitzit (siman 18): by day and not by night — when there is enough light to distinguish a close acquaintance. The following seifim set out the prohibition of the night (שמא ישן בהם), the case of the early traveler, sunset on the road, and one who prayed Arvit before nightfall.
The 4 levels of study — Siman ל׳, 5 seifim
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רמת המתחיל
Level 1 — Beginner & Intermediate
Vocalized Hebrew text of the seifim with a fluent English translation. Pedagogical, uplifting explanation: the time for donning the tefillin is by day and not by night — in the morning once one recognizes a familiar person at 4 amot (משיכיר את חבירו, like the tzitzit of siman 18); it is forbidden to don them at night שמא ישן בהם; the early traveler dons them early and blesses at the zman; and at sunset on the road he places his hand on them. Practical cases: from when to don in the morning, the prohibition of the night, and the traveler.
In-depth pilpul: the shiur of משיכיר את חבירו (the same as the tzitzit, siman 18 — Menachot 43a, Berakhot 9b); day and not night (מימים ימימה — ימים ולא לילות, Menachot 36b); לילה לאו זמן תפילין and the rabbinic gezera שמא יישן; the sense of אין מורין כן; the case of the early traveler (דליכא למיחש); and שקעה עליו חמה בדרך / קדש עליו היום — יניח ידו עליהם (a brief referral to simanim 29 and 31). 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: the morning zman (משיכיר את חבירו at 4 amot); the prohibition of the night (שמא ישן בהם) and the אין מורין כן; the early traveler who dons early and blesses at the zman; and the sun setting on the road (יניח ידו עליהם). Conduct le-maaseh in daily life, with a referral to a Rav and cf. siman 18, 25, 28, 29 and 31.
The Choulhan Aroukh HaRav of the Admour HaZaken on Orach Chaim siman 30 (five seifim): full text and the force of the psak relative to the Mechaber — the morning zman (משיכיר את חבירו at 4 amot), the prohibition of the night (שמא ישן בהם), the early traveler, the sun setting on the road (יניח ידו עליהם), and the order of Arvit / tefillin. 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.
The time for donning, in the morning, begins from when one sees a familiar person one is somewhat acquainted with, at four amot, and recognizes him — the same shiur as for the tzitzit (siman 18).
יוֹם וְלֹא לַיְלָה
day and not night
The tefillin are donned by day, מימים ימימה — ימים ולא לילות: the night is not their time, and one does not don them in darkness.
שֶׁמָּא יִישַׁן בָּהֶם
lest he fall asleep
The Sages decreed not to don tefillin at night שמא ישכחם וישן בהם — lest one forget them and fall asleep while wearing them.
אֵין מוֹרִין כֵּן
permitted, but not taught
If one had donned them before sunset and night fell, even all night it is permitted — but אין מורין כן, one does not teach it so at the outset.
מַשְׁכִּים לַדֶּרֶךְ
the early traveler
One who sets out early dons them before the zman, and when the zman arrives he feels them (ימשמש בהם) and blesses — no concern of falling asleep, since he has risen and is on the road.
שָׁקְעָה עָלָיו חַמָּה בַּדֶּרֶךְ
sunset on the road
On the road when the sun sets, or in the Beit haMidrash when the day is sanctified (Shabbat), he places his hand on them (יניח ידו עליהם) until he reaches home. See also siman 29 and siman 31.
Structure of the Siman — the five seifim
Seif
Subject
Theme
Detail
סעיף א
time for donning
✦ heart of the siman
זמן הנחתן בבוקר משיראה את חבירו הרגיל עמו קצת ברחוק ארבע אמות ויכירנו — in the morning, once one recognizes a familiar person at 4 amot (like the tzitzit).
סעיף ב
night
שמא ישן בהם
It is forbidden to don tefillin at night שמא ישכחם וישן בהם; if one had donned them before sunset, even all night it is permitted — אין מורין כן.
סעיף ג
the early traveler
ימשמש ויברך
The early traveler dons them early, and at the zman he feels them and blesses — no concern of falling asleep, since he has risen and set out.
סעיף ד
sunset on the road
יניח ידו עליהם
On the road at sunset, or in the Beit haMidrash when the day is sanctified, he places his hand on them until he reaches home (cf. siman 29, 31).
סעיף ה
Arvit before nightfall
אין לו להניחם
Yesh mi she-omer: one who prayed Arvit before nightfall (מבעוד יום) before donning the tefillin no longer dons them afterward.
זמן תפילין — day and not night
Case
Source
Conduct
Central idea
משיכיר את חבירו
Mechaber · seif 1 · Berakhot 9b
✦ time of donning
In the morning one dons the tefillin once one recognizes a familiar person at 4 amot — the shiur of the day, the same as for the tzitzit (siman 18).
לילה לאו זמן
Mechaber · seif 2 · Menachot 36b
gezera lest he sleep
At night one does not don the tefillin — מימים ימימה, ימים ולא לילות — and the Sages decreed שמא ישן בהם.
משכים לדרך
Mechaber · seif 3
dons, feels, and blesses
The early traveler dons them before the zman and blesses on arrival — דליכא למיחש שמא יישן, since he has risen and set out on the road.
Frequently asked questions — Siman ל׳
From when does one don the tefillin in the morning, according to Siman 30?
According to the Choulhan Aroukh, Orach Chaim 30:1, זמן הנחתן בבוקר משיראה את חבירו הרגיל עמו קצת ברחוק ארבע אמות ויכירנו — the time for donning, in the morning, is from when one sees a familiar person one is somewhat acquainted with, at a distance of four amot, and recognizes him. This is the same shiur as for the tzitzit (siman 18): by day, when there is enough light to distinguish a close acquaintance.
Why does one not don the tefillin at night, according to Siman 30?
Because night is not זמן תפילין, and the Sages decreed not to don them at night שמא ישכחם וישן בהם — lest one fall asleep while wearing them (Orach Chaim 30:2). If one had donned them before sunset and night fell, even all night it is permitted, but אין מורין כן — one does not teach it so at the outset.
What does the traveler who sets out before dawn do, according to Siman 30?
According to the Mechaber (Orach Chaim 30:3), one who wishes to set out on the road early dons them (before the zman), and when the zman arrives he feels them (ימשמש בהם) and recites the berakha. There is no concern that he will fall asleep with them, since he has risen and set out on the road.
What does one do with the tefillin at sunset on the road, according to Siman 30?
According to the Mechaber (Orach Chaim 30:4), one who is on the road with the tefillin on his head and the sun sets upon him — or who is sitting in the Beit haMidrash with the tefillin on his head and the day is sanctified upon him (the entry of Shabbat) — places his hand on them (יניח ידו עליהם) until he reaches home; and if there is a house near the wall where they can be kept, he removes them and deposits them there. On conduct at the entry of Shabbat, see also siman 29 and siman 31.