And it contains five seifim (ה׳ סעיפים):אם נתקלקל עור של שני בתים מבתי הראש זה אצל זה, אם התפילין ישנים פסולים ואם הם חדשים כשרים כל זמן שעור מושב הבתים קיים — if the leather of two adjacent head-batim is damaged: when old (ישנים) they are pasul, when new (חדשים) they remain kosher as long as the leather of the seat (מושב הבתים) holds. The following seifim address torn stitches, the strap leather (from a pure animal, tanned לשמן, black on the outside and not red), who must blacken them (ישראל לשמן), and a torn strap and its תיקון.
The 4 levels of study — Siman ל״ג, 5 seifim
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Vocalized Hebrew text of the seifim with a fluent English translation. Pedagogical, uplifting explanation: the upkeep of the tefillin and the straps — the damaged leather of the בתים (new is kosher, old is pasul as long as the seat holds), torn stitches, the strap leather from a pure animal tanned לשמן, black on the outside and not red (שחורות מבחוץ), who blackens them (ישראל לשמן), and a torn strap. Practical cases: worn batim, the black straps, and a torn strap — a referral to the sofer and the Rav.
In-depth pilpul: בתים שנתקלקלו — the machloket Beit Yossef vs רש״י/הרא״ש on חדש/ישן and the criterion (מתפשט ונפתח), מושב הבתים, שנים זה כנגד זה, לחומרא; נפסקו התפירות (הרמב״ם, חדשים/ישנים); עור הרצועות — טהור, מעובד לשמן, שחורות מבחוץ הלכה למשה מסיני, the prohibition of אדום (מראית העין); מי שישחירן (ישראל לשמן, בדיעבד); and תפירת/קשירת רצועה שנפסקה — מקום ההיקף and שעת הדחק. Beit Yossef, Tur, רמב״ם, רש״י, הרא״ש, מג״א, ט״ז, Pri Megadim, Mishna Berura and Beour Halakha, Aroukh haShulchan, Kaf haChaim, on מנחות לה.
Structured summary for review and memorization: the damaged leather of the בתים (חדש/ישן, מושב הבתים); torn stitches; the strap leather (טהור, מעובד לשמן); black on the outside and not red (שחורות מבחוץ); who blackens them (ישראל לשמן); and a torn strap and its תיקון. Conduct le-maaseh in daily life, with a referral to a sofer and a Rav and cf. siman 25, 27, 32 and 34.
The Choulhan Aroukh HaRav of the Admour HaZaken on Orach Chaim siman 33 (six seifim): full text and the force of the psak relative to the Mechaber — the damaged leather of the בתים (the machloket on חדש/ישן), torn stitches, the strap leather (בהמה חיה ועוף טהורים, מעובד לשמן), the black הלכה למשה מסיני (שחורות מבחוץ), who blackens them (ישראל לשמן), and a torn strap. 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.
If the leather of two adjacent בתים is damaged: old ones (ישנים) are pasul; new ones (חדשים) are kosher as long as the seat holds. The criterion: if, when pulled by the straps, the bayit spreads and opens — it is called new.
מוֹשַׁב הַבָּתִּים
the seat of the batim
As long as the leather of the seat (מושב הבתים) remains intact, the new tefillin are kosher, even if the leather of the בתים has torn a little.
נִפְסְקוּ הַתְּפִירוֹת
torn stitches
Per the Rambam: two stitches side by side, or three even non-adjacent, render old ones pasul; new ones are kosher as long as the seat holds. Rama: לחוש to both opinions.
עוֹר טָהוֹר מְעֻבָּד לִשְׁמָן
pure leather tanned לשמן
The strap leather must come from a domestic animal, a wild beast, or a bird that are pure (טהורים), and be tanned לשמן — for the sake of the mitzva of tefillin.
שְׁחוֹרוֹת מִבַּחוּץ
black on the outside
הלכה למשה מסיני: the straps are black on the outside; on the inside any color is permitted except red — שמא יאמרו, lest people say it was dyed from the blood of his sores (mar'it ayin).
נִפְסְקָה הָרְצוּעָה
a torn strap
The part that encircles the head and the arm (to the middle finger, three windings) has no תיקון — neither knot nor sewing; the surplus, however, may be repaired. In a she'at ha-dechak one relies on the lenient authorities so as not to miss the mitzva.
Structure of the Siman — the five seifim
Seif
Subject
Theme
Detail
סעיף א
damaged batim leather
✦ heart of the siman
Leather of two adjacent בתים damaged: old pasul, new kosher as long as מושב הבתים holds; two non-adjacent (1st/3rd) kosher even when old; three בתים — pasul.
סעיף ב
torn stitches
חדשים / ישנים
Per הרמב״ם: two stitches side by side, or three even non-adjacent — pasul in old ones; new ones kosher as long as the seat holds. Rama: לחוש to both opinions.
סעיף ג
strap leather
שחורות מבחוץ
Leather from a pure animal, tanned לשמן; black on the outside (הלכה למשה מסיני); inside any color except red (מראית העין).
סעיף ד
who blackens them
ישראל לשמן
Good that a Jew blacken them לשמן; be-diavad the בתים remain kosher, but the straps — pasul even be-diavad.
סעיף ה
a torn strap
תיקון and שעת הדחק
The מקום ההיקף (head, arm to the middle finger, 3 windings) has no תיקון; the surplus may be repaired; in a she'at ha-dechak one relies on the lenient authorities.
הרצועות — leather, color and תיקון
Case
Source
Conduct
Central idea
עור הרצועה
Mechaber · seif 3 · Menachot 35
✦ pure, tanned לשמן
The strap leather is from a pure domestic animal, wild beast, or bird, and tanned לשמן — for the sake of the mitzva of tefillin.
שחורות מבחוץ
Mechaber · seif 3
הלכה למשה מסיני
Black on the outside; inside any color except red — lest people say it was dyed from the blood of his sores (מראית העין).
מי שישחירן
Mechaber · seif 4
ישראל לשמן
Good that a Jew blacken them לשמן; batim kosher be-diavad, straps pasul even be-diavad.
נפסקה הרצועה
Mechaber · seif 5
מקום ההיקף / שעת הדחק
The מקום ההיקף (head and arm to the middle finger) has no תיקון; the surplus may be repaired; in a she'at ha-dechak one relies on the lenient authorities.
Frequently asked questions — Siman ל״ג
When does damaged batim leather render the tefillin pasul, according to Siman 33?
According to the Choulhan Aroukh, Orach Chaim 33:1, if the leather of two adjacent head-batim (זה אצל זה) is damaged: if the tefillin are old (ישנים) they are pasul, and if they are new (חדשים) they remain kosher as long as the leather of the seat (מושב הבתים) holds. The Rama cites the reverse opinion (רש״י and הרא״ש) and concludes that one should be stringent (להחמיר) in both cases. Two non-adjacent batim (the 1st and the 3rd) — kosher even when old; three damaged batim — pasul in every case.
From what leather and in what color must the straps be, according to Siman 33?
According to the Mechaber (Orach Chaim 33:3), the strap leather must come from a domestic animal, a wild beast, or a bird that are pure (טהורים), and be tanned לשמן. It is a הלכה למשה מסיני that the straps be black on the outside (שחורות מבחוץ); on the inside one may use any color one wishes, except red — שמא יאמרו, lest people say it was dyed from the blood of his sores (מראית העין).
Who must blacken the tefillin and the straps, according to Siman 33?
According to the Mechaber (Orach Chaim 33:4), it is good that a Jew (ישראל) blacken them לשמן, and not a non-Jew. The Rama adds that be-diavad, if a non-Jew blackened the leather of the בתים, they remain kosher; but for the straps, even be-diavad they are pasul.
What is the law of a torn strap, according to Siman 33?
According to the Mechaber (Orach Chaim 33:5), some permit (יש מתירים) sewing it from the inside. But the part that encircles the head, and on the arm the part that goes around it and extends to the middle finger (three windings), has no תיקון — neither by knotting nor by sewing; whereas the surplus length (the windings around the arm, and what hangs from the head) is not invalidated by sewing or knotting. In a she'at ha-dechak one may rely on the lenient authorities so as not to miss the mitzva of tefillin.