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DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION

Siman מ׳ · The sanctity of the tefilin and its respect (קדושת התפילין)

דין איך לנהוג בקדושת התפילין — not to hang the tefilin, but one may hang them in their כיס; the room where they are and the כלי תוך כלי; not to place them under the feet nor facing the head; one who forgot and saw קרי; and removing them for a סעודת קבע
סימן מ׳ · ח׳ סעיפים
דין איך לנהוג בקדושת התפילין
🌱 Introductory level · Beginners
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After teaching the time of the mitsva (siman 37) and the manner of wearing the tefilin, the Shulchan Aroukh here teaches the respect due to their sanctity. One does not hang them — neither by the boxes (בתים) nor by the straps (רצועות) — but one may hang them in their כיס (seif 1). In a room where they are found, marital relations are forbidden until one takes them out or places them כלי תוך כלי (seif 2). One does not place them under the feet nor facing the head (seifim 3-5). One who forgot and transgressed, or saw קרי, does not grasp the בתים and washes his hands (seifim 6-7). Finally, one removes them for a סעודת קבע (seif 8). Hebrew text, fluent English translation and explanations of the eight seifim, with a section of practical cases.

Topic: How to conduct oneself with the sanctity of the tefilin — hanging and the כיס, the כלי תוך כלי and the מיוחד, the position in the room, the hands and the רצועה, and the סעודת קבע
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן מ׳ · שמונה סעיפים

Compiled by: Rav Yossef Haim Samama
DAAT · daattorah.com

The previous simanim taught us how the tefilin are made and placed, and at what time (see siman 37). There remains the question of their honor: the tefilin are תשמישי קדושה, objects of sanctity, and one must guard against any בזיון (disgrace). The Shulchan Aroukh therefore teaches how to conduct oneself with them — not to hang them, not to be with them in a place of levity, to grasp them only with clean hands, and to set them aside from a meal at which one might become drunk. We study here at the level of principle; for personal conduct, one refers to the custom and to the ruling of the Rav.

📑 Study outline

A. תליית תפילין — forbidden to hang the tefilin by the בתים or the רצועות, permitted in the כיס (seif 1)
B. כלי תוך כלי ומיוחד — the room where they are; take them out or place them vessel within a non-reserved vessel (seif 2)
C. מרגלות · מראשות · צד — not under the feet, nor facing the head; the flank and the wife in the bed (seifim 3-5)
D. הידים עסקניות וקרי — one who forgot and transgressed, or saw קרי: not to grasp the בתים, to wash the hands (seifim 6-7)
E. סעודת קבע — remove them and place them on the table until the ברכה; the אכילת עראי (seif 8)
+ Practical cases and comprehension questions

A. תליית תפילין — not to hang the tefilin (seif 1)

Original text (seif 1)

[א] אסור לתלות תפילין בין בבתים בין ברצועות, אבל מותר לתלותן בכיסן.
[1] It is forbidden to hang the tefilin — whether by the boxes (בתים) or by the straps (רצועות) — but it is permitted to hang them in their case (כיס).
תְּפִלִּין · תַּשְׁמִישֵׁי קְדֻשָּׁה — “the tefilin” · “objects of sanctity” — the tefilin are תשמישי קדושה: objects that serve holiness and must be treated with honor. The בתים are the leather boxes that hold the parchments, and the רצועות the straps that bind them. To hang them — as one hangs an ordinary object — is a conduct of בזיון (disgrace), which is why the siman opens on this.
כִּיס — “the case” — the כיס is the pouch or bag in which one keeps the tefilin. Hanging the כיס is not a disgrace to the tefilin themselves, since they are covered and protected; the disgrace concerns only uncovered tefilin. One may therefore hang the case, but not the bare tefilin.
What this seif says:
The seif in one sentence: out of respect for their sanctity, one does not hang uncovered tefilin — neither by the בתים nor by the רצועות — but one may hang the case (כיס) that contains them.

B. כלי תוך כלי ומיוחד — the room where they are (seif 2)

Original text (seif 2)

[ב] בית שיש בו תפילין אסור לשמש בו מטתו עד שיוציאם או שיניחם בכלי תוך כלי, והוא שאין השני מיוחד להם, שאם הוא מיוחד אפילו מאה חשובים כאחד. הגה: ואם שניהם אינן מיוחדים להם, או שהפנימי אינו מיוחד להם והחיצון מיוחד להם — מותר; וע״ל סימן ר״מ ס״ו. (ב״י)
[2] In a room where tefilin are found, it is forbidden to have marital relations until one takes them out, or places them vessel within a vessel (כלי תוך כלי) — provided that the second vessel is not reserved (מיוחד) for them; for if it is reserved, even a hundred are counted as one. Rama: and if the two are not reserved for them, or the inner one is not reserved for them and the outer one is reserved for them — it is permitted; and see above siman ר״מ ס״ו. (Beit Yossef)
כְּלִי תוֹךְ כְּלִי — “a vessel within a vessel” — for the tefilin to be considered “set apart” from the room, one vessel does not suffice: two are needed, one inside the other. Then the tefilin are seen as stored aside, and one may have marital relations in the room.
מְיֻחָד — “reserved” — a מיוחד vessel is one made specially for the tefilin (like the כיס). Such a vessel is considered to be one body with them: it therefore does not count as a separation. This is why “even a hundred” reserved vessels count as one. At least the second vessel must therefore not be reserved for them.
What this seif says:
The seif in one sentence: out of honor for the tefilin, one does not have marital relations in a room where they are uncovered; one takes them out, or covers them vessel within a vessel, provided the outer vessel is not reserved for them.

C. מרגלות · מראשות · צד — the position in the room (seifim 3-5)

Original text (seifim 3-5)

[ג] אפילו להניח בכלי בתוך כלי, אסור להניחם תחת מרגלותיו; וכן אסור להניחם תחת מראשותיו כנגד ראשו אפילו בכלי תוך כלי, ואפילו אין אשתו עמו. אבל שלא כנגד ראשו, אם אין אשתו עמו — מותר, ואם אשתו עמו — צריך כלי בתוך כלי. [ד] אשתו עמו במטה ואינו רוצה לשמש — מקרי אין אשתו עמו. [ה] להניחם במטה כנגד צדו — דינן כתחת מרגלותיו.
[3] Even placing them vessel within a vessel, it is forbidden to place them under his feet (תחת מרגלותיו); likewise it is forbidden to place them under his head, facing his head (כנגד ראשו), even vessel within a vessel, and even if his wife is not with him. But not-facing his head (שלא כנגד ראשו): if his wife is not with him — it is permitted; and if his wife is with him — he needs vessel within a vessel. [4] His wife is in the bed with him but he does not wish to have relations — this is called “his wife is not with him.” [5] Placing them in the bed against his flank (כנגד צדו) — their law is like “under his feet.”
תַּחַת מַרְגְּלוֹתָיו · כְּנֶגֶד רֹאשׁוֹ — “under his feet” · “facing his head” — placing the tefilin under his feet is a conduct of disgrace: even כלי תוך כלי, it is forbidden. Placing them under his head, facing his head is also forbidden — even in two vessels, even without his wife — for one might treat them with levity. Both of these positions are forbidden in every case.
שֶׁלֹּא כְּנֶגֶד רֹאשׁוֹ — “not-facing his head” — placing the tefilin under the head but to the side, not directly facing the head: there, everything depends on the wife's presence. Without a wife in the bed — permitted. With a wife — one needs כלי תוך כלי. And the seif clarifies (seif 4) that “with a wife” means the intention of relations: if she is in the bed without that intention, it is as “without a wife.”
What these seifim say:
The seif in one sentence: under the feet, facing the head and against the flank — forbidden even in two vessels; not-facing the head is permitted without a wife, and with a wife one needs כלי תוך כלי — “with a wife” meaning the intention of relations.

D. הידים עסקניות וקרי — the hands and the strap (seifim 6-7)

Original text (seifim 6-7)

[ו] שכח ושמש מטתו בתפילין — לא יאחוז לא בבתים ולא ברצועה עד שיטול ידיו, מפני שהידים עסקניות הן ושמא נגעו במקום הטנופת. [ז] ישן בהם וראה קרי — לא יאחוז בבתים אלא יאחוז ברצועה, ומסיר אותם עד שיקנח הקרי מעליו ויטול ידיו. (ב״י)
[6] One who forgot and had marital relations while wearing the tefilin — let him grasp neither the boxes (בתים) nor the strap (רצועה) before he has washed his hands, because the hands are “busy” (עסקניות) and may have touched a soiled place. [7] One who slept in them and saw קרי (a seminal emission) — let him not grasp the boxes, but let him grasp the strap, and he removes them until he has wiped off the קרי from himself and washed his hands. (Beit Yossef)
הַיָּדַיִם עַסְקָנִיּוֹת — “the hands are busy” — an expression from the Talmud (Berakhot). The hands move constantly and touch all sorts of things; one cannot be sure they did not touch a soiled place of the body. One who had marital relations therefore grasps neither the בתים nor the רצועה before washing his hands, so as not to touch the sanctity of the tefilin with doubtful hands.
קֶרִי — the difference between the two cases — one who transgressed (seif 6) has truly suspect hands, and grasps nothing before washing. One who only slept and saw קרי (seif 7) does not have that same concern for his hands: he may therefore grasp the רצועה (but not the בתים) to remove the tefilin, and afterward wipe himself and wash his hands.
What these seifim say:
The seif in one sentence: one does not touch the sanctity of the tefilin with doubtful hands: after relations one grasps neither בתים nor רצועה before washing; after sleep and קרי, one may grasp the רצועה to remove them, then wipe oneself and wash the hands.

E. סעודת קבע — removing them for a fixed meal (seif 8)

Original text (seif 8)

[ח] הנכנס לסעודת קבע — חולצן ומניחן על השלחן עד זמן ברכה, וחוזר ומניחן; אבל לאכילת עראי אין צריך לחלצן.
[8] One who enters a fixed meal (סעודת קבע) — he removes the tefilin (חולצן) and places them on the table until the moment of the blessing (ברכה), then he puts them back on; but for an occasional eating (אכילת עראי), he need not remove them.
סְעוּדַת קֶבַע · אֲכִילַת עֲרַאי — “a fixed meal” · “occasional eating” — a סעודת קבע is a proper meal, at which one settles down to eat (with bread and wine). An אכילת עראי is a passing snack. The distinction is decisive here: for the fixed meal, one removes the tefilin; for the snack, one may keep them.
עַד זְמַן בְּרָכָה — “until the moment of the blessing” — why remove the tefilin for a proper meal? Because at the table one might become drunk or turn one's mind away (היסח הדעת), which is unworthy of the tefilin. One therefore places them on the table, and puts them back for the ברכת המזון, the blessing after the meal — when one becomes attentive again.
What this seif says:
The seif in one sentence: for a proper meal one removes the tefilin and places them on the table until the ברכה — lest one become drunk — then puts them back; for a mere snack, one may keep them.

Practical cases

Case 1 — Where and how to store one's tefilin at night

Situation: someone wants to know how to store his tefilin for the night, in the bedroom.
Conduct: one does not hang uncovered tefilin (seif 1), but one may hang their כיס. If one sleeps in the same room and there could be marital relations, it is not enough to leave them uncovered: one must either take them out of the room, or cover them כלי תוך כלי — two vessels whose outer one is not reserved for them (seif 2). One does not place them under his feet, nor facing his head, nor against his flank (seifim 3-5). For the exact arrangement, one follows the custom and asks the Rav.

Case 2 — Washing the hands before touching the boxes

Situation: upon waking, someone wants to take his tefilin. Must he first wash his hands?
Conduct: the tefilin are תשמישי קדושה, and one does not grasp their sanctity with doubtful hands. The hands are “busy” (ידים עסקניות): during sleep they may have touched a soiled place. One therefore washes the hands before grasping the בתים. One who had relations grasps neither בתים nor רצועה before washing (seif 6); one who only slept and saw קרי may grasp the רצועה to remove them, then wipe himself and wash (seif 7). In practice, one takes care to have clean hands before any contact with the tefilin.

Case 3 — Removing the tefilin for a proper meal

Situation: someone still wears his tefilin and settles down for a proper meal. May he keep them?
Conduct: for a סעודת קבע — a proper meal — one removes the tefilin and places them on the table until the time of the ברכה, then puts them back (seif 8). The reason is the fear of becoming drunk and of היסח הדעת, unworthy of their sanctity. For a mere אכילת עראי (a snack), one need not remove them. For the boundary between קבע and עראי in a concrete case, one asks the Rav.

Comprehension questions

Check your understanding:
  1. Why does one not hang the tefilin, and what may one hang nonetheless (seif 1)?
  2. What is the כלי תוך כלי, and why must the second vessel not be מיוחד (seif 2)?
  3. Which positions are forbidden in every case, and which depends on the wife's presence (seifim 3-5)?
  4. What does “his wife is not with him” mean according to seif 4?
  5. Why are the hands “busy”, and what is the difference between seifim 6 and 7?
  6. Why does one remove the tefilin for a סעודת קבע and not for an אכילת עראי (seif 8)?

Going further

If you wish to deepen this siman:
Continue to the next simanSiman 41 →
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