Rabbi Eliot Pearlson

The Ritual of Wrapping Tefilin

Stand while putting on Tefilin.  Place the Arm Tefilin upon your left Bicep (upon the right bicep if you are Left-handed).  Hold it  in place ready for tightening and say:

   Baruch Ata Adon-ny Elohainu Melech HaOlam  Asher Kidishanu B'Mitzvotav V'tzeevanu L'Ha-Nee-ach Tefilin 

 Tighten the arm tefilin and wrap the strap 7 times around your forearm.

Without talking or hesitating, place the Head tefilin in place (above your hairline) above your eyes and say:

   Baruch Ata Adon-ny Elohainu Melech HaOlam  Asher Kidishanu B'Mitzvotav V'tzeevanu Al Mitzvat Tefilin

Baruch Shaim Kavod Malchuto L'Olam Vaed 

Tefilin:

A Guide to the daily donning

of Tefilin

The Recitation of Shma 

Concentrate on fulfilling the Positive commandment of Reciting the Shema every morning.  Cover your eyes with your right  hand and recite the first verse out loud:

  Sh'ma Yisrael, Ado-nai Elo-hei-nu, Ado-nai Echad.

Ba-ruch sheim k'vod mal-chu-to l'o-lam va-ed.

V'a-hav-ta eit A-do-nai E-lo-he-cha,  B'chawl^l'va-v'cha,  u-v'chawl naf-sh'cha,  u-v'chawl m'o-de-cha.  V'ha-yu ha-d'va-rim ha-ei-leh,  A-sher a-no-chi m'tsa-v'cha ha-yom, al l'va-ve-cha.  V'shi-nan-tam l'-va-ne-cha, v'di-bar-ta bam  b'shiv-t'cha b'vei-te-cha,  uv-lech-t'cha va-de-rech,  u-v'shawch-b'cha uv-ku-me-cha.  Uk-shar-tam l'ot al ya-de-cha,  v'ha-yu l'to-ta-fot bein ei-ne-cha.  Uch-tav-tam, al m'zu-zot bei-te-cha, u-vish-a-re-cha.

(And you shall love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  And these words that I command you today shall be upon your heart.  Teach them to your children and speak of them while your sit in your home, while you walk on the way, when you retire and when you arise.  Bind them as a sign upon your arm and as frontlets between your eyes.  And write them on the door posts of your homes and upon your gates.)

1.  Tefilin are put on the arm which is the weakest or least used. Lefties: put on the right arm, for righties, on the left arm.

2.  The hand tefillin (tefillin shel yad) are unwrapped, the hand tefila placed on the bicep loosely, with the knot facing inwards.  Then the blessing recited: Baruch ata adonai, eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher kidshanu b'mitzvotav, v'tzivanu l'haniach tefilin...Praised are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who has made us special through His commandments, and commanded us to wrap the tefillin.

3.  Tightened the knot by pulling the strap. Wind one wrapping above the elbow, then wrapped 7 times between the elbow and wrist.

4.  After wrapping 7 turns,  wrap once just below the wrist and hold it there as you put on the head tefila (tefillin shel rosh). This should be placed with the knot at the middle of the back of the neck, and the second blesing recited: Baruch ata adonai, eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher kidshanu b'mitzvotav, v'tzivanu al mitzvat tefilin...Praised are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who has made us special through His commandments, and commanded us regarding tefillin.

5.  The front of the head tefilin are then adjusted so that the box is at the hairline  and directly upwards from midpoint between the eyes.

6.  The hand tefillin are now wrapped once from the wrist to the point between the thumb and index finger, then three times around the middle finger (to create what looks like the letter dalet), the once going back down from there to the point between the thumb and index finger, and several times around the entire hand.