Daf HaYomi B'Halacha Daily Email

Is a new brocha said when tightening a loose tefillin strap?

If the straps become loose immediately upon fastening the shel yad, they should be refastened without a new brocha. If, however, the shel yad or shel rosh became loose after the shel rosh was put on, a new brocha is necessary when refastening it. If the loosening took place during davening, a new brocha should not be said. Since it is understood that a person wears tefillin throughout davening, it is as if one was mindful at the time of the first brocha that it should cover all replacements during davening.

[סעיף יב וס"ק נא-נב; וראה ביה"ל ד"ה אינו]

Is a new brocha necessary if the straps were never properly tightened?

If one removes his tefillin to adjust the strap or knot and then return it to its place, the Shulchan Aruch holds that a new brocha must be said. Rema maintains that a new brocha should not be said. If the straps were too loose to be tightened at the time of fastening, all opinions agree that a new brocha should not be said. Since the tefillin were never properly tightened, the original brocha was never “used up” on an original placement.

[סעיף יב, ס"ק נ, וביה"ל ד"ה מהדק]

At what point in davening may the tefillin be removed?

Shulchan Aruch quotes the custom of not removing one’s tefillin until after U’va L’tzion is said. Rema adds that according to Kabbalistic sources, they should only be removed after saying three Kaddishim and four Kedushas. It is best to leave them on until after one hears the final Kaddish. If there is a bris in shul, it is preferable to keep them on until after the bris. Tefillin and bris milah are each considered an ois (sign), and it is fitting for them to accompany each other.

[סעיף יג וס"ק נה-נו; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 67-66]

Shulchon Aruch rules that if one takes off his tefillin, even temporarily, he must make a new brocha when he puts them back on. Rema maintains that a second brocha is not necessary. All opinions agree that if at the time of the first brocha one knew that he would be taking them off and putting them back on, one brocha would suffice for both placements.

If the tefillin moved out of place while being worn, the halacha is as follows: If they only partially moved, a brocha is not made when they are put back in place. If they entirely—or even mostly--moved out of place, a new brocha must be said upon repositioning them.

The poskim give direction on how to act when there is a disagreement between the revealed Torah, based on the Gemara and poskim, and the hidden Torah, based on the mekubolim. They say that if the disagreement does not involve a leniency and stringency, the Gemara’s view should be followed. If the Kabbalah’s view entails a stringency, one should abide by that view.

May the tefillin be taken off before the Torah is put back in its place?

Why are tefillin not worn during Musaf on Rosh Chodesh?

When should the tefillin be removed on Rosh Chodesh?

PLEASE NOTE: The information in this email is for learning purposes only. Please review the Mishna Berura and Biurim U'Musafim before making a halachic decision. Hebrew words are occasionally transliterated to enable a smoother reading of the text. Common Ashkenazi pronunciation is generally used in these cases.