Daf HaYomi B'Halacha Daily Email

Where should the tefillin shel rosh be placed?

The Torah states that the tefillin shel rosh should be placed “between your eyes”. Chazal explain that the proper place for the tefillin is on the area just above the hairline over the space between the eyes. The entire bayis must be in this section and even if only part of it is out of the area, one will not be yotzei the mitzvah. Care should be taken that the bayis should not be oversized, so that the tefillin will not extend out of place.

[שו"ע כז, ט, ומשנ"ב לג; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 3]

Where does a bald person place his tefillin?

Placing the tefillin on the hair means placing them at the roots of the hair, not the ends (wherever they extend). Even if a person is bald, the area can be defined by the place that his hair used to grow. If one never grew hair in the area above the space between the eyes, the tefillin should be placed at the location of the hairline of most people. The poskim discuss where a person who has an uneven hairline should put his tefillin.

[משנ"ב כז, לג; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 35 ו־38 ,וראה שם, 3]

How high may the tefillin be on the head?

As mentioned, the tefillin may not go beneath the hairline. Regarding how high on the head the tefillin may be placed, there is a disagreement among the Rishonim. Some say that they can be placed anywhere on the curve of the head. Others say that they should not be placed higher than halfway up the front slope of the head. L’chatchilah, the second view should be followed. If one is concerned that the tefillin may slip onto his forehead, however, it is better to pull them higher (and rely on the first view) than to allow them to slip too low.

[שו"ע כז, ט, משנ"ב לד, וביה"ל ד"ה ע]

A left-handed person lays tefillin on his right hand. If a person does most of his tasks with his left hand, he is considered a lefty with respect to this halacha. The Gemara uses two different sources in discussing this halacha.

If a person went against his natural tendency and became accustomed to using his non-dominant hand, he is classified based on how his hands are used currently.

A person who lost the lower part of his dominant arm should start to lay on the upper part of this arm since it is no longer his dominant side.

What is the minimal length of the retzuos?

Which side of the retzuos should be visible?

Can a mirror be used to position the tefillin?

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.