Daf HaYomi B'Halacha Daily Email

In Part One we presented the answer of the Medresh Tanchuma that they were forced into accepting the Torah sheba’al peh.

When the Torah tells us, for example, that on the fifteenth day of Nissan is the Yom Tov of Pesach, the Torah infused this day with kedusha. This holiness is a reality and it is palpable to one who is on a considerable level of kedusha. This kedusha limits one from doing melacha on that day in violation of its holiness. If the Torah would have designated a different day as the Yom Tov instead of the fifteenth of Nissan, then that newly designated day would possess intrinsic holiness and in turn the fifteenth of Nissan would be void of any kedusha. It would be as any other regular weekday. This heavenly power was entrusted to the Chachomim. The Torah mandated a system of how to set the Jewish calendar. There is a lunar year and a solar year. The lunar year is shorter than the solar year. The Torah mandated the Chachomim to systematically arrange that the solar and lunar years remain in sync with each other. This can happen only if a lunar month is added at certain intervals. The power to add a month is mandated in Torah sheba’al peh. The lunar cycle is approximately twenty-nine and a half days. The Torah requires a month to be made up of complete days- no halves. This forces some months to contain twenty-nine days and some to contain thirty days. Torah sheba’al peh imposed the decision to determine the amount of days to the Chachomim.

This imposition was of major consequence. The decision to include an extra day in a month had a monumental impact on Klal Yisroel. This result effected the outcome of the arrival of the Yomim Tovim. The imposition of an extra day in a particular month would allocate a particular day to be a Yom Tov and consequently it would be infused with kedusha and in turn a different day would be denied kedusha.

Adding a month, Adar sheni, impacted the kedushah throughout an entire year. The Yerushalmi points out that biological body changes that normally occur at the completion of three years is delayed one month if the Chachomim determine to add an extra month to the year.

The responsibility they were entrusted with was enormous. These decisions carried great weight and tremendous impact, both on communal and private lives.

When Chazal tell us that they were forced into Torah sheba’al peh, it does not mean that they refused to accept the authenticity of it. They were hesitant to accept the colossal achrayus to be the deciders of the Jewish calendar that profoundly impacted the Jewish people. Their word would create reality and they were not confident that they were up to that task. This is when Hashem stepped in threateningly, coercing them to step into this awesome position of leadership. They were forced to undertake the responsibility to make the halachic determinations.

Can the parshios of the shel yad be written on separate pieces of parchment?

There are four parshios written on klaf (parchment) inside each of the batim of tefillin. They are the parshios of Shema, V’haya Im Shamoa, Kadesh and V’haya Ki Yeviacha. In the shel rosh, each of these parshios are written on separate pieces of klaf and placed into separate compartments. In the shel yad, however, all four parshios are written on one piece of klaf and placed in one compartment. Each parsha is written on a separate column. If one mistakenly made one compartment for the shel rosh and separate compartments for the shel yad, the tefillin are invalid. If, however, the parshios for the shel rosh were written on one piece of parchment, or the parshios of the shel yad were written separately, the tefillin are kosher b’dieved.

[שו"ע לב, א-ב, ומשנ"ב ו; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 5 ;וראה שו"ע מז]

In what order should the parshios be written?

The parshios must be written in the order in which they appear in the Torah: Kadesh, V’haya Ki Yeviacha, Shema and V’haya Im Shamoa. According to the teachings of Kabbalah, the sofer should write them in one sitting, without interrupting his work by speaking. This effort should be made as long as it does not interfere with the quality of the sofer’s work. L’chatchilah, the parshios of the shel yad should be written before the parshios of the shel rosh. If the parshios were written out of order, they cannot be used together for the same set of tefillin. However, the parsha which was supposed to be written second can be matched together with an earlier parsha that was written beforehand. Likewise, the one which was supposed to be written first can be combined with a later parshah that is written afterwards.

[שו"ע לב, א, משנ"ב ב-ה, וביה"ל ד"ה וצריך; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 4-3]

How large is the daled of echad?

When writing a Sefer Torah, tefillin or mezuzos, the letter daled in the word echad of Shema should be enlarged. According to the teachings of the Arizal, the large daled should be the equivalent of four smaller daleds. The poskim hold that it is customary for the sofer to simply make the daled bigger than the rest of the letters that he writes. It can be assumed that his larger daled will contain the equivalent of four miniscule daleds. It is proper for the bottom of the roof of the daled to be level with the bottom of the roofs of its neighboring letters. The top of the roof should rise above the indent line of the klaf. If one wrote an average-sized daled, it is still valid b’dieved.

[משנ"ב לב, א; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 1]

Tefillin are an ois--a sign of connection between Hashem and Klal Yisroel. Since Shabbos and Yom Tov fall into the category of ois as well, tefillin are not worn at those times.

On Shabbos, a keli shemelochto l’issur (an object whose primary use entails a forbidden act) can only be moved if the item itself, or the place where it is situated, is needed. The poskim debate whether tefillin fall into this category on Shabbos.

According to many Rishonim, the days of Chol Hamoed are also considered an ois, and tefillin are not worn. This opinion is followed by the Shulchon Aruch and the Vilna Gaon. This is the accepted custom in Eretz Yisroel as well as some communities in Chutz L’Aretz.

Which materials may be used to make the ink for tefillin?

Which materials are commonly used for tefillin?

Can tefillin be written in colors other than black?

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.