Dose of Halacha

Question: I keep my tefillin in a hard, flask-style case. Recently, our teacher told us that these are not ideal as the tefillin shel yad is sitting on top of the tefillin shel rosh . Do I need to switch to a classical tefillin bag? Answer: The Gemara (Menachos 36a) teaches that when putting on one’s tefillin , the tefillin shel yad should be placed on before the tefillin shel rosh . Since the Torah refers to the tefillin shel rosh as totafos , in the plural form, one should ensure that the tefillin shel yad is already worn. For this reason, the tefillin shel rosh is also removed first. When using a hard case, one would typically place the tefillin shel rosh in first, with the tefillin shel yad on top. The Gemara (Menachos 34b) notes that the tefillin shel rosh has greater kedusha than the tefillin shel yad (see Rashi). Placing the tefillin shel yad in first may seem like a solution, but this can create difficulties when removing the tefillin the next time, since the ...

Question: On Mondays and Thursdays our shul finishes later, and I need to leave early to get to work. Is it appropriate to remove my tefillin after leining ? Answer: The Gemara (Berachos 44b; Nida 51b) teaches that the Rabbis in Eretz Yisrael would recite a beracha upon removing their tefillin : ‘asher kideshanu.. lishmor chukav’. Tosafos (Berachos 44b; Nida 51b) explains that these Rabbis would wear their tefillin throughout the day and remove them only at night, when they were no longer permitted to be worn. The Beis Yosef (OC 25:1) notes a minhag of removing one’s tefillin when reciting the words ‘yehi ratzon shenishmor chukecha’ in uva letzion . Nevertheless, he dismisses this practice, maintaining that it is illogical to create a remez for a view that we do not follow (see Teshuvos Vehanhagos 1:45). The Shulchan Aruch (OC 25:13) rules that the minhag is to keep one’s tefillin on until the end of uva letzion . On days when the Torah is read, they should not be re...

Question: My friend allowed me to borrow his tefillin, but I accidentally put on Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin, only realising after davening . Do I need to repeat the berachos when I put on Rashi Tefillin? Answer: There is a machlokes among the rishonim regarding the order of the parshiyos in tefillin . According to Rashi (Menachos 34b), the parshiyos are placed in the order they appear in the Torah; thus, ‘Shema’ comes before ‘Vehaya im Shamoa’. Tosafos, however, writes that ‘Shema’ appears last. The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 34:2) rules that pious individuals should wear both pairs of tefillin , ensuring that they are fulfilling the mitzva properly according to both opinions. He adds (OC 34:3) that only those recognised for piety should do so. The Mishna Berura (34:17) explains that for others, wearing both is considered a sign of haughtiness, as the accepted practice is to wear only Rashi tefillin . This is why most ashkenazim do not wear Rabbeinu Tam tefillin . The Ben Is...