Double Sided Retzuos

Question: My tefillin straps were wearing down and had become narrow and stretched in places, so my Rav advised me to buy new ones. The sofer offered a choice between retzuos that are black on one side or both sides. I have always used one-sided retzuos. Is there any advantage to having them black on both sides?

Answer: The Gemara (Menachos 35a) teaches that it is a halacha given to Moshe at Sinai that the outward facing side of the retzuos must be black, while the reverse side may be any colour except red. Rambam (Tefillin 3:14) adds that having the retzuos entirely black is considered an enhancement.

Nonetheless, the Shulchan Aruch (OC 33:3) rules that only the outer side must be black. The Rema (Darkei Moshe OC 33:2), quoting the Ohr Zarua, notes that since it became customary to make the batim black, there is reason to suggest that the retzuos should also be black on both sides. However, he concludes that this was not adopted in practice, and the prevailing custom is to blacken only the outer side.

The Mishna Berura (33:21) clarifies that although Rambam views fully black retzuos as an enhancement, this is not the common practice, and there is no obligation to colour the inner side at all.

The Ben Ish Chai (Chayei Sarah 1:4) similarly notes that, based on the Arizal, that there is an idea to have the retzuos black on both sides, but records that this was not generally practiced, even among the pious.

R’ Shlomo Ganzfried (Keses Hasofer 23:2) adds that the edges of the retzuos should also be blackened, as they are visible from the front. Nonetheless, R’ Shamai Gross (Shevet Hakehasi 1:27) questions this chumra and offers reasons why it has not been widely adopted in practice.

The Shevet HaLevi (9:16) addresses more recent efforts to promote fully black retzuos as preferred. While acknowledging strong earlier support for this view, he notes that the Shulchan Aruch, Rema, and subsequent poskim do not record it, even as an enhancement, and that the established minhag was otherwise. He adds that these poskim must have had good reason not to adopt it, despite its simplicity. He therefore concludes that individuals may choose to be machmir, but there is no basis to promote it as standard practice.

In conclusion, single sided black retzuos fully satisfy the halachic requirement, while double sided retzuos are an optional enhancement adopted by some, but neither required nor historically the mainstream practice.

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