Child Place Parshiyos

Question: Our son is very excited for his upcoming bar-mitzva and has been learning about tefillin with his class. He mentioned that a couple of his friends got to place the parshiyos in their tefillin. We asked the sofer who refused, saying that children cannot do this. Why is this?

Answer: The Gemara (Gittin 45b; Menachos 42b) teaches that only one who is obligated in tefillin is qualified to write the parshiyos. Based on this, the Beis Yosef (OC 39:2; Shulchan Aruch OC 39:2) explains that every stage of production connected to the formation of tefillin must be performed by someone who is halachically qualified for that task, including the requirement of lishma, meaning proper intent where applicable.

The Magen Avraham (39:6) and Mishna Berura (39:10; Biur Halacha 39:2) clarify that while a child may be involved in preparing the parchment, he may not participate in any stage that forms or completes the tefillin themselves. Accordingly, he may not sew the batim closed, form the letter shin, tie the straps or knots, or bind the hair around the parshiyos. Each of these stages must be carried out by someone who is bar-mitzva and acting lishma.

The Mishna Berura (33:23) cites the Pri Megadim (Eshel Avraham OC 32:69), who rules that one should not allow a child to perform these essential stages of manufacture, even under adult supervision and instruction to do so lishma.

R’ Yaakov Meir Stern (Mishnas Hasofer 1:18) and R’ Moshe Sternbuch (Teshuvos Vehanhagos 2:23) extend this principle further, writing that even inserting the parshiyos into the batim should ideally be performed by an adult acting lishma.

In conclusion, since inserting the parshiyos is part of the essential preparation of the tefillin, most sofrim are careful that this too should be done only by an adult acting lishma. Where a child has already inserted the parshiyos, it is appropriate for them to be removed and reinserted by the sofer in order to avoid any halachic concern. 

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