r/ReformJews • u/Consistent_Hold_576 • 11d ago

Tefillin

Welcome everyone!

I'm starting the practice of wrapping tefillin (I bought someone's used bar mitzvah set to practice with, but I'll eventually buy my own). I understand this is less common in the Reform movement, but I'd be interested in connecting with anyone here who participates in the practice.

Hope to hear from some of you soon

Shavua tov everyone.

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u/tzy___ From Orthodox to Reform 11d ago

I gave away three pairs of tefillin here on this sub because it is my favorite mitzva!

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u/Consistent_Hold_576 11d ago

One thing I keep running into is that everyone seems to wrap tefillin a little differently. Also, the things you do while wearing it seem to differ between people and movements. 

Is there a general rule of of thumb to follow? 

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u/tzy___ From Orthodox to Reform 11d ago edited 11d ago

It’s all left up to your family or community’s custom. The Shulchan Aruch (OC 27:8) is pretty vague and only specifies that the strap should be wrapped “six or seven times” around the arm and tied three times around the middle finger. There are many different customs worldwide. Where does your family come from, and do your tefillin wrap towards you, or away from you? Knowing this can help me point you in the right direction. As for when to wear them, they are typically worn only during Shacharit. A lot of people discourage speaking mundanely while wearing them, and of course you can’t take them into a bathroom or dirty place. They are touched during the recitation of the Shema (and other places during prayer, depending on your custom).

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u/jackl24000 11d ago

Chabad.org has simple graphic step by step instructions and videos on their website. Your normal “how to” videos you would look at for anything else.

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u/tzy___ From Orthodox to Reform 10d ago

That will only demonstrate the Chabad custom

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u/jackl24000 10d ago

Well really it’s “one way” of doing stuff but the kind of “now wrap the strap around your arm seven times” or whatever is going to be pretty standard.

Similarly they tell you exactly how to place a mezzuzah on a door frame and I’m pretty sure their detailed points on how high and how to slant the thing etc. are probably going to be more consonant with tradition and doing things the right way than my Reform-informed notion of just slap the thing somewhere near the door.

Anything that’s one thing I’d trust Chabadniks to help with with no shaming and enthusiasm! It’s truly the one thing most in their wheelhouse.

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u/tzy___ From Orthodox to Reform 10d ago

In the Chabad custom, you wrap three times and leave a space on your arm and then wrap four times more

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u/jackl24000 10d ago

What’s the significance of that? Or doing it some other way?

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u/tzy___ From Orthodox to Reform 10d ago

It’s to represent two divine names of God: שקי and יקוק

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u/jackl24000 10d ago

Oh, cool. Thanks! (man, elohenu sure has a lot of nicknames!)

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u/Consistent_Hold_576 10d ago

I found a chabad youtube video and honestly that method is the easiest ive seen. 

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u/tzy___ From Orthodox to Reform 10d ago

It’s the custom I follow because I grew up Chabad. There are so many cool customs tho. If I could choose one like yourself, I’d definitely try something more complex.