You shall tie them as a sign upon your arm…

The Mitzvah of Tefillin is meant to unite us with our Creator
and bring blessings into our body, soul and life.

Our teacher Moses received the instructions on the laws and intricacies of tefillin while still on Mount Sinai and it was scrupulously passed down through the generations until being inscribed in the Talmud. In other words, G-d gave us the precise instructions Himself on Mount Sinai, and we’ve been doing it His way ever since.

Hundreds of laws govern every detail about the making of tefillin, even when it comes to not only the intention of the person writing the parshiyot, portions, but even the making of the materials. See more information on this below.

The source of the mitzvah of “laying” tefillin are found in four places, and it is those four chapters (Exodus 13:9, Exodus 13:16, Deuteronomy 6:8, and Deuteronomy 11:18) which are written by a Sofer and inserted in the leather boxes that make up the Yad/Hand tefillin. Those chapters speak about how G-d is One, and the only One.

It has even been noted in the Journal of Chinese Medicine (Steven Schram; #70, October 2002) that “it appears that the tefillin and wraps form a potent acupuncture point formula focused and aimed at elevating the spirit and clearing the mind.”

Tefillin must be written be written by a qualified scribe and should be examined twice every seven years to ensure that time and external conditions have not rendered them Pasul (not Kosher).

The making of a set of Tefillin has various requirements and Halachic specifications. However Tefillin can come in different sizes, quality and price. When purchasing a new set of Tefillin one should inquire about the style, Hiddur, and beautification of the parshiyot (parchment script) as well as the size and quality of the batim – which houses the portions. This process is important as it will determine the prices of the Tefillin and insure its Kashrut.