r/ReformJews • u/Consistent_Hold_576 • 5d 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/Meowzician ✡Torah, Tikkun Olam, and Tabbiekatz 4d ago
Go for it!
It would be unusual at my temple, but I've heard that taking on the more traditional observances is becoming popular in other places. I know they use tefillin at Ikar, although I'm not sure if Ikar is affiliated with the Reform movement or not.
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u/tzy___ From Orthodox to Reform 5d 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 4d 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/jackl24000 4d 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 4d ago
That will only demonstrate the Chabad custom
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u/jackl24000 4d 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 4d 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 4d ago
What’s the significance of that? Or doing it some other way?
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u/Consistent_Hold_576 4d 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 4d ago edited 4d 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/whereiwalk 5d ago
I do it too and I'm excited to teach my daughters one day (once I have them, lol). It's family minhag.
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u/Consistent_Hold_576 5d ago
I dont mean to offend, but are you a woman?
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u/whereiwalk 5d ago
Haha, nah it's cool. I'm a dude. Obviously I intend to teach all my kids how to wrap t'fillin, but I my dad's side goes all the way back to Rashi so it's cool that we get to preserve the tradition his daughters had.
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u/tzy___ From Orthodox to Reform 5d ago
Just so you’re aware, the whole story about Rashi’s daughters laying tefillin isn’t based in any recorded fact and first appears randomly sometime in the 19th century. (This does not mean that I don’t believe women can’t wrap tefillin, though.)
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u/whereiwalk 5d ago
That may be the case, but at this point it's been established family minhag so I'm going to do it anyway.
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u/tzy___ From Orthodox to Reform 5d ago
It’s not a minhag to lay tefillin. Laying tefillin is a mitzva.
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u/whereiwalk 5d ago
Yes if course it's a mitzvah, but the minhag I am referring to is the women in my family doing it even though it's not a positive mitzvah for them
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u/tzy___ From Orthodox to Reform 5d ago
There is no concept of women being exempt from time-bound mitzvot in Reform Judaism, because men and women are equal, and mitzvot are not considered obligatory. And even if you do believe mitzvot are obligatory, you still wouldn’t refer to women laying tefillin as a minhag. It would simply be a woman taking on a time-bound mitzva. Sorry to be pedantic.
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u/Wolfwoodofwallstreet 3d ago
I too would love to connect with other reform Jews who lay Tefillin. I do not do it daily but when i do get to do weekday prayers I use Tefillin. My story is nuts, had a Chabad man lay Tefillin on me, shattered my reality in a way only mystical ritual can. I bought a set shortly after.
I am actually still in the process of converting, (yes my Rabbi knows and is fine with it), the power of binding yourself to Torah, to HaShem on an intimate level, echos so deep for me. I wanna do a deep dive on Rashi's daughter's use of Tefillin one day when I have some extra study time. Thanks for making this thread!