
tefillin
Black Leather
"You shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they should be for a
reminder between your eyes" (Deuteronomy 6:8).
You have a brain. It is in one world. Your heart is in another. And your hands often end
up involved in something completely foreign to both of them. Three diverse machines.
So you put on tefillin. First thing in the day, you connect your head, your heart and your
hand with these leather cables—all to work as one, with one intent. And then when you go out to meet the world, all
your actions find harmony in a single coordinated purpose…
Tefillin are a pair of black leather boxes containing Hebrew parchment scrolls. A set
includes two tefillin—one for the head and one for the arm. Each consists of three main components: the scrolls,
the box, and the strap. The scrolls are inserted into boxes made of leather that have been painted
black.
You connect your head, your heart and your hand with these leather cablesOne
box is strapped on your head and the other onto your arm next to your heart. It's done once a day – preferably
during the morning prayers – while you say a passage called the Shema Yisrael. It's done by Jewish males, age
13 and up, every day except Shabbat and major Jewish holidays.
1. Place on Arm
You have two black leather boxes with straps in your tefillin bag. One is for the arm, the
other for the head. Take out the arm one first--that's the one that's one smooth box, rather than four
compartments.
Remove the tefillin from the plastic case.
The arm tefillin goes on the weaker arm -- right-handed people do the left arm, lefties do
the right arm.
Roll up your sleeve so that the tefillin is in direct contact with your arm. Put your arm
through the loop formed by the knotted strap. Place the black box up on your biceps, just below the halfway point
between the shoulder and the elbow right across from your heart. (see illustration).
Here's a bare minimum beginner's guide to tefillin:
If you don't already have a pair, purchase a kosher pair of tefillin.
If you have a pair, be sure to have them checked. The scrolls inside could use an occasional checkup.
Wake up.
Wash up and get dressed.
Take tefillin out of bag.
Put on tefillin.
Say the Shema Yisrael prayer (at minimum)
Take off tefillin.
Wrap up tefillin.
Put tefillin back in bag.
Total estimated time (excluding waking, washing and getting dressed): 5 minutes.
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Read more:http://www.messianics.org/Daily-Prayers.html#ixzz0vWDI60i5
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