Question of the Week: Why do we all owe a profound debt

to Martin Ranshohoff?

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All Wrapped Up

What are tefillin and why are they used?

Elizabeth Applebaum
AppleTree Editor

ood things
come in small
packages.
Like tefillin.
Just about everyone
can tell you what tefill-
in look like, but not
many know exactly
what's inside and why
they are used. Here's
the scoop.
Tefillin are made of
leather and comprise
two boxes, one placed
on the head and one
used on the hand. The
head cube bears two of
the Hebrew letter shin,
which begins one of
God's names, on the
left side and on the
right side. Nothing
appears on the hand
cube.
Attached to these boxes are retzuot,
leather straps, generally about 3 feet
long. As one dons the tefillin, he or she
loosely applies a leather strap around
the head, but tightly (seven times)
affixes the other about the arm. The
strap is used seven times in reference to
Psalm 145:16, "You open Your hand
and satisfy every living creature" (which
contains seven words). The end of the
arm strap is then wound three times

You've always
wondered ... now
you know.-
Here is your

around the hand, and three times
Tefillin always come in a pair, though
around the ring finger and the
if you need to refer to only one
middle finger. When com-
box, it's called tefila. If this
Tefillin h elp
plete,
plete, the design forms one of
sounds familiar, it's because this
Jews rem ember
God's names.
also is the word for a prayer.
their Div ine
The box on the head is to
"Tefillin" is one of those rare
ties.
show one's intellectual corn-
words that virtually all Jews know
mitment to God and the
and use. No one says "phylacter-
Torah, while the one on the hand
ies," and there's good reason for that.
reminds the wearer that he must use all
First of all, no one knows what "phylac-
his strength while serving God.
teries" really mean. When was the last

chance to learn
all kinds of com-
pelling and
unusual facts
about Jewish life
throughout the
years. Now You
Know introduces
you to famous
scholars and infa-
mous gangsters,
considers deci-
sions and inci-
dents that contin-
ue to shape the
way we live
today, and tells
you the story
behind every-
thing from classic
Jewish texts to
Hollywood feuds
— all on a single
page.
,
It s history, and
it's fun; sit down
and learn a little
(best of all, there
are no homework
assignments).

3/23

2001

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