Tefillin: A Buyer's Guide

This guide discusses the various types of tefillin, their construction and how to order a bar mitzvah set.

The Parchments

The parchments inside a set of tefillin must be written by a qualified sofer, or ritual scribe. A sofer should be religiously observant, have exemplary character and be knowledgeable about the laws of sofrus. After learning the halachic intricacies of sofrut the sofer-in-training generally does an apprenticeship (shimush) under an expert scribe. By the time a sofer writes his first set of tefillin he has typically spent 2-3 years learning the trade.

The texts must be written on properly prepared parchment or vellum known as klaf. The style of the lettering varies among Jews of different backgrounds (e.g. Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Chabad), but the halachic requirements are almost identical.

The Housing

The parchments are housed in two black leather boxes bound to the arm and head with leather straps. There are four types of tefillin available today:

Peshutim (Simple Design) – These are made using several pieces of parchment to form the inner walls of the head tefillin, glued within a slit square to divide it into the four required compartments.

Peshutim Mehudarim (Superior Simple Design) – Boxes are made out of a single piece of leather as required. When finished they look almost identical to the more expensive cowhide type, but are not as durable.

Dakkot (Thin) – These are made by stretching a thin layer of parchment over a structural base similar to the peshutim. This outer parchment forms the entire box of the tefillin, which is halachically preferable. Because of its thin design the tefillin can become halachically invalid relatively easily. (Note: We don't offer this type at present.)

Gassot (Thick) – These are made entirely out of a single piece of thick leather, from the cheeks and the neck, where the hide is thickest. Working such thick leather into a finely finished product requires the repeated use of several tons of pressure in industrial presses as part of a complicated, but delicate production process. The resulting battim are so durable and thick they typically last a lifetime.

The Straps

The straps must also be made of leather from the skin of a kosher animal and be painted black on the outside. They pass through a passageway at the back of the lower base (the ma’avarta) and are tied into special knots that form the letters dalet and yud respectively.

Protective Covers and Bag

Tefillin come with simple plastic covers to protect their shape when not in use, and are kept in velvet bags that can vary from elegant and simple or ornate with the owner’s name embroidered on the outside.

How to Order a Set

When purchasing tefillin as part of a bar mitzvah set, first you must indicate which custom you follow – Beit Yosef, Arizal or Sephardic – which refer to the style of script. The difference can be compared to fonts, which use the same basic letters, but diverge stylistically. (Most Ashkenazim follow the Beit Yosef custom.)

Next you’ll have to decide what level of quality you prefer, based on your budget. This refers to the parchments inside, which are either “kosher” or “mehudar.” Kosher means the writing is of standard quality and the checking process revealed no faults (e.g. touching letters) that would render the tefillin halachically invalid. Mehudar means the writing is of superior quality – like fine calligraphy.

Finally, if you’re left-handed, be sure to select the lefties option while placing your order.

Purchasing tefillin is an important event for a bar mitzvah boy – or for anybody else. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us and we’ll be glad to provide expert service to help you choose the tefillin right for you.

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