The Mitzvah of Tefillin

The Tefillin are two leather boxes containing four passages of the Torah that refer to the Tefillin (Exodus 13:1-10,11-16; Deuteronomy 6:4-8, 11:13-21). They are warn by religous Jews (men in Orthodoxy and some women in non-Orthodox sects) during morning prayer services. The Shema commands Jews to bind the words to our hands and between our eyes. This is accomplished by laying tefillin (phylacteries), binding to our arms and foreheads a leather pouch containing scrolls of Torah passages. The word "tefillin" is usually translated "phylacteries". The word "tefillin" is etymologically related to the word "tefilah" (prayer) and the root word for judgment. Like the mezuzah, tefillin are meant to remind us of G-d's mitzvot. At weekday morning services, one case is tied to the arm, with the scrolls at the biceps and leather straps extending down the arm to the hand, then another case is tied to the head, with the case on the forehead and the straps hanging down over the shoulders. Appropriate blessings are recited during this process. The tefillin are removed at the conclusion of the morning services.