THE TEFILLIN MANUAL

By S. RUBENSTEIN
Edited by R. POSNER

A n illustrated analysis of the component

parts of the Tefillin.

‫הועתק והוכנס לאמטדנט‬

www.hebrewbooks.org
‫ע״י חיים תשס׳יה‬

PUBLISHED BY:
S. RUBENSTEIN
1619 Lincoln Place
Brooklyn, New York
Copyrighted, 1962
 A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S

We wish to express our sincere appreciation to:

Rabbi J. Silbermirrtz
Mr. A. Blech
Mr. Y. H. Aronov
for their assistance in the editorial work.

Mr. M. Zlotowitz
Mr. D. laffe
Mr. K. Kleinman
Mr. M. Kahn
for their artistic work.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

TRACTATE MENOCHOTH; RAMBAM. SHULCHAN ARUCH;

BARUCH SHEOMAR; B'NEI Y O N A H ; EGERET L A ' G O L A H :
ARUCH HASHULCHAN; MISHNE BRURAH E T C .
 TABLE O F CONTENTS

PART ONE
1. Introduction
2 Form of the Tefillin

PART TWO
1 The outside story
2 The inside story
3 How to put on the Tefillin

PART T H R E E — D i a g r a m s and Illustrations

 1 — INTRODUCTION

The importance of the mitzvah of Tefillin

The mitzvah of Tefillin is one of the most important mitzvoth of the Torah.
The structures which are associated with the mitzvoh, such as,
1) the boxes, 2) the chapters of the Torah, 3) the straps, etc
are integrally associated with the significance of the mitzvah.

Unfortunately, too many people are insufficiently dware of the laws con-
cerning the various structures of the Tefillin and, as a result, many unfit
(non-kosher) pairs of TefiUm are sold and accepted by the public

Therefore, this Pamphlet is offered in the hope that it will dispel some of
the misinformation which obstruct the proper understanding of the mitzvoh of
Tefillin

1
 2—FORM

1) Botim-Boxes There are two botim. The one w e place upon

our head is called the "Tefillin Shel Rosh" a n d the one which we place on our
arm is called the Tefillin Shel Yad
There are two main differences between the botim of the Tefillin shel rosh
a n d shel y a d The first is that the Tefillin shel rosh is divided into four com-
partments, while the shel y a d has only one compartment Secondly, the shel
rosh has two "Shins " The significance of the letter shin is that it represents the
number of 300, indicating that the Tefillin are w o r n 300 days out of the 354
days of the lunar year
Both of the botim of the Tefillin are made from the skin of a kosher
animal a n d are ?haped into a perfect square which is called "Revuah "

The mitzvoh is best fulfilled if the Botim of the Tefillin are formed from
one piece of leather This can best be determined by observing how the
leather is pressed together on the inside of the botim The botim must be
square a n d the four corners should come to a point
2)Parshiyos-Chapters of the Torah Inside the botim of
the Tefillin are the Jour Parshiyos, which are four chapters of the Torah.
These chapters are written on parchment, which is made from the skin of a
kosher animal, by a specially trained a n d highly skilled scribe.
The sofer is well-learned in the lrr«, s of Tefillin and is an expert technician
r

as well, for the task of writing the Parshiyos is a most difficult and responsible

2
one The letters must all be perfectly formed a n d the lines and letters must
all be suitably spaced
3) After the Parshiyos have been written, the sofer rolls them together
a n d wraps them tightly with the hairs ot a n animal. This is en-
closed by a piece of parchment and again bound with hair The Parshiyos are
then placed in their respective compartments w i i h m the botim The hairs used
to bind the parshiyos are d r a w n through the box and are visible on the surface
of the shel rosh.

—ANIMAL F I B E R S —
4) Gidin — The next step is the sealing of the botim This
is done b y sewing them with g i d i n Twelve holes are punctured around the
sides of the botim through which the gidin are sewn. The sewing is made
i n the shape of a square
5) Retzuos-Straps- The construction of the Tefillin is com-
pleted with the addition of the Retzuos, or straps. One retzuah is attached to
the Tefillin shel rosh, with a knot formed in the ritzuah in the shape of the
Tetter daled The other retzuah is attached to the Tefillin shel y a d
i n the shape of the letter y u d .
The retzuos, or straps must be made according to certain specifications.
The w i d t h must be one-half inch, or at least three-eighths of a n inch The
retzuah of the Tefillin shel rosh must be made so that the length of the right
side extends to beneath the hip and that of the left side to below the elbow.
The Ritzuah of the shel y a d must be made long enough to be w o u n d seven
times around the arm and three times around the finger Care should always
be taken to insure that the retzuos remain intact and they should be shown
to a sofer if there is any question of their kashruth.

3
 PART T W O
CONSTRUCTION
In this part we w i l l give more details about Tefillin — about the botim
and retzuos. a n d also the "inside story" — facts about the tiny scrolls found
inside the Tefillin
As w e have already learned, the outside parts of Tefillin are the square
boxes (botim) and the long leather straps (retzuos). Just how each of these
is made is an interesting story.
What are the botim made 01? The botim of the Tefillin are made of
leather Raw leather cannot be used for the botim until it is treated a n d
processed This processing of the leather is called ibud.
Botim can be made from either higher or lower quality leather High-
quality leather is oxskin, while low-quality leather is sheepskin or calfskin.
After the leather has been selected, it is soaked i n clear water for two
days and then is immersed i n a mixture of lime and sand until it is clean
and workable Now it is ready to be formed into the botim.
How is the hand-bayis formed? In order to form the leather into the
cubic shape of the Tefillin, we use a cubic wooden block as a mold The
leather is pressed around the block a n d is fastened i n that position until it
hardens around the shape of the block After the leather has hardened, we
remove the wooden block and the leather remains i n the shape of a hollow
cube — a perfect bayit.
How is the head-bayit formed? We have learned that the bayit of the
head-Tefilhn is not just a hollow cube, but that it is divided into four com-
partments so we cannot use the same type of mold as we d i d for the hand-
bayit. Instead of using a solid block, we use a block with slits.
We press the leather into each slit to form partitions inside the bayit
When the block is removed, the hardened leather is i n this shape:

This w a y , we have made four separate compartments

If a n unslit mold is used for the head-bayit there w i l l be no separate com-
partments formed on the inside Some cheap Tefillin are made this w a y .
Then lines are scratched on the outside to make it look like a true division,
but there are no individual compartments inside. Such Tefillin are unfit for use.

4
 The engraved shin. O n the right a n d left side of the head-bayit the letter
shin is engraved, for this is the first letter of the name of G-d
Engraving the shin on the leather is not a n easy job. It must stand out
from the surface a n d it must be perfectly shaped. First, w e use pincers to
draw out the general shape of the shin:
But this is only a rough outline So a n accurate mold is applied to perfect
the shape After the leather hardens the mold is removed a n d a perfect shin
stands out on the surface of the bayit.
On leather too delicate to be handled w i t h pincers or tweezers, the shin
is pushed out from the inside b y a block mold. After the mold is extracted,
padding helps the shin keep its shape
The four-headed shin. Notice that the two shins are not the same The
one on the right side of the Bayit looks like a shin w o u l d be expected to look"
But the shin on the left side is very unusual" It has four heads instead of three 1

This shin commemorates the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, where
the letter shin was written i n this special w a y
After the parshiyos (parchment scrolls) are put into the batim, the batim
are sewn together w i t h threads called gidin. These are fibers taken from the
hip muscle tissue of kosher animals At first the gidin are hard and rough, so
they are softened with metal tools Then the fibers are spun into thread, a n d
the ends are twirlbound so the thread w i l l not part The gidin are sewn
through holes punctured i n the batim. Twelve holes are punctured, as the
twelve tribes of Israel.
How are the retzuot made? The retzuot, the leather straps which b i n d
the batim to your arm a n d head, are also made of leather Like the leather
for the batim, it must be prepared So it is bathed i n water a n d then in a
lime-sand mixture Then, after being treated w i t h a chemical solution to
prepare it for polishing, it is blackened with lacquer polish After being
blackened, the leather can be cut u p into retzuot. After all this treatment the
leather is usually hard and rough because the cleansing a n d dyeing have
removed most of the natural oils Therefore it is treated with kosher oils to
restore its flexibility.
In fact, it is wise to have your retzuot polished regularly as a preservative
measure, because polish contains protective natural oils
As you know, the color of Tefillin — botim a n d retzuos — is always black.
The color black is very hard to change, even when you mix it w i t h another
color, the mixture remains dark In the same w a y , G-d is unchanging, re-
maining forever.

5
 SHEL ROSH

1) The slit mold with the carved shins (one shin is out of view). This mold
will be used to shape the leather.
2) The three pieces of leather which will be pressed around the mold.
3) Piece A is shaped around three sides of the mold passing deep into the
slits.
4) Now piece B is pressed over the top and down the two sides not covered
by piece A.
5) Padding is inserted to hold out the shape of the molded Shin that will
appear on the outside of the bayis.
6) Piece C is used to form the base. It is doubled over, and a square is cut
in it to fit the open bottom of the bayis shown in picture 5.
6
SEPARATE OROS
SHEL ROSH
 M'OR ECHOD

1) The tools are a heavy ring, a round cylinder mold, and a block mold.
2) The single piece of leather which will form the bayis.
3) The ring and cylinder stretch the leather into a hollow shape.
4) This hollow shape is fitted over the block mold to give it square comers.
5) In this w a y four hollow compartments are formed.
6) This mold fits snugly over the four compartments.
7) These four compartments are compressed into one cube by placing them
in this mold.
8) By means of a clamp, the remaining leather is pressed out to form tha
base.
9) Pincers are used to draw out the shin on each side of the bayis.
A engraved Shin mold is pressed into the drawn out Shin to perfect shape.
9
 T H E *INSIDE S T O R Y "
Contained in the batim of the head-and hand-Tefillin are tiny scrolls
which carry inscriptions from the Torah. These scrolls are made of parchment
which, like the parchment for a sefer Torah or a mezuzah. comes from the hide
of kosher animals. The parchment must be carefully selected and processed
to meet rigid requirements.
How is parchment made? Animal hide consists of three layers. The most
useful for parchment is the outer layer, or ldaL (The intermediate layer is some-
times used; the inner layer, never.) Since we wish to use only the outer
layer, the inner layers must be removed by scraping and peeling. Once
we have done this, the Waf is ready to be prepared for parchment
First, it is soaked in clear water for two days for softening. Now it is
easier to work with Then it is cleaned by scraping. Third, it is bathed for
nine days in a mixture of limewater. After another cleaning, it is returned to
a lime solution for three or four days more.
After all this scrubbing and soaking, the klaf is clean and free of un-
wanted substances. But now it must be stretched on a wooden frame for
straightening and smoothing. With a wooden press, we pare down the
uneven surfaces and remove wrinkles and creases.

To whiten the klaf it is dusted with sifted chalk powder and rolled with
pumice-stone, which gives it a surface like alabaster. For a finishing touch, a
coat of white lead is applied. Now the parchment is flat, smooth, and flexible —
a perfect writing surface, ready for the pen of the scribe.
What kind of pen is used to write on the klaf? The scribe uses a feather
quill Metal pens are never used, for metal makes lethal weapons which
shorten life, whereas Torah lengthens the life of man.
What kind of ink does the scribe use? The ink must also meet special
requirements. It must last as long as possible — a great many years — and
it must be solid black. To make such an ink, we use three chemical sub-
stances These substances are gallnut, vitriol, and gum arabic. They are
combined and heated with water until they blend.

10
 Now here is a chart of the ingredients i n the ink, showing their origin
a n d the purpose of each one.

Ingredient Description Purpose

M a i n ingredient; helps to liquefy

Gallnui Fruit of gall tree.
other ingredients
Vitriol Pale green mineral rock Gives solid color a n d long last
White mineral found i n Give body to ink a n d helps it
Gum Arabic stick to parchment
trees.

Water Blends a n d dissolves all ingredients

into uniform mixture

Now that the ink, the pen, a n d the parchment are prepared, the scribe
is ready to write. He must write the four chapters of the Torah which speak
about Tefillin
For writing the chapters we can use only one side of the klaf — the
inner side. We can tell which the inner side is, b y wetting the' klaf and letting
it curl The side that bends i n w a r d is the side we use for writing.
How many scrolls are in the Tefillin? The shel yad (hand-Tefillin) carries
only one scroll on which all four chapters are written. But i n the shel rosh
(head-Tefilhn) there are four scrolls, because each chapter is written separate-
ly on its o w n scroll. That's w h y the shel rosh is constructed with four com-
partments — one scroll fits into each

What does a scroll look like? We should know that

the writing on the scrolls is m columns In the large scroll of the hand-Tefillin
there are seven lines to each column, while the smaller scrolls of the head-
Tefillin have four lines to a column The columns are separated b y the top
and bottom of the parchment b y a margin of 1/8 of a n inch There are also
ample margins between columns
The letters are written, remember, from right to left A n d there are no
periods, commas, or vowel marks such as y o u find i n regular Hebrew books.
The letters are straight a n d black, forming perfect columns
In order to write such straight lines a n d columns, the scribe needs guide
lines such as the writing lines you find on the pages of your notebook Of
course, there are no lines drawn on the parchment. But the scribe does
scratch lines across the parchment with a pointed tool and a straight ruler.
These lines are almost invisible, but they help the scribe to do a perfect job.
Before beginning to write the scrolls, the scribe always practices his
pen and ink first, b y writing the name Amalek a n d crossing it out He washes
his hands a n d prays that his work w i l l be correct a n d acceptable He usually
writes the scroll for the shel y a d first

11
 mimfatf tew

‫אבגדהיוח^י׳כ^מ‬ ‫רד‬8‫ס‬

Letters cts drawn

in the Parshiyos of the Tefillin

Seven of the letters have tagin (crowns} which are three in number and
these must be drawn so a s to be separated from one another. The (letter)
yud has three points, one of which is on the lower right, another on the lower
left and the third on the left. Particular caution must be exercised in the draw-
ing of letters which appear to be similar.
Each of the letters must be separate and complete. If any of the letters
touches another letter or if a letter is split or turns reddish in color, then is
must be thoroughly re-examined by the sofer.
A s the sofer prepares to write he says
"I write for the holiness of Tefillin and for the holiness of G - d "

12
 TYPES O F TEFILLIN
Rashi and Rabbenu Tarn Tefillin

There are two types oi Tefillin. One is based upon the interpretation
of Rashi (The great commentator on the Torah and on the Gemara) and the
other upon the writings of the Rabbenu Tam (Rashi's grandson and one of
the great Baalei Tosfoth).
There are two differences between these two types of Tefillin. One is i n .
the order of the Parshiyos.
The second difference is in the hair in front of the botim.
This hair is situated towards the right in Rashi's Tefillin and in the center in
Rabbenu Tarn's Tefillin.

PROCEDURE IN PUTTING O N THE TEFILLIN

The shel yad is first placed on the left arm (for the right handed person)
or one the right arm (for the left-handed person) on the biceps muscle with
the Tefillin facing towards the heart. The Tefillin shel rosh is placed at the
point of the beginning of the growth of the hair roots. The knot of the Tefillin
shel rosh is placed in the center of the back of the head, far up, on the bone.

13
 WHAT T O W A T C H OUT F O R

1. I n selecting your Tefillin, choose a pair which has medium-sized batim.

A v o i d any Tefillin more than 3 inches i n length or width.
2. W h e n y o u put on your Tefillin, make the blessing before y o u tighten
the straps, both i n the hand-Tefillin a n d the head-Tefillin.
3 A l w a y s conduct yourself w i t h honor while your Tefillin are on. Keep
your thoughts a n d acts clean Never eat or sleep w i t h your Tefillin on
4. Make sure your head-Tefillin is centered carefully a n d that it does not
slip to one side The bayit of the head-Tefillin should be placed above
your forehead, where the hairline begins Never place the Tefillin on
the bare skin of your forehead, but always above the hairline.
5. The hand-Tefillin must rest directly on the skin of your arm. Be careful
that the strap does not slip between the Tefillin a n d your skin.
6 Use your Tefillin b a g for no other purpose but Tefillin. Nothing else
should be kept there, not even a prayer book.
7 At least twice i n a 7 year period, the Tefillin should be opened and
thoroughly checked b y a competent sofer, as the main parts of the
Tetilhn are subject to wear a n d tear a n d must be repaired or replaced
as their condition indicates

Keep these things i n mind, a n d remember that putting on Tefillin is one

of G-d's commandments. We hope that b y studying this little booklet y o u
w i l l appreciate this great commandment more a n d more.

14
 Now you know all about the botim and the retzuos of your Tefillin.
Taking care of the botim, with their intricate parshiyos and gidin. is an ex-
pert's job; the sofer, or scribe. But as for the retzuos — that is something you
can learn yourself . . . right nowl
O n the following pages you will see how the retzuos are tied into
special knots. Once you learn them, the secret is yours! Some of these knots
are pretty complicated, so follow the diagrams closely.
How to make die Shel Rosh headband larger or smaller
It often happens that the retzuoh headband of your Tefillin is too large
for your head size. It may not be snug enough and may slide around on your
head, or, it may be too tight on your head, so that it needs to be enlarged.
You can take care of these things yourself, if you follow these diagrams. First,
remember that there are two types of knots used in Tefillin headbands: the*
single-dallet knot and the double-dallet knot. Notice the difference between
them:

Which knot is found in your Tefillin?

You will find the double dallet discussed in section 1.
For the single dallet style, see Section 2.
15
 S E C T I O N 1. H O W T O W O R E WITH THE "DOUBLE D A L L E T " KNOT.
If your Tefillin headband is too large on you and you wish to make it
smaller, here is what to do.
1. Notice that the knot has four quarters. Take hold of the lower left quarter
and pull it out.
2. Now you have a loop hanging down like this.
3. Take hold of the upper right quarter and loosen it a little. Pull it from
the back, taking in the lower left loop you had before. Keep pulling until
the lower loop disappears.
4. Now you have a loop left on top. To make this loop disappear, just pull
down on the trailing portion of the right retzuoh.

16
 If your headband is too small and you wish to make it larger, here is
what you do.
1. Notice that the kesher (knot) has four quarters. Each quarter is really a
tight loop.
2. Take hold of the upper right quarter and pull it out into a loose loop.
3. Now pull out the lower left quarter of the knot until you get a loop.
4. Now to make the lower loop disappear, simply pull on the portion of the
strap which extends upward.
Nov/ your kesher is back to normal again, and your headband is enlarged
 SECTION 2.

If your Tefillin headband is too large on you and you want to make it
fighter, here is what to do.

6. Pull out the bottom part of the kesher (knot) to form a small loop.
7. Turn the knot over, so the underside faces you. The loop you just made
is now facing a w a y from you. It is marked by the letter A. Now pull out
the small top loop shown by the arrow. It will help to push up on the
bottom strap as shown.
8. Now you have pulled out the top loop, marked by the letter B. Pull on
the part of the loop away from you (arrow) until bottom loop A disappears.
9. To get rid of loop B now, simply pull down on the strap as shown by arrow.
Your knot is complete once more, and your headstrap is small enough
to fit your head.
18
 H O W T O WORK WITH THE " S I N G L E D A L L E T " KNOT

If your headband is too tight a n d y o u want to make it larger, here la

h o w to do it .

10. Turn the kesher (knot) over so the underside faces you. Loosen the loop
shown b y arrow .
11. Pull out the loop y o u loosened.
12. Turn the kesher over so the front faces y o u . The loop y o u made is now
facing a w a y from y o u . It is marked b y an A . Now pull down the bottom
part of the kesher (arrow) to form loop B.
13. Pull on the side of loop B a w a y from y o u (arrow) and loop A w i l l get
smaller and disappear. To make loop B disappear, pull up on the top
strap as shown.
14. Your kesher is complete once more, a n d your headband is enlarged.
Does it fit?
19
 SECTION 3.

15. Take the two sides of the retzuoh trailing out of the Tefillin and form a
loop on each side.
16. Slide the left loop (B) thru the right (A).
17. Put Retzuoh A thru loop B.
18 Put the same Retzuoh A thru the same loop B.
19 Nov/ put retzuoh B thru loop A .
20. Pull both ends tight and the kesher is complete.
20
THE DOUBLE DALLET KESHER (SHEL ROSH)
SECTION 4.

26. Bring around Retzuoh A and slide

it thru the loop as shown.
22
THE SINGLE DALLET KESHER (SHEL ROSH)

23
 The coming sections deal with the knots of the Tefillin Shel Yad. The
Shel Y a d kesher is more complicated than the Shel Rosh. And besides
while there are only two different w a y s to make a Shel Rosh Kesher, the
Shel Y a d can have up to five variations! Here's why: the kesher consists
of two parts; besides that, there is a different form if you put your Tefillin
on the left hand or the right; finally, there are three different styles that
can be used — Ashkenazic, Sefardic or Chabad. So as you see it is a
complicated process.
The following three sections (5, 6, 7) describe the different styles
of kesher for a right-handed person. That means the Tefillin are put on
your left arm. (Of course, if you are left-handed, the Tefillin go on your
right arm. The right-arm kesher will be shown in sections 8 and 9.)

24
30-34 At the very tip of the strap, a small kesher is formed, called a " y u d "
because it is the shape of the Hebrew letter yud. This " y u d " kesher is
made in five steps, as shown in these diaarams.
 SECTION 5.

35. Turn the retzuoh with the raw side toward you and form a loop under
the y u d as shown.
36. Bend the y u d d o w n over the point where the loop crosses. Now you
have a bottom loop and a top loop.
37. N o w bend the top loop down thru the bottom one.
38. Now your kesher should look like this. Take the y u d and swing it
u p w a r d (see arrow).
39. Swing the y u d u p w a r d until it is straight and the raw side is toward you.
40. Bend the y u d d o w n again . .. Now the hard part begins.
41. Carefully d r a w the y u d thru the loop a l l the w a y to the left, as shown.
42. Now tighten the whole knot b y gently pulling at points A a n d B.
43. Now that the knot is complete, the trailing end of the retzuoh is slid
thru the slit of the Tefillin-bayis. Pull until the knot rests against the
bayis a n d the loop hangs next to it.
44. Now that the knot and the loop are in place, the retzuoh is put thru
the loop as shown, and the Ashkenazic kesher is complete.
26
27
 We learned that the knot on the Tefillin Shel Y a d is shaped into a yud.
This yud-knot is supposed to be connected to the bayis at a l l times. If your
Tefillin are of the Ashkenazic nusach, the y u d is likely to slide a w a y from
the bayis unless it is tied down. This tying-down process is something y o u
can do yourself. Here's how:
A. Here is the Tefillin Shel Yad, with the yud-knot near the bayis (arrow)
and the long strap going thru the loop.
B. Pull the long strap out of the loop a n d slide it thru the passageway slit
in the Tefillin (arrow). Slide it right under the strap already there.
C. After y o u have slid it thru, the end of the strap should come out as shown
b y arrow. Leave a small loop remaining at the far end.
D. Pick up the trailing end of the long strap a n d slide it back thru the knot
as shown. This is not an easy job.
E Pull the strap tight and slide it thru the small loop y o u left at the other
end. Then slide it down thru the big loop (B). Your Tefillin are now
complete.

28
 S E C T I O N 6.
30-34. At the very tip of the retzuoh, w e tie a small knot called the " y u d "
kesher, because it is i n the shape of the Hebrew letter Yud. This kesher
is done in five easy steps, as shown i n these diagrams.

45. Hold the retzuoh with the unpointed side facing you, the y u d at the top.
Form a loop at the bottom as shown.
46. Take the y u d and turn it d o w n as shown. Now you have formed another
loop at the top.
47 Take the top loop just formed and bend it down thru the bottom loop.
48. Turn the y u d upwards and to the left.
49. Now the y u d is straight up again. One loop is inside the other.
50. Swing the y u d d o w n under the knot.
51. A n d carefully bring it thru the loop at the far right.
52. Tighten the kesher carefully b y pullling at points A and B.
53. Here is the Sefardic kesher complete.
54. It is slid into the bayis and the retzuoh goes thru the loop.
30
SHEL YAD. SEFARDIC S T Y L E
 SECTION 7.

55. Make a hairpin curve at the end of your retzuoh as shown.

56. Fold the tip over . . .
57. A n d swing it up around the back.
58. W i t h the unpainted side towards you, guide the end thru the spaces. . . .
59. Like this. Now swing the tip upwards again (arrow). . .
60. A n d put it thru the loop as shown.
61. Nov/ it should look like this.
62 Pull it tight.
With the small pointed lenght of strap sticking up, we form a " y u d "
knot. This is done in five easy steps,
(30 — 34)
63. Nov/ the Chabad kesher is done.
64. It is inserted into the bayis and the Shel Yad is ready to be worn.

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SHEL YAD. CHABAD STYLE

33
 YUt> (FOR RIGHT ARM)
At the very tip of the retzuoh make a knot the shape of the Hebrew
letter "yud." This is called the yud-kesher. It is made of five steps
shown in these pictures.

34
 35

I
 SECTION 8.

69. Turn the y u d upwards until it is straight as shown.

36
SHEL YAD, ASHKENAZIC STYLE (FOR RIGHT ARM)
 SECTION 9. SEFARDIC S T Y L E (FOR RIGHT ARM)
At the very tip of the retzuoh make a knot the shape of the Hebrew
letter "yud." This is called the yud-kesher. It is made of five steps
shown in these pictures.
(75 — 80)

35. Turn the yud over and form a loop at the bottom as shown.
36. Bend the yud down. Now you have a thin loop at the top.
37. Bend this thin loop thru the bottom loop.
38. Now it should look like this. Take the yud a n d . swing it upward
(see arrow).
39. Swing the yud upward till it is straight like this.
40. Bend the yud down and around. (Now the hard part begins).
41. Carefully slide the yud thru the spaces as shown.
42. Now tighten the knot by pulling at A and B.
74. The knot is slid into the bayis and the Tefillin are complete.

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 D O N O R S O F H O N O R

Cong. A d a t h Jeshurun
Mr. P. Atlas
Mr. S. Berkowitz
Mr. E. Bordenheimer
Mr. M. Birenbaum
Rabbi G. Bronstein
Rabbi M. Farber
Rabbi I. Gottleib
Gertz Bros.
Mr. A . Goldenberg
Rabbi E. Jakobovitz
Rabbi S. Kowalsky
Mr. M. Kastenbaum
Mr. J. Landesman
Mr. R. Levinter
Mr. J. Levine
Rabbi M. M a x
Mr. S. Raisin
Mr. J. Rosenberg
Mr. J. N. Rotenberg
Mr. M. Rokawsky
Mr A. Rosenberg
Mr. I. Safer
Mr. I. Schonbrun
Mr. I. Sapoznick
Mr. D. Sukenick
Mr. S. Stem
Rabbi S. Weinreb
Mr S. Yaclines
Mr. B. Zucker
Mr. A. Zimmer

DEDICATED TO THE SACRED MEMORY O F

‫יוסח בן ראובן ע״ה‬

‫יהושע זאב בן יוסה ע״ה‬
‫צבי בן שמואל מנחם ע״ה‬
‫משה בן יצחק אייזיק ע״ה‬
‫ה‬-‫אהרן אליעזר בן אברהם יעקב ל‬

40