Learning how to put on tefillin is a milestone of a boy's approach to Bar Mitzvah, and a meaningful return for any adult beginning the mitzvah. The steps below are a practical overview of how to wear tefillin.
Because the exact wrapping pattern differs among Ashkenazi, Sephardi, and Chabad communities, always learn the precise method from your rabbi, teacher, or family, and use this guide as a review.
Before You Begin
Tefillin are worn during weekday morning prayer, not on Shabbat or Yom Tov. Set out the shel yad and shel rosh so the arm box is reached first. A right-handed person wears the shel yad on the left arm, a left-handed person on the right. If you are new to the mitzvah, our guide to what is tefillin explains the parts you are handling.
Step 1: Place the Shel Yad
Position the shel yad on the upper arm, on the muscle facing the heart, tilted slightly toward the body. Recite the tefillin blessing before tightening, then pull the strap snug so the box stays in place.
Step 2: Wrap the Arm
Make the first wrap near the box to secure it, then wind the strap down the forearm toward the wrist. The number of wraps and their direction follow your community's custom. Keep the black side of the strap facing outward; quality straps like the ones on our gassot tefillin hold their shape and color.
Keep the arm knot close to the box and learn the wrapping pattern from someone familiar with your minhag. The thick leather batim in Mehudar Gassot tefillin sets call for the same careful placement as any kosher pair. A comfortable fit helps the box remain steady without painfully tightening the strap.
Step 3: Place the Shel Rosh
Without a long pause after the arm box, place the shel rosh above the forehead, centered between the eyes, resting entirely above the hairline. The knot sits at the base of the skull. Depending on custom, a second blessing may be said here.
Step 4: Complete the Hand and Fingers
Return to the arm strap and wind it around the palm and middle finger in the pattern your custom follows, then secure the remaining strap. Avoid wrapping so tightly that it causes pain, or so loosely that the boxes shift.
Removing and Caring for Tefillin
Unwind the straps from the finger and hand according to your custom, then remove the shel rosh before removing the shel yad and the remaining arm wraps. Store both carefully in their bag. Handle the boxes gently so they keep their square shape, and have them examined when their condition calls for it; our guide to tefillin checking explains when. A pair already checked and worn regularly does not automatically require a fixed schedule of rechecking, although suspected damage should be assessed promptly. The order of removal is set out in removing and putting away tefillin.
Ashkenazi, Sephardi, and Chabad Wrapping
The mitzvah is the same, but wrapping direction, the finger pattern, and knot customs differ by tradition, which is why a set should match the wearer's minhag. Browse our kosher tefillin to find Chabad tefillin, Sephardic, or Ashkenaz sets prepared for the correct custom.
The knot and wrapping pattern work together, so changing the direction of a strap alone does not establish the correct custom. A set of tefillin for the Chabad minhag should be tied and fitted for that tradition before the wearer learns the wraps. A rabbi or experienced teacher can check the placement and guide the wearer through it patiently.
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