Putting on tefillin is accompanied by a short blessing, and in some customs a second one. This guide gives the tefillin prayer in Hebrew, transliteration, and English, along with the basic laws of when the blessings are said.
Customs differ between communities, so follow the practice of your family, community, and rabbi.
The Blessing on the Shel Yad
After placing the arm tefillin, as shown in our guide to how to put on tefillin, and before tightening the strap, the tefillin blessing is recited:
The abbreviation ה׳ represents the Divine Name, pronounced Ado-nai when reciting the blessing at its proper time.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לְהָנִיחַ תְּפִלִּין
Baruch atah Ado-nai Elo-heinu melech ha'olam, asher kideshanu bemitzvotav vetzivanu lehani'ach tefillin.
"Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to put on tefillin." This mirrors the mezuzah blessing said when affixing a mezuzah.
The Blessing on the Shel Rosh
In many Ashkenazi communities, the blessing on the shel rosh ends al mitzvat tefillin even when there has been no interruption after the arm blessing, and is followed by Baruch shem kevod malchuto le’olam va’ed. Sephardic and Chabad practice generally uses the first blessing for both tefillin when there has been no interruption. The difference reflects established minhag, rather than a requirement to pause between the two boxes.
Where your custom calls for the second blessing, its Hebrew text is:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל מִצְוַת תְּפִלִּין
בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד
That final phrase means, “Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever.” The differing blessing customs are discussed in Shulchan Aruch HaRav, chapter 25, including the Alter Rebbe’s later ruling in his Siddur.
Because this depends directly on minhag, confirm the correct practice with your rabbi. The differences track the same traditions that shape the kosher tefillin a person wears.
The script inside the boxes does not, by itself, tell a beginner how to say the blessings. The Beis Yosef script in Ashkenazi tefillin sets follows the writing tradition of many Ashkenazi communities. The wearer should also learn the blessing practice of his own family or rav. Likewise, Sephardic tefillin are prepared for the relevant script and knot customs, while Sephardic practice generally uses one blessing for an uninterrupted placement of both boxes. That same one-blessing practice is followed in Chabad. The Alter Rebbe lettering and knot traditions of Chabad tefillin sets accompany the wearer’s minhag without changing the words of the arm blessing. Learning the wording together with the placement helps the mitzvah become a familiar part of morning prayer.
Do Not Interrupt Between the Two
Put on the shel rosh promptly after the shel yad, without unrelated speech between them. Speaking about something unrelated to the mitzvah is a different issue from a silent pause, and any additional blessing depends on the nature of the interruption and the wearer’s minhag. If an interruption occurs, follow your rabbi’s guidance rather than assume that every pause requires a new blessing. The construction of the two boxes is explained in our guide to how tefillin are made.
After Wrapping
Many wind the strap around the finger while reciting the verses from Hoshea, "I will betroth you to Me forever," expressing the bond of the mitzvah. Understanding what tefillin are and what they contain deepens the meaning of the blessing. Tefillin are then worn through the morning prayers and removed afterward.
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