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Tefillin
and Mezuzos
Table
of Contents
Forward............................................................................................xxiii
Preface...............................................................................................xxv
Acknowledgements.........................................................................xxxi
Part One THE
CONSUMER GUIDE
Introduction.........................................................................................3
Why You Need a Consumer Guide 6 " Graphic Introduction to Tefillin
9
Chapter 1
Basic Guidelines..................................................................15
 Batim
(Leather Housing) 15 • Retzuos (Straps) 17 • Tefillin Parashios
and Mezuzos 17 • Purchasing from the Retailer 18 • Shailos (Halachic
Questions) 19
Chapter 2 Batim
.........................................................20
The Four Types of Batim 20
Chapter 3 Retzuos
.............................................................................38
Chapter 4 Parashios
and Mezuzos
............................................................................................41
The Sofer 41 • The Examinator 43 • Computer Examination 47 •
Tefillin Assembly 49 • Klaf 51
Chapter 5 Purchasing
from the Retailer ............................................52
Chapter 6 Shailos
..............................................................................57
The Ruling of the Poseik 57 • Lack of Access to Poskim 58 •
Today's Poskim 59 • Asking a Child 61
Chapter 7 Less
Expensive Tefillin and Mezuzos ................................63
Chapter 8 Lechatchilah
and Mehudar Tefillin
and Mezuzos
.............69
Chapter 9 Hides
.................................................................................73
The Source of the Hide 73 • Salting the Hides 73 • Soaking the
Hides in
 Water
74 • Tanning Hides in Lime Wash 75 • Klaf that Is Not Sanded
on the Back Side 75 • Hides Made without Any Condition 76
Chapter 10 The
Construction of the Batim ......78
Pressing the Leather 78 • One Solid Piece of Leather 78 • Holes
in the Walls 80 • Length of the Walls 81 • Visible Seperations
83 • Internal Beauty of the Batim 83 • Use of Glue between the
Compartments 84 • Use of Glue between the Upper and Lower Titura
86 • The Lower Titura 86 • "Seeing the Air" 88
 Chapter
11 The Outer Appearance of the Batim..91
Compartments of the Bayis Shel Rosh 91 • Proper Placement of the
Two Shins 92 • Writing Style of the Shins 92 • The Bases of
the Shins 92 • The Heads of the Shins 93 • Forming the Shins
94 • Correcting an improperly Made Shin 95 • Forming the Base
Directly 98 • Sanding the Shins 100 • Blackness of the Batim
101
Chapter 12 Size
and Shape of Batim .................................................102
The Proper Size of the Batim 102 • Squareness of the Batim 103 •
A Dent or Protrusion in the Leather of the Bayis 106
Chapter 13 Insertion
of the Parashios in the Batim ..........................111
Pulling Hairs through the Bayis Shel Rosh 111 • Placement of Parashios
within Batim 113 • Proper Placement of Parashios in the Bayis 119
Chapter 14 Sewing
of the Batim .......................................................121
Spinning of the Gid 121 • Sewing with One Piece of Gid 121 •
The Corner Stitches 122 • Stitches Out of Place 123 • Visible
Stitches 124 • Passing the Gid between Compartment 124 • Gid
Passing Over the Cavity 127
Chapter 15 Preperation
of Klaf for Writing ......................................128
Klaf of the Parashios Shel Yad 128 • The Part of the Animal's Skin
Closest to the Flesh 129 • A Letter Written Out of Order 139 •
Letters Surrounded by
Klaf 140 • Reparing an Incomplete Letter through Erasing 143 •
Unnecessary Marks on Stam 144
Chapter 17 Tagin
..............................................................................145
Tagin Shatnez Getz 145 • Tagin Bedek Chayah 147 • Additional
Tagin 150 • Detached and Touching Tagin 150 Tagin - When and How?
154
Chapter 18 Margins
and Other Halachos of Writing
........................156
Letters Entering the Blank Space of Other Letters 156 • "Open"
and "Closed" Paragraphs 158 • Letters Protruding from the
Margin 162 • Indentations or Protrusions along the Side Margins 163
• Order of Writing the Parashios 165 • Writing without Interuption
166 • Immersion in a Mikveh 166 • Parashios of Rabbeinu Tam
166
Part Two BASIC
HALACHOS OF STAM
 Chapter
19 The Requirements of Mezuzah .......169
When Is a Mezuzah Required? 170 • The Entryway's Stucture 170 •
The Entryway's Size 174 • The Entryway's Function 175 • The
Room's Purpose 176 • The Room's Dimensions 177 • The Building's
Purpose 179 • The Building's Structure 180 • The Building's
Dimension 180 • The Religion of the Building's Owners and Inhabitants
180 • When Is a Beracha Required? 181
Chapter 20 Practical
Halachos of Mezuzah .......183
Where to Affix a Mezuzah 183 • Who Affixes the Mezuzah 186 •
Time of Day 187 • Consistency 187 • Rolling the Mezuzah Parchment
187 • The Mezuzah Case 189 • Attaching the Mezuzah to the Doorpost
191 • When Does the Obligation Begin 192
Chapter 21 Moving
with Mezuzos ....................................................194
Fear of Damage of Mistreatment 194 • Replacing and Exchanging Mezuzos
195 • Downgrading a Mezuzah's Holiness 197 • Financial Obligation
to the Outgoing Resident 198
Chapter 22 Transferring,
Upgrading and Reaffixing Mezuzos.........200
When a Mezuzah Has Been Removed 201 • What If…? 202 • Dispose
of Properly! 202 • Acquiring Mezuzos for a Fellow Jew 203
Chapter 23 Proper
Placement of Tefillin .........................................204
Placement of the Bayis Shel Yad 204 • Placement of the Bayis Shel
Rosh 208 • Placement of the Knot of the Shel Rosh 211 • Helping
Others 213
Chapter 24 Laws
Pertaining to Retzuos ...........................................214
Length of Retzuos Shel Rosh 214 • Length of Retzuos Shel Yad 214
• Width of the Retzuos 215 • Blackness of the Retzuos 216 •
Painting Retzuos 221 • Seperation between the Retzuos and the Body
222 • Knot of the Retzuah Shel Rosh 223 • Knot of the Retzuah
Shel Yad 224 • Miscellaneous Halachos 229
Chapter 25
Tefillin and Mezuzah Checking
....................................230
Mezuzah Checking 230 • Tefillin Checking 231
Part Three
IN PRACTICE
Chapter 26
The Practicalities of Purchasing Stam
...........................239
Purchasing Batim 240 • Purchasing Retzuos 243 • Purchasing Parashios
and Mezuzos 243 • Recording Details 245 • When to Order 246
• Tefillin Purchased in Advance 246
Chapter 27 Having
Stam Checked ...................................................248
Understanding the Examiner's Position 249 • Same-Day Tefillin Checking
Campaigns 250 • Payment Arrangements 250 • Specifying Your Needs
251 • Recording Stam Examinations 252 • Borrowing Tefillin 252
Chapter 28 Caring
for Your Tefillin .................................................255
Tefillin Paint 256 • Protecting the Retzuos 256 • Protecting
the Bayis Shel
Rosh 257 • Protecting the Bayis Shel Yad 258 • General Protection
of Batim 259 • Position in Bag 261
Chapter 29 Mezuzah
Tips ................................................................262
Outdoor Mezuzos 263 • Convenience in Affixing Mezuzos 263 •
Purchasing and Checking Mezuzos 264 • Protecting Mezuzos from Damage
265
Chapter 30 Sefer
Torah Maintenance Tips ......................................267
Maintaining Regular Use 268 • Proper Care of the Torah Scroll 269
• Purchasing a Used Sefer Torah of Completing a New One 270
Appendix 1 Insight
into Tefillin ........................................................271
Appendix 2 Insight
into Mezuzah ....................................................275
Appendix 3 The
Sacred Letters ........................................................277
Appendix 4 Charts
...........................................................................283
Records of New Tefillin 283 • Record of Tefillin Checking 284 •
Record of New Mezuzos 285 • Record of Mezuzah Checking 286
Appendix 5 Adjusting
the Head Tefillin Knots ................................287
End Notes
.........................................................................................289
Glossary ............................................................................................293
Recommended Reading ..................................................................296
About the Author ............................................................................299
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