Removing the Tefillin

In this final segment of our mini-series on the laws of tefillin, we will discuss removal of the tefillin.

Does One Recite a Blessing Upon Removing the Tefillin?

The Talmud (Nida 51b) mentions that the rabbis in the west, i.e., in the land of Israel, would say a blessing upon removing their tefillin.

And according to the residents of the West, who recite the following blessing after they remove their phylacteries: “Who sanctified us with His mitzvot and commanded us to keep His laws...”[1]

This practice is mentioned elsewhere in the Talmud Bavli (Berakhot 44b) and recorded explicitly in the Talmud Yerushalmi (Berakhot 2:3):

How does one make the benedictions on them? Rebbi Zerikan in the name of Rebbi Jacob ben Rebbi Idi: When he puts tefillin on his arm, what does he say? “…Who sanctified us by His commandments and commanded us about the obligation of tefillin.” When he puts them on his head, what does he say? “…Who sanctified us by His commandments and commanded us about the obligation of putting on tefillin.” When he takes them off, what does he say? “…Who sanctified us by His commandments and commanded us to obey His laws.” That follows the opinion that the verse speaks about the law of tefillin. However, according to those who say that the verse speaks about the law of Passover, that does not apply.

This passage implies that whether or not one recites this blessing depends on whether the verse (Shemot 13:10), “You shall keep this law in its time,” refers to tefillin [indicating that the mitzva of tefillin is limited to a particular time – i.e., the daytime –  so that removing the tefillin before night is part of the mitzva] or to Pesach [in which case there is no clear verse limiting tefillin to daytime]. See Targum Yerushalmi on this verse.

          The Rishonim disagree regarding the nature of this blessing, and whether it should be said nowadays.

          Tosafot (Berakhot 44b, s.v. ve-li’vnei ma’arava) assumes that the blessing is meant to be said upon removing the tefillin at the end of the day. He therefore suggests two reasons this blessing should not be said nowadays.

First, he notes that we no longer wear tefillin for the entire day, and therefore we do not really remove them at the conclusion of the mitzva. Second, we follow the opinion which maintains that nighttime is “z’man tefillin,” i.e., tefillin may be worn at night, and therefore the verse cited above is understood to be referring to Pesach, not to tefillin. (In practice, however, we do not wear tefillin at night, lest one fall asleep while wearing them; see Shulchan Arukh OC 30:2.)

Elsewhere (Tosafot on Nida 51b, s.v. ve-li’vnei ma’arava), Rabbeinu Tam sharpens this point, adding that the Rabbis of the land of Israel maintained that it was prohibited to wear tefillin at night, and therefore, removing the tefillin before dark was a fulfillment of the commandment of “and you shall keep this law in its time.” However, the blessing is not said when removing the tefillin before Shabbat, even according to our practice, because it is not prohibited to wear tefillin on Shabbat; rather, they are simply unnecessary, as Shabbat is also an “ot” (sign) of the covenant between God and the Jewish people.

R. Soloveitchik (Reshimot Shi’urim, Berakhot 44b) explained that according to Tosafot, the Rabbis of the land of Israel perceived removing one’s tefillin before nightfall as an act (ma’aseh) of concluding the mitzva, at the last moment that one can fulfill the mitzva. Interestingly, the Ramban (Nida 51b) maintained that tefillin is simply an example; this blessing should be said at the conclusion of any mitzva after it can no longer be fulfilled that day.

Some Acharonim raise a difficulty with the opinion of Rabbeinu Tam. Rabbeinu Tam appears to believe that the blessing is recited upon one’s attempt to avoid violating a biblical prohibition. This raising an interesting question: Does one recite a blessing upon avoiding a prohibition? The Rishonim discuss this question in relation to the blessings said over shechita and over marriage. See Rosh (Ketubot 1:12) and Taz (YD 1:17).

R. Soloveitchik offers a novel and important explanation of Rabbeinu Tam’s opinion. He suggests that Rabbeinu Tam maintains that the blessing is made upon the positive mitzva of protecting one’s tefillin (shmirat ha-tefillin), as it is prohibited to wear one’s tefillin at night.

Although some Rishonim (see, for example, Ra’avan 35) mention the practice of saying this blessing, most Rishonim (including Tosafot cited above), most Geonim (see Teshuvot HaGeonim Ha-Chadashot 31), the Ramban (Nida 51b), Rashba (ibid.), and Ritva (ibid.), the Rosh (Halakhot Ketanot, Hilkhot Tefillin), the Rambam (Hilkhot Tefillin 4:10-11), rule that we do not recite this blessing. (Though see R. Hai Gaon, Otzar Ha-Geonim Berakhot p. 31, who rules that one may say this blessing if he wishes. See also Ra’avya, v.2 p. 398, who mentions that some recite the blessing whenever they touch their tefillin.)

This is the ruling of the Shulchan Arukh (OC 29) as well.

When Does One Remove the Tefillin?

          At what point in the Shacharit service may one remove his tefillin? The Shulchan Arukh (OC 25:13) writes:

The custom is to refrain from removing tefillin until the recital of U'va Le’Tzion. On a day when there is the reading of the Sefer Torah, we are accustomed to remove them after the Sefer Torah is returned.

The Shulchan Arukh rules that one may remove his tefillin after U’va Le’Tzion, or when there is Torah reading, after the Sefer Torah is returned to the aron (according to the practice of reciting Ashrei and U’va Le’Tzion before returning the Torah). The Kitzur Shulchan Arukh (10:19) writes that “one should not remove his tefillin until after the kedusha of U’va Le’Tzion, during which one says: "It should be His will that we keep his statutes” – clearly referring to the similar language of the blessing discussed above.

The Rema adds:

There are some who wrote, based on the Kabbala, not to remove the tefillin until he has said with them the three kedushot and the four kaddishim, which is after Kaddish Yatom, and this is the practice of those who are strict [in their performance of mitzvot].

The Rema maintains that one should not remove his tefillin until after the kaddish which is said after U’va Le’Tzion, before Aleinu. (The Rema refers to this kaddish as Kaddish Yatom, i.e., the kaddish of the mourner, as the mourner who serves as the shaliach tzibur recites this kaddish.)

          The Mishna Berura (ibid. s.k. 55) cites the Ariz”l, who rules that one should wait until after saying Aleinu before removing his tefillin. Although this is the preferred practice, the Mishna Berura says that one who has difficulty maintaining a “clean body” may remove his tefillin immediately after the kedusha of chazarat ha-shatz. However, he also notes (s.k. 56) that one should not remove his tefillin during the kaddish itself, in order to properly focus while answering “amen yehei shmei rabba.”

          The Shulchan Arukh (ibid.) writes that on Rosh Chodesh, the tefillin should be removed before Mussaf. The Rema notes that although he is referring specifically to a congregation that says the kedusha of “keter” (i.e., “A crown should be given to You,” which should not be said while wearing the tefillin shel rosh), it is customary to always remove the tefillin before Mussaf. The Levush (423) explains that as Mussaf reflects the Yom Tov aspect of Rosh Chodesh, i.e., the korban mussaf, there is no need for an additional “ot” (a sign of the covenant between God and the Jewish people) during this prayer.

          When exactly should the tefillin be removed? The Mishna Berura (25:59; see also 423:10) cites a number of customs. Some remove their tefillin before Mussaf. In this case, the tefillin are often not returned to their case immediately but are left uncovered until after Mussaf. Some (see Nefesh Ha-Rav p. 116) object to this practice, noting that this may not be appropriate treatment of the tefillin. These authorities instruct the shaliach tzibur not to begin the kaddish before Mussaf until the tefillin are returned to their case. If necessary, an individual may even begin his silent Mussaf prayer a bit late (after the rest of the congregation) in order to properly wrap his tefillin. Others remove their tefillin during U’va Le’Tzion, before saying “It should be His will...” (see above), and some begin to remove the wrappings before saying “It should be His will…” and finish before Mussaf.

Regarding Chol Ha-Moed, for those accustomed to wear tefillin then, the Rema (ibid.) rules that the tefillin should be removed before Mussaf. The Magen Avraham (25:31) cites the Rama Mi-Fano (see also Mishna Berura 31:7), who writes that it is proper to remove the tefillin on Chol Ha-Moed before reciting Hallel, while the shaliach tzibur removes them after Hallel. On the first day of Chol Ha-Moed Pesach, some have the custom of removing the tefillin after Torah reading because we read the parasha of Kadesh li, which mentions tefillin.

The Order of Removing One’s Tefillin

          The Talmud (Menachot 36a) teaches:

When one dons [tefillin], he first dons [the tefillin] of the arm and afterward dons [the tefillin] of the head. And when he removes [his tefillin], he first removes [the tefillin] of the head and afterward removes [the tefillin] of the arm… From where do we derive that when he removes [his tefillin], he first removes [the tefillin] of the head and afterward he removes [the tefillin] of the arm? Rabba said in explanation: Rav Huna explained to me that the verse states: “And they shall be for frontlets (totafot) between your eyes” – As long as [the tefillin of the head] are between your eyes, [the number of tefillin you are wearing] shall be two.

Although the tefillin shel rosh are removed first, it is customary to first undo the three wraps around one’s finger (Mishna Berura 28:5).

          The Shulchan Arukh (28:2) rules that the tefillin shel rosh are removed while standing. Ashkenazim remove the tefillin shel yad while standing as well (Mishna Berura ibid. s.k. 6), while Sephardim generally sit.

          We will resume our halakha shiurim later this year with a study of the laws of Chol Ha-Moed.