Donning tefillin is usually performed after wrapping oneself in the tallit. If one is not yet married and it is the custom in his community not to wear a tallit before marriage, he should don tefillin without a tallit. First one dons the arm tefillin, without wrapping the straps around his fingers, and then the head tefillin, after which he wraps the straps of the arm tefillin around his fingers. When removing the tefillin, one proceeds in the reverse order, first removing the head tefillin and then the arm tefillin.

One starts by donning the arm tefillin, which is wrapped around the arm of one’s weaker hand. This is derived from the fact that the Torah states: “It shall be a sign upon your arm [yadekha]” (Exodus 13:16), with the word yadekha spelled with a kaf and a heh at the end instead of the expected final letter kaf. The Sages interpreted the apparently superfluous letter heh as an indication that the tefillin should be placed on the keheh, or weaker, arm. For right-handed people, this is the left hand, whereas for left-handed individuals, it is the right hand. Since the definition of left-handedness for this matter is complex (it depends on the precise use of one’s hands, the extent of the tendency, etc.), it is best for a left-handed person to consult a rabbi about the arm on which he should place the tefillin.

According to the Sephardic custom, one dons the arm tefillin while sitting, whereas according to the Ashkenazic custom, it is done while standing.

One places the arm tefillin in the center of the upper arm, where it is next to the heart, and recites the blessing:

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who sanctified us through His commandments, and commanded us to don tefillin.”

After concluding the blessing, one wraps the strap of the tefillin around the upper arm (see step 2 in the image) and then continues to wrap it seven times around the forearm (see step 2 in the image).

There are several different customs regarding the manner of wrapping the straps, and one should follow the tradition of his family or his community.

At this point, one pauses and does not complete the wrapping of the strap around the fingers. Instead, he takes out the head tefillin and places it on his head, with the tefillin box positioned in the place where the hairs above the forehead grow, directly above the space between the eyes, and then recites the blessing:

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who sanctified us through His commandments, and commanded us concerning the mitzva of tefillin.”

Immediately after this second blessing, one says:

“Blessed be the name of His kingdom’s glory forever and ever.”

Sephardim and a small number of Ashkenazim recite only the blessing over the arm tefillin, with this single blessing applying to the head tefillin as well. In this matter too, each person should follow the tradition of his forefathers.

One fastens the loop of the head tefillin around the circumference of his head and positions the back knot in the indentation below the base of the skull.

One must make sure that there is nothing interposing between the tefillin and his body, in the case of both the arm tefillin and the head tefillin.

After positioning the head tefillin, one goes back and completes the donning of the arm tefillin: One twists the end of the strap three times around the middle finger and wraps the remainder around the palm. Some recite different verses while binding the straps on the finger and hand, and again, each person should follow the custom of his forefathers.

The tefillin should be removed in the reverse order of how they are donned. Once again, Ashkenazim remove the arm tefillin while standing whereas Sephardim do so while sitting.

The order of removing the tefillin is as follows: One unwraps the straps from the finger (some also loosen a few more wrappings from the hand at this stage), and then takes off the head tefillin, places it in its protective box, before completing the removal of the arm tefillin.

Every male from the age of bar mitzva is obligated to don tefillin every weekday. Young boys who are about to start donning tefillin should learn how to do so and practice a few weeks or months before their bar mitzva, according to their family custom. Women are exempt from the mitzva of tefillin, like other positive time-bound mitzvot.

Further reading: For more on donning tefillin before bar mitzvah, see p. 39.

The mitzva of tefillin continues throughout the entire day. In the past, Torah scholars would indeed wear them from morning to evening. In our time, it is customary to don tefillin only for the morning prayers, removing them at the end of the prayer service. Some have the custom to don them again at other specific times during the day, such as for the afternoon service.

One who did not don tefillin in the morning should do so, with the recitation of the blessing or blessings, later in the day, until sunset. This mitzva is not dependent on the prayer service, and one fulfills it even if he dons the tefillin when he is not praying. Nonetheless, it is preferable to recite the entire morning service while wearing tefillin. If circumstances do not allow this, the most important thing is to recite Shema and the Amida prayer with tefillin.

The mitzva of tefillin is actually comprised of two distinct mitzvot: the head tefillin and the arm tefillin. Therefore, if one has available only one of the two elements of the tefillin, or if for some reason he cannot don both of them, he should don the tefillin that he is able to wear.

Tefillin are sacred items, and therefore, one must maintain a clean body while wearing them. One may not take them into inappropriate places, such as the bathroom. One must also take great care that they do not fall onto the ground. If tefillin do fall, it is customary to fast for a full day or to donate to charity the cost of the meals of a full day, for atonement.

On Shabbat and festivals, one does not don tefillin. Some have the custom to wear tefillin on the intermediate festival days, while others do not do so.

One who dons tefillin every day does not have to examine them regularly, and the tefillin retain their presumptive status as kosher. Nevertheless, it is advisable to have one’s tefillin checked once every few years, as weather conditions and other factors can damage the parchment and the letters that are written on it.

Tefillin that are not worn every day must be checked once every three and a half years.

It is a considered a virtuous practice to give one’s tefillin to an expert for examination every year in the month of Elul.