- Torah and Jewish Thought
- Principles of Mitzva Observance
Was the structure of Tefillin from Har Sina?
Question
I was recently involved in a discussion concerning how far back does the design of Tefillin. The person was discussing with claimed that Tefillin, from the Torah, were original like a tiera won by a women. He based it on
Shabbath 57B:
מאי טוטפת א"ר יוסף חומרתא דקטיפתא א"ל אביי תהוי כקמיע מומחה ותשתרי אלא אמר רב יהודה משמיה דאביי אפוזיינו תניא נמי הכי יוצאה אשה בסבכה המוזהבת ובטוטפת ובסרביטין הקבועין בה איזו טוטפת ואיזו סרביטין א"ר אבהו טוטפת המוקפת לה מאזן לאזן סרביטין המגיעין לה עד לחייה אמר רב הונא עניות עושין אותן של מיני צבעונין עשירות עושין אותן של כסף ושל זהב:
Concerning the Rambam’s use of (הלכה למשה מסיני) specifically with regards to Tefillin. Is it considered that the basic structure of Tefillin (square and four boxes for Rosh) come from the time of Har Sinai or that they come from a later Beith Din? For example, in ( הלכות תפילין פרק ג:א).
If so are there are any sources that make it clear that this is from Har Sinai and not a later time like the Sofrim?
Thanks,
Ehav Ever
Answer
You cite the answer to your own question where the Rambam (Tfilin 3, 1), explicitly says that the basic structure of tfilin is from Har Sinai, “Halacha l’Moshe m’Sinai”, and the Beit Yosef there, cites the Rambam’s explicit sources in M’nachot 35 and Megilla 24b. In fact, the tfilin found by archeologists from 2,000 years ago (!) are identical to ours today (see photo in Da’at Mikra on Shmot I, p. 223), and that’s most of the way back to Sinai (“only” 3,300 years ago).
With Love of Israel,
Rav Ari Shvat

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