[Avodah] Ta'amai d'kra - why do we put tephillin on our weaker arm

[Michael Poppers via Avodah]

In Avodah V33n142, RAM wrote:
> so too, the hand being used to do the tying is doing avodas Hashem and
therefore that's the one that should be the cleaner hand <
Given modern toiletry methodology, I would tweak the "therefore" a bit: not
that the hand should be cleaner but that it should avoid that which might
dirty it.

>  Halacha forbids us (men) from using the strong arm for cleaning after
defecation, as that would be disrespectful to the tefillin. (Orach Chayim
3:10) <
I think it's worth noting that many reasons are listed in BT B'rachos 62a
<http://dafyomi.org/index.php?masechta=brachos&daf=62a&go=Go>.  Also, BH
and MB quote SHeLaH that one should also avoid utilizing the finger upon
which the strap is wound three times (which brings up a tangential comment
to that which R'Micha noted: the "strong[er] arm" we use *likshor* is also
the one we use for a subsequent, important step, to wrap the strap around
the [middle] finger).

All the best from
*Michael Poppers* * Elizabeth, NJ, USA
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