[Avodah] Tefillin on Rosh Chodesh

[Arie Folger]

Following a reference by our esteemed list owner RMB to an idea by RYBS about 
the introductory qedushah statement "keter yitnu lekha," some posters have 
been speculating about an actual prohibition of wearing tefillin on RC 
(several posters, or that it was at least prohibited while the mussaf 
offering was made (RDR posted so).

While Torah hi, ulelamdah ani tzarikh, and I find it fascinating to learn more 
about the subject, I am somewhat bemused as to the suggestion that mussaf and 
tefillin, or even RC and tefillin, are somewhat incompatible. Ancient minhag 
Ashkenaz (as currently practiced by very few people) was to keep tefillin on 
until the end. (minhag quoted in, for example, minhagut Wormaize)

The interesting question isn't whether in the BhM people would wear tefillin 
on RC, acc. to this ancient minhag Ashkenaz, they did, even during mussaf.

Instead, the question is, when did the idea of not wearing tefillin during 
mussaf on RC start. I have a feeling (but that is currently only a 
speculation) that it isn't more than 400-700 years old.

I eagerly await the learned references on the subject,

Yasher koa'h
-- 
Arie Folger
http://www.ariefolger.googlepages.com