[Avodah] How to Paint Tefillin Straps

[Zev Sero]

On 2/02/2011 9:30 AM, Micha Berger wrote:

> I can't question the majority of the page, the discussion of metzi'us,
> but I had some problems with the first paragraph.
>
> 1- There is a hiddur of lishmah, not a chiyuv.

"They must be blacked by an adult competent Jew, lishmah. If he blacked
them shelo lishmah, or a nochri blacked them, it's passul even bediavad"
(Kesset Hasofer 23:3).


> 2- Saying "lesheim qedushas tefillin" is a tool to help lishmah, not
>     even a hiddur.

"And if he did not say it with his lips but only thought it in his
heart, some rule it passul even bediavad, and some rule it kosher
bediavad, and so seems to be the halacha" (Kesset Hasofer 4:1)

"The doubt only exists where, before beginning to write, he thought
expressly that he is writing this mezuzah or these parshiot lishmah;
but if he didn't think anything and started to write stam, then it's
passul."  (Biur Hasofer, ibid)


> 3- The only part of the retzu'os that MUST be black are on the shel rosh
>     up to the kesher, and the loop and the part up to going through the
>     loop on the shel yad.

The mimimum length of the Shel Rosh retzua is on both sides till the
navel, and lechatchila the right one should go down to the milah.
For the shel yad, the minimum length is lechatchila enough to tighten
it on the arm, do seven loops, then three times around the middle
finger, and then to tie it off.  Bediavad it must be at least long
enough to tighten around the arm, then drop straight down to the
middle finger, do three loops around that, and then tie it off.

It's clear that *at least* that entire length must be black, and
therefore that that at least that length must be blackened lishmah.
Whether the rest of the retzua must be black too is in doubt (see
Biur Halacha 33:3)




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Zev Sero                      The trouble with socialism is that you
zev at sero.name                 eventually run out of other people’s money
                                                      - Margaret Thatcher