A Commitment Of Hearts, Heads and Hands
For almost four thousand years, Jews have been putting on Tefillin. Tefillin are a pair of black leather boxes containing Hebrew parchment scrolls. A set includes two—one for the head and one for the arm. Each consists of three main components: the scrolls, the box and the strap.
The Jewish male marks his rite of passage into adulthood at the age of Bar Mitzvah (thirteen). Putting on Tefillin is one the first mitzvahs assumed by a Jewish male upon his Bar Mitzvah.
The boxes contain four hand-written texts from the Torah. The hand Tefillin has all four texts written on a single parchment strip, whereas the head Tefillin has four separate compartments with a single text in each.
During all the years of Jewish existence, the Tefillin have constituted one of the principal symbols of Judaism. Tefillin have kept us company during our wanderings, even to the four corners of the earth - both on the tranquil waters of peace, and on the stormy seas of tragic times when Jews sacrificed their lives in order to live according to the Torah and be worthy of their name. Always, in every place and at all times, Jews have guarded their Tefillin with courage and pride and Tefillin have guarded the Jews.
Tefillin connect the head and heart empowering you to successfully maneuver your way through life. It unifies the heart and mind creating harmony and tranquility in your world and has been bound in the hearts of Jews for millennia.
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