Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Tefillin Query

Has anyone ever seen a reason why Ashkenaz wraps tefillin coming in while Sfard wraps going out?

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5 comments:

  1. Perhaps the source is Mishnayos Zevachim 5:3. The Kohanim entered and walked around the Mizbeach counterclockwise. According to the Mepharshim (the RA"V and the Tosafos Yom Tov), this is per Yechezkel 43 ("UMaalosehu Pnos Kadim"), from which the Gemara Yuma 15 deduces "Kal Pinos SheAtah Poneh Lo Yiheyu Elah LiYemin" (also "LeMizrach" [some texts]).
    I believe the difference between Sfard and Ashkenaz is how to apply the "Kol Pinos" principle to the wrapping of the Retzuah of the Tfilin Shel Yad. A similar consideration governs the order of lighting of the Chanukah candles.

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  2. is a mushroom a tzomach or a chai?

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  3. I was originally thinking along the lines of Chaim, and was proposing that the Ashkenaz way is that you have to first work on yourself, draw the light and kedushoh in, and only then do you spread it to others (as with a plane, the flight attendant says that in case of need for oxygen, chas vesholom, if you are with a child, you first put your own apparatus in order and only then help your dependent).

    However, I later asked a Rav the question via e-mail and he told me something like that it's talui in/interconnected with where one of the parts of the tefillin (I forgot what part of tefllin/retzuah/kesher) is located. Sfard has it in one place and Ashkenaz elsewhere. According to that it's more like a 'hardware' issue than an issue of machshovoh.

    Does that make sense to you ?

    I was trying to find the e-mail, but haven't yet.

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  4. If there is a reason it's probably a mystical one.

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  5. I heard like the first person. Sfard symbolizes giving out tzedakah. And ashkenaz symbolizes taking in mitzvos.

    Tzvi

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