Tefillin

(Kirovograd Regional Museum of Culture and Traditions)
Tefillin shel yad ("arm-tefillin")
Tefillin #1
Tefillin consists of a little black wooden box of cubic form ("bayit") covered with  the leather of kosher animal on a wooden base, through which two long straps - retsuot that are 342 cm in length are stretched and serve for fixing of tefillin on the arm.
Museum / institution
Kirovograd Regional Museum of Culture and Traditions
Inventory number in the institution
КІ - 1056
History, source, type and date of acquisition
Transferred to the museum as a part of the collection of O. Ilyin for permanent storage.
Production period
CE
Technique
manuscript, handicraft, needlework
Technique, comment
Inside the box there are four passages from the Torah, namely the prayer "Shema Yisrael" in Hebrew written on parchment made of kosher animal skin with indelible black ink.
Religious holiday / lifecycle
for religious use
Religious holiday / lifecycle, comment
Jewish men wear tefillin with the special blessing during morning prayer every day except sabbath and holidays. Especially pious Hasidim are in tefillin all day long until they are studying Torah. At first tefillin shel yad is worn on the left arm and then tefillin shel rosh is placed on the head. Wearing of tefillin on the left arm points to the complete subordination of all thoughts and desires of the heart to the will of Almighty.
Era
the beginning of XIX - end of XIX
Materials
wood, parchment, leather
Dimensions, cm
width: 3.00, height: 3.00, length: 3.00
Preservation condition
satisfactory
Description of the preservation condition
wood scratches, rubbed skin
Restoration
Restoration is recommended.
Current location
in storage