Tefillin

(Mykolaiv Regional Museum of Culture and Traditions)
Tefillin shel yad ("arm-tefillin")
Tefillin #1
Tefillin #2
Tefillin consists of a little black wooden box of cubic form ("bayit") painted in black and covered with the leather of kosher animal on a flat base. Through the base two straps - retsuot that serve for fixing of tefillin on the arm are stretched. Tefillin is in the bag (sack) made of blue velvet and decorated on the sides with twisted green rope with tassels on the corners. The bag has a light brown colored lining.
Museum / institution
Mykolaiv Regional Museum of Culture and Traditions
History, source, type and date of acquisition
Transferred by Sholom Gottlieb, the Chief Rabbi of the city Mykolayiv and Mykolayiv region for the new exposition of the museum.
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
end of XIX - the beginning of XX
Materials
thread, velvet, parchment, leather
Dimensions, cm
width: 6.50, height: 5.20, length: 8.00
Preservation condition
satisfactory
Description of the preservation condition
rubbing of leather and cloth
Restoration
Restoration is recommended.
Current location
in storage