Dirshu Mishnah Berurah

Continuing with the laws of proper respect of tefillin and other holy items. Can you sit on a synagogue bench where tefillin and tallis are stored directly underneath?

Maintaining the sanctity of tefillin, Torah books, and mezuzahs with a double covering.

Buying tefillin from an expert/ trustworthy individual removes the need to check tefillin (ever!). Also we learn not to let the tefillin straps or boxes hang from a peg.

The status of tefillin written or provided by converts (who return to their previous religion out of fear), heretics, non- Jews.

In which we learn individuals who are invalid from writing tefillin because they have removed themselves from the category of tefillin wearers.

In which we learn categories of those who can not eligible to write tefillin

In which we learn the principle of when you are occupied in one mitzvah you are exempt from another  - the limitations to this general rule

In which we learn lessons of exemption and obligation in wearing tefillin from mourners and bridegrooms and those around them. Frame of mind plays a major part.

In which we learn when sickness prevents the mitzvah of tefillin for those who want to, and why women cannot put on tefillin even if they want to!

In which we learn the incredible reward for fulfilling the mitzvah of tefillin and the reverse for those who believe the mitzvah is degrading for them. We also learn about when a bar mitzvah boy should start wearing tefillin and the sanctity required in doing so.

In which we learn about the care needed that letters should not run into each other above and below, the required spacing between letters and words, and how a sofer should ideally write the tefillin passages.

In which we summarise where text can be corrected and does not create a problem of writing 'out of order' and the case of the missing ink!

In which we learn the principle of "mind the gap"  - a problem of one word divided into two, and return to look at the need for all lettering to follow the order they are written in the Torah - issues of fixing lettering out of sequence.

In which we learn the great potential of a scribe for good and evil and a lengthy warning of the Mishnah Berurah on ensuring the community appoints trustworthy and G-d fearing individuals as scribes.

In which we learn more on fixing letters and discover what sets apart the highest quality tefillin writing apart from the next.

In which we learn more about how to fix problematic letters in tefillin parchment

In which we learn that the letters of the tefillin have to be "written and not "etched out" - when we can correct lettering affected by excess ink

In which we learn about asking a child to help determine the whether "broken" letters are still correctly formed.

In which we learn how advances in technology have changed the thickness of parchment selected for use in tefillin plus, more on holes in the parchment that might affect lettering.

In which we learn the correct intent needed to create the tefillin parchment and whether machines can make it. We also look at the source of parchment and parchment with a small hole in it. 

In which we learn whether tefillin require etched lines in the parchment and how the parchment is made.

In which we learn that you can use any colour ink for writing tefillin (as long as it is black). Each letter must be separate and well formed.

In which we learn why we don't wear tefillin on Shabbos and Yom Tov, and what about Chol HaMoed? We also turn to the discussion of the writing of the tefillin parchments.

In which we learn the correct time for putting on tefillin and why technically there are cases at nighttime when one can wear tefillin.

In which we learn the order of removal of tefillin, their storage, kissing the tefillin, and no blessing to be said on their removal.