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pp. 14-15
Morning Prayers

Tefillin

הנחת תפילין

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הנחת תפילין

TEFILLIN

Some say the following meditation before putting on the tefillin.
Hebrew
לְשֵׁם יִחוּד קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּהּ בִּדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ, לְיַחֵד שֵׁם י״ה בּו״ה
בְּיִחוּדָא שְׁלִים בְּשֵׁם כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל.
Sephardi
Leshem yichud kudsha berich hu ushechinteh bidchilu urechimu, leyached sheim Yod-Heh be-Vav-Heh
Beyichuda shelim beshem kol Yisrael.
English
For the sake of the unification of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Divine Presence, in reverence and love, to unify the name Yod-Heh with Vav-Heh in perfect unity in the name of all Israel.
Deut. 6
Hebrew
הִנְנִי מְכַוֵּן בְּהַנָּחַת תְּפִלִּין לְקַיֵּם מִצְוַת בּוֹרְאִי, שֶׁצִּוָּנוּ לְהָנִיחַ תְּפִלִּין,
כַּכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרָתוֹ: וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת עַל־יָדֶךָ, וְהָיוּ לְטֹטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ:
וְהֵם אַרְבַּע פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת אֵלּוּ, שְׁמַע, וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמֹעַ, קַדֶּשׁ לִי, וְהָיָה כִּי
יְבִאֲךָ, שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם יִחוּדוֹ וְאַחְדּוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ בָּעוֹלָם, וְשֶׁנְּזַכֵּר
נִסִּים וְנִפְלָאוֹת שֶׁעָשָׂה עִמָּנוּ בְּהוֹצִיאוֹ אוֹתָנוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם, וַאֲשֶׁר לוֹ
הַכֹּחַ וְהַמֶּמְשָׁלָה בָּעֶלְיוֹנִים וּבַתַּחְתּוֹנִים לַעֲשׂוֹת בָּהֶם כִּרְצוֹנוֹ. וְצִוָּנוּ
לְהָנִיחַ עַל הַיָּד לְזִכְרוֹן זְרוֹעַ הַנְּטוּיָה, וְשֶׁהִיא נֶגֶד הַלֵּב, לְשַׁעְבֵּד
בָּזֶה תַּאֲווֹת וּמַחְשְׁבוֹת לִבֵּנוּ לַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ. וְעַל הָרֹאשׁ
נֶגֶד הַמֹּחַ, שֶׁהַנְּשָׁמָה שֶׁבְּמֹחִי עִם שְׁאָר חוּשַׁי וְכֹחוֹתַי כֻּלָּם יִהְיוּ
מְשֻׁעְבָּדִים לַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ, יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ. וּמִשֶּׁפַע מִצְוַת תְּפִלִּין יִתְמַשֵּׁךְ
עָלַי לִהְיוֹת לִי חַיִּים אֲרֻכִּים וְשֶׁפַע קֹדֶשׁ וּמַחְשָׁבוֹת קְדוֹשׁוֹת בְּלִי
הִרְהוּר חֵטְא וָעָוֹן כְּלָל, וְשֶׁלֹּא יְפַתֵּנוּ וְלֹא יִתְגָּרֶה בָּנוּ יֵצֶר הָרָע,
וִינִיחֵנוּ לַעֲבֹד אֶת יְהוָה כַּאֲשֶׁר עִם לְבָבֵנוּ.
Sephardi
Hineni mechaven behanachat tefillin lekayeim mitzvat bor'i, shetzivanu lehanich tefillin,
Kakatuv betorato: ukeshartam le'ot al-yadecha, vehayu letotafot bein einecha:
Vehem arba parshiyot elu, Shema, Vehayah im shamoa, Kadesh li, Vehayah ki
Yevi'acha, sheyesh bahem yichudo ve'achduto yitbarach shemo ba'olam, veshenezaker
Nisim venifla'ot she'asah imanu behotzi'o otanu miMitzrayim, va'asher lo
Hakoch vehamemshalah ba'elyonim uvatachtonim la'asot bahem kirtzono. Vetzivanu
Lehanich al hayad lezichron zero'a hanetuyah, veshehi neged halev, lesha'bed
Bazeh ta'avot umachshavot libeinu la'avodato yitbarach shemo. Ve'al harosh
Neged hamoch, shehaneshamah shebemochi im she'ar chushai vekochotai kulam yihyu
Meshubadim la'avodato, yitbarach shemo. Umishefa mitzvat tefillin yitmashech
Alai lihyot li chayim arukim veshefa kodesh umachshavot kedoshot beli
Hirhur cheit va'avon kelal, veshelo yefatenu velo yitgareh banu yetzer hara,
Veyinichenu la'avod et Adonai ka'asher im levavenu.
English
By putting on the tefillin I hereby intend to fulfill the commandment of my Creator who commanded us to wear tefillin, as it is written in His Torah: "Bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be an emblem on the center of your head." They contain these four sections of the Torah: one beginning with Shema [Deut. 6:4–9]; another with Vehaya im shamo'a [ibid. 11:13–21]; the third with Kadesh Li [Ex. 13:1–10]; and the fourth with Vehaya ki yevi'akha [ibid. 13:11–16]. These proclaim the uniqueness and unity of God, blessed be His name in the world. They also remind us of the miracles and wonders which He did for us when He brought us out of Egypt, and that He has the power and the dominion over the highest and the lowest to deal with them as He pleases. He commanded us to place one of the tefillin on the arm in memory of His "outstretched arm" (of redemption), setting it opposite the heart, to subject the desires and designs of our heart to His service, blessed be His name. The other is to be on the head, opposite the brain, so that my mind, whose seat is in the brain, together with my other senses and faculties, may be subjected to His service, blessed be His name. May the spiritual influence of the commandment of the tefillin be with me so that I may have a long life, a flow of holiness, and sacred thoughts, free from any suggestion of sin or iniquity. May the evil inclination neither incite nor entice us, but leave us to serve the LORD, as it is in our hearts to do.
Hebrew
וִיהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁתְּהֵא חֲשׁוּבָה מִצְוַת
הַנָּחַת תְּפִלִּין לְפָנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, כְּאִלּוּ קִיַּמְתִּיהָ בְּכָל פְּרָטֶיהָ וְדִקְדּוּקֶיהָ
וְכַוָּנוֹתֶיהָ וְתַרְיַ״ג מִצְוֹת הַתְּלוּיוֹת בָּהּ, אָמֵן סֶלָה.
Sephardi
Vihi ratzon milefanecha, Adonai Eloheinu veilohei avoteinu, shetehei chashuvah mitzvat
Hanachat tefillin lifnei hakadosh baruch hu, ke'ilu kiyamtihah bechol peratehah vedikdukehah
Vechavanotehah vetaryag mitzvot hateluyot bah, Amen selah.
English
And may it be Your will, LORD our God and God of our ancestors, that the commandment of tefillin be considered before You as if I had fulfilled it in all its specifics, details and intentions, as well as the 613 commandments dependent on it, Amen, Selah.