## Menachot Daf 35b

###### Menachot 35b:1
[Menachot 35b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/35b:1)

וְאִי נָמֵי כֹּל הֵיכִי דְּכִי מִיתְּלֵי בֵּיהּ בְּמִתְנָא אַתְיֵיהּ אַבָּתְרֵיהּ – חַדְתָּתָא, וְאִידָּךְ – עַתִּיקָתָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Alternatively,** in **any** case **where if** the phylacteries are **hanging by the strap** the compartment **follows** the strap, i.e., it remains attached, these phylacteries are considered **new; and** in **the other** case, where the phylacteries would fall off, they are considered **old.**


###### Menachot 35b:2
[Menachot 35b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/35b:2)

אַבָּיֵי הֲוָה יָתֵיב קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַב יוֹסֵף, אִיפְּסִיק לֵיהּ רְצוּעָה דִּתְפִילֵּי, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַהוּ לְמִיקְטְרֵיהּ? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: ״וּקְשַׁרְתָּם״ כְּתִיב, שֶׁתְּהֵא קְשִׁירָה תַּמָּה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ The Gemara relates: **Abaye was sitting before Rav Yosef** when the **strap of his phylacteries tore.** Abaye **said to** Rav Yosef: **What is** the *halakha* as **to** whether one may **tie** the strap? Rav Yosef **said to him: It is written** with regard to phylacteries: **“And you shall bind them [*ukshartam*]** for a sign upon your arm” (Deuteronomy 6:8), which teaches **that** the **binding must be complete [*keshira tamma*],** whole and beautiful, and that would not be the case with a makeshift knot.


###### Menachot 35b:3
[Menachot 35b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/35b:3)

אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב אַחָא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב יוֹסֵף לְרַב אָשֵׁי: מַהוּ לְמִיתְפְּרֵיהּ וְעַיֹּילֵיהּ לִתְפִירָה לְגָאו? אֲמַר: פּוֹק חֲזִי מָה עַמָּא דָּבַר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Aḥa, son of Rav Yosef, said to Rav Ashi: What is** the *halakha* as **to** whether one may **sew** a strap that tore **and insert** the **stitching inside,** so that it is not visible from the outside? Rav Ashi **said** to him: **Go out and see what the people are doing.** If the common custom is to do this, it is permitted.


###### Menachot 35b:4
[Menachot 35b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/35b:4)

אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: גַּרְדּוּמֵּי רְצוּעוֹת כְּשֵׁירוֹת, וְלָאו מִילְּתָא הִיא, מִדְּאָמְרִי בְּנֵי רַבִּי חִיָּיא: גַּרְדּוּמֵּי תְכֵלֶת וְגַרְדּוּמֵּי אֵזוֹב כְּשֵׁירִין. הָתָם הוּא דְּתַשְׁמִישֵׁי מִצְוָה נִינְהוּ, אֲבָל הָכָא דְּתַשְׁמִישֵׁי קְדוּשָּׁה נִינְהוּ – לָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Pappa says: The remnants of straps,** i.e., what remains when part of the strap has been cut off, **are fit.** The Gemara comments: **And it is not so,** as can be derived **from** the fact **that the sons of Rabbi Ḥiyya say: The remnants of** the **sky**-**blue wool** of ritual fringes, when only a small thread remains, **and** likewise **the remnants of** the **hyssop,** used for the sprinkling of the purification water of the red heifer, **are fit.** They did not include the remnants of straps of phylacteries in this *halakha*. The reason for this difference is that **it is there** that the remnants are fit, **as they are** mere **articles** used in the performance **of a mitzva; but here,** phylacteries **are articles of sanctity,** which are of greater sanctity, and therefore their remnants are **not** fit.


###### Menachot 35b:5
[Menachot 35b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/35b:5)

מִכְּלָל דְּאִית לְהוּ שִׁיעוּרָא, וְכַמָּה שִׁיעוּרַיְיהוּ? אָמַר רָמֵי בַּר חָמָא אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: עַד אֶצְבַּע צְרֵדָה. רַב כָּהֲנָא מַחְוֵי כָּפוּף, רַב אָשֵׁי מַחְוֵי פָּשׁוּט.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara states: From this line of inquiry one can conclude **by inference that** the straps of phylacteries **have** a minimum requisite **measure. And how much is their measure? Rami bar Ḥama says** that **Reish Lakish says:** It is **until the index finger.** In explanation of this size, **Rav Kahana** would **demonstrate a bowed** measure, i.e., from the tip of the middle finger until the tip of the index finger, with the fingers spread. **Rav Ashi** would **demonstrate a straight** measure, from the tip of the thumb until the tip of the index finger, with the fingers spread.


###### Menachot 35b:6
[Menachot 35b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/35b:6)

רַבָּה קָטַר לְהוּ וּפָשֵׁיט וְשָׁדֵי לְהוּ, רַב אַחָא בַּר יַעֲקֹב קָטַר לְהוּ וּמְתַלֵּית לְהוּ, מָר בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַבְנָא עָבֵיד כְּדִידַן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara relates: **Rabba** would **tie** the straps **and release** them **and let them fall** behind him. **Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov** would **tie them and plait them** together like a braid. **Mar, son of Rabbana,** would **act like we** do, i.e., he would let the straps fall and hang over the front of his body.


###### Menachot 35b:7
[Menachot 35b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/35b:7)

אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר שִׁילַת מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרַב: קֶשֶׁר שֶׁל תְּפִילִּין הֲלָכָה לְמֹשֶׁה מִסִּינַי. אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן: וְנוֹיֵיהֶן לְבַר. רַב אָשֵׁי הֲוָה יָתֵיב קַמֵּיהּ דְּמָר זוּטְרָא, אִיתְהַפְכָא לֵיהּ רְצוּעָה דִתְפִילִּין. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: לָא סָבַר לַהּ מָר וְנוֹיֵיהֶן לְבַר? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: לָאו אַדַּעְתַּאי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Yehuda, son of Rav Shmuel bar Sheilat, says in the name of Rav:** The form of the **knot of phylacteries,** i.e., that there must be the form of a letter *dalet* in the knot of the phylacteries of the head and the letter *yod* in the knot of the phylacteries of the arm, is **a *halakha*** transmitted **to Moses from Sinai. Rav Naḥman says: And their decorative** side, the black side of the knot where the shape of the letter is visible, must face **outward.** The Gemara relates: **Rav Ashi was sitting before Mar Zutra** when the **strap of** his **phylacteries became reversed.** Mar Zutra **said to him: Doesn’t the Master hold** in accordance with the ruling that **their decorative** side must face **outward?** Rav Ashi **said to him:** It did **not** enter **my mind,** i.e., I did not notice.


###### Menachot 35b:8
[Menachot 35b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/35b:8)

״וְרָאוּ כׇּל עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ כִּי שֵׁם ה׳ נִקְרָא עָלֶיךָ וְיָרְאוּ מִמֶּךָּ״, תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר הַגָּדוֹל אוֹמֵר: אֵלּוּ תְּפִילִּין שֶׁבָּרֹאשׁ. ״וַהֲסִרֹתִי אֶת כַּפִּי וְרָאִיתָ אֶת אֲחֹרָי״, אָמַר רַב חָנָא בַּר בִּיזְנָא אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן חֲסִידָא: מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהֶרְאָה לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה קֶשֶׁר שֶׁל תְּפִילִּין.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
With regard to the verse: **“And all the nations of the land shall see that the name of the Lord is called upon you, and they shall be afraid of you”** (Deuteronomy 28:10), it **is taught** in a *baraita* that **Rabbi Eliezer the Great says: This** is a reference to **the phylacteries of the head,** upon which the name of God is written, as they demonstrate to all that the name of God is called upon the Jewish people. With regard to the statement of God to Moses: **“And I will remove My hand, and you will see My back”** (Exodus 33:23), **Rav Ḥana bar Bizna says** that **Rabbi Shimon Ḥasida says:** This **teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, showed Moses the knot of** the **phylacteries** of the head.


###### Menachot 35b:9
[Menachot 35b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/35b:9)

אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: קֶשֶׁר שֶׁל תְּפִילִּין צָרִיךְ שֶׁיְּהֵא לְמַעְלָה, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמַעְלָה וְלֹא לְמַטָּה, וְצָרִיךְ שֶׁיְּהֵא כְּלַפֵּי פָּנִים, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְפָנִים וְלֹא לְאָחוֹר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Yehuda says: The knot of phylacteries must be above,** i.e., it must rest on the head rather than on the neck, **in order that the Jewish people should be above and not below. And** likewise **it must be placed toward the front [*panim*],** i.e., not on the sides of the head, **in order that the Jewish people should be in front [*lefanim*] and not behind.**


###### Menachot 35b:10
[Menachot 35b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/35b:10)

אָמַר רַב שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר בֵּידָרֵי אָמַר רַב, וְאָמְרִי לַהּ אָמַר רַבִּי אַחָא אֲרִיכָא אָמַר רַב הוּנָא, וְאָמְרִי לַהּ אָמַר רַב מְנַשְּׁיָא אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: תְּפִילִּין מֵאֵימָתַי מְבָרֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶן? מִשְּׁעַת הַנָּחָתָן. אִינִי? וְהָא אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: כׇּל הַמִּצְוֹת כּוּלָּן מְבָרֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶן עוֹבֵר לַעֲשִׂיָּיתָן! אַבָּיֵי וְרָבָא דְּאָמְרִי תַּרְוַיְיהוּ: מִשְּׁעַת הַנָּחָה וְעַד שְׁעַת קְשִׁירָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **Rav Shmuel bar Bideri says** that **Rav says, and some say** that **Rabbi Aḥa Arikha,** i.e., Rabbi Aḥa the Tall, **says** that **Rav Huna says, and some say** that **Rav Menashya says** that **Shmuel says:** With regard to **phylacteries, from when does one recite a blessing over them? From the time when one dons them** on the arm and onward. The Gemara raises a difficulty: **Is that so? But doesn’t Rav Yehuda say** that **Shmuel says:** With regard to **all the mitzvot, one recites a blessing over them prior to their performance?** How, then, can one recite a blessing over phylacteries after donning them? **Abaye and Rava both say:** One recites the blessing **from the time of donning** the phylacteries **until the time of binding** them, as the binding constitutes the performance of the mitzva.