When to Wear Tefillin

Source: Halachipedia: When to Wear Tefillin

Link: https://halachipedia.com/index.php?title=When_to_Wear_Tefillin

Categories: Tefillin

Exported: 2025-12-30

Morning

see Putting On and Removing Tefillin

Mincha

1. Our practice is not to wear Tefillin at Mincha.¹ Some pious individuals wear Rabbenu Tam Tefillin or Shimusha Rabba Tefillin at Mincha. See their page for more information.

Shabbat and Yom Tov

1. Tefillin are not worn on Shabbat and the major holidays including Pesach, Shavuot, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. Yom Tov Sheni are equally excluded.² The reason given is that these holidays are themselves "signs" which render the use of Tefillin, which are to serve as "signs" themselves, superfluous.³

Rosh Chodesh

1. The Tefillin are removed before we recite Mussaf on Rosh Chodesh. See footnote for the reasons.⁴
2. There are several different opinions as to the exact proper time to remove one's Tefillin before Mussaf. Some say that one should take off one's Tefillin after the Kaddish which is recited before the Shemona Esreh of Mussaf, after "uva litzion".⁵ According to a number of authorities the Tefillin should be removed while reciting "uva letzion", just before beginning the "yehi ratzon" paragraph.⁶ Some recommend before Torah reading.⁷ Some recommend after returning the Torah to the aron.⁸ Some say that this depends on how you will be able to wrap your Tefillin (see footnote)⁹
3. One who forgot to remove his Tefillin before Mussaf and realized this while in middle of Shemona Esreh does not have to remove his Tefillin at that time¹⁰
4. In the event that one forgot Yaale Viyavo in Shacharit but only realized after one removed one's Tefillin, one should preferably put one's Tefillin back on and pray Shacharit again. If it is too difficult, one may be lenient since one has already fulfilled one's obligation.¹¹

Purim

1. On Purim morning, one should wear one's Tefillin during the Megilla reading even if one has already worn them.¹²

Tisha Be'Av

Chol Hamoed

Avelut (Mourning)

References

¹: Mishna Brurah 131:7, cf Biur Halacha 37 s.v. BeShaat

²: Mishna Brurah 31:1

³: Gemara Menachot 36b, Shulchan Aruch O.C. 31:1, Mishna Brurah 31:1, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, laws of tefillin on shabbat and yom tov, seif 1. The Piskei Rid 36b explains that Yom Tov is compared to Shabbat and Shabbat is considered a sign. Mishna Brurah 31:3 explains slightly differently. He says that Pesach the year when they left Egypt is called a sign and all the holidays are compared to it.

⁴: Shulchan Aruch O.C. 25:13, Shulchan Aruch 423:4, Mishna Brurah 25:59, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 10:19, Rivevot Ephraim 7:317, Kaf Hachayim 25:94, Mishna Brura 25:59. * Beit Yosef 25 s.v. "ubayom" writes that since in Kedusha we recite that the angels should give Hashem a crown it would be improper for us to show our crowns, the Tefillin. This is quoted in Mishna Brurah 25:61, Magen Avraham 25:32, Taz 25:16, Pri Megadim Mishbetzot Zahav 25:15 as well as Shulchan Aruch Harav 25:41. Levush 25:13 writes that even those whose Nusach does not say "Keter" and instead is "Naaritzcha", should remove their Tefillin for Mussaf. * Levush 25:13 and 423:4 and Mishna Brura 423:10 write that the reason Tefillin are removed before Mussaf is in order to add a Yom Tov flavor to the day as the Mussaf itself is considered an "אות". Mussaf represents the Yom Tov nature of Rosh Chodesh, since both on Rosh Chodesh and Yom Tov, korbanot Mussaf were brought, the Tefillin are removed. * See Kaf Hachayim 25:94 for Kabbalistic reasons behind the removal of Tefillin before Mussaf.

⁵: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch of Rav Rephael Baruch Toledano, siman 10, laws of the donning of tefillin, seif 34. Magen Avraham 423:6, Pri Megadim Eishel Avraham 423:6, Machzik Bracha 15, Mishna Brurah 25:59, Kaf Ha’chaim 25:94.

⁶: Mishna Brurah 25:59, Elya Rabba 25:25.

⁷: opinion cited by Magen Avraham 25:30 though he disagrees, Levush 423:4 and Rema Mipano 108 indicate that some authorities recommend removing the Tefillin before the Torah reading as it also represents the Yom Tov nature of the day, others recommend removing the Tefillin before Hallel for the same reason.

⁸: Opinion cited by Magen Avraham 28:30, though he himself disagrees

⁹: * Mishna Brurah 28:8 writes that leaving the Tefillin exposed and unwrapped for the duration of Mussaf is unbecoming the reverence owed to them. In fact, according to halacha, whenever one removes Tefillin one is to wrap and put away the shel rosh before even removing the shel yad! There does not seem to be any good reason why this halacha should be ignored on Rosh Chodesh. * Pri Megadim mishbetzot zahav 34:2, Mishna Brurah 124:17, Igrot Moshe, OC 4:19, Tzitz Eliezer 11:10 say that folding the Tefillin during the repetition of Mussaf is also not an option as one is required to listen attentively to the repetition and not engage in any other activities. * Kaf Hachaim 28:7 writes that one who has enough time to fold them in between Kaddish and Mussaf should do so. He writes that if one does not have time one should cover them. Rivevot Ephraim 1:281:5 agrees. * Teshuvot Vihanhagot 1:45 says that if you will have to leave your Tefillin unwrapped during Mussaf it is better to just wrap them up before Kaddish.

¹⁰: Chesed Laalafim 25:13, Mishna Brurah 25:61, Kaf Hachaim 25:98, Rivevos Ephraim 8:13. See, however, Peninei HaRav (p. 101).

¹¹: Sh"t Yechave Daat 6:6. The Chida in Machazik Bracha 25:13 writes that according to Kabbalah one may not put one's Tefillin back on after one recited Mussaf unless one has not yet put on Tefillin that day.

¹²: Mishna Brurah 693:6, Magen Avraham 693:2, Baer Heitev 693:3. This is based on the gemara in Megilla 16b which says that the word "viykar" in Esther 8:16 relates to the Tefillin that after the death of Haman the Jews continued to put on Tefillin. Moed Likol Chai 31:88 says that one the word "viykar" is read one should kiss one's Tefillin.