Does an avel lay tefillin?

From the day of the passing of a close relative through (and including) the day of the burial, the avel does not wear tefillin. Tefillin are referred to as pe’er (glory), and it would be inappropriate for an avel to wear pe’er while engulfed in sadness. Throughout the rest of the shivah, he may wear tefillin unless people who have not yet seen him during his aveilus are present (since they may think that he wore tefillin on the first day as well). An avel who is accustomed to wearing Rabeinu Tam tefillin should also wear them during shivah.

[סעיף ה וס"ק טז-כ; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 12-1




Can a sobbing avel wear tefillin?



If the avel begins to cry while wearing tefillin, he must remove the tefillin. Crying causes one to have hesech hada’as (a distracted mind) from his tefillin. Some explain that the hesech hada’as could result in carelessness about the kedusha of the tefillin. Others explain that if one is not focusing, he is not fulfilling the mitzvah and he will thus be wearing tefillin for no reason. A third explanation is that if one is distracted, he will not have the proper awe when wearing his tefillin. Another issue is the lack of simcha, which is necessary when fulfilling a mitzvah.

ס"ק טז; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 17




Can Shiva be delayed?


A person must sit shivah upon the loss of the following relatives: parents, children, siblings and a spouse. If the avel hears about the death within thirty days of the passing, he must sit shivah. If he hears of the passing after thirty days, however, he is only required keep the halachos of shivah for a short time.

ס"ק טז
  • Shulchon Aruch rules that once a child has the maturity to adhere to the necessary standards of cleanliness while wearing tefillin, he must be taught and trained to wear tefillin. Rema says that it has become customary for children not to wear tefillin, because it can be assumed that children will not maintain those standards.

  • A woman is exempt from time-bound mitzvos, though she may choose to perform most of them if she wishes. Tefillin, however, is an exception. It is appropriate to protest if a woman chooses to wear tefillin.

  • A person who cannot maintain the necessary standards of cleanliness is exempt from laying tefillin. Due to his condition, he is actually forbidden from being “stringent” and wearing tefillin. If he can control his bodily functions for a short period of time, he should put on tefillin immediately before Kriyas Shema and remove them when he is finished.



  • From whom should one purchase tefillin?








  • Is it necessary to check one's tefillin?








  • How is a sampling of tefillin checked?
PLEASE NOTE: The information in this email is for learning purposes only. Please review the Mishna Berura and Biurim U'Musafim before making a halachic decision. Hebrew words are occasionally transliterated to enable a smoother reading of the text. Common Ashkenazi pronunciation is generally used in these cases.
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