Can one balance a basket on his head while wearing tefillin?


It is forbidden to carry or balance any object on one’s head while wearing tefillin shel rosh. Objects which belong on the head, such as a yarmulka or hat, may be worn while the tefillin are in place. Nonetheless, even in the case of objects which generally belong on the head, if the object weighs at least four kav and pushes against the tefillin, it should not be on a person’s head when he wears tefillin. An object which moves the tefillin out of place must be removed.

סעיף א' ס"ק א' וביה"ל ד"ה ואפילו



Is it permissible to carry a load on one’s head if the tefillin are covered?



Some poskim allow carrying a load on one’s head if it does not touch the tefillin. Others are stringent. If the tefillin are covered, both opinions are lenient. Even if one’s tefillin are covered, it is forbidden to carry a heavy (four kav or more) or degrading object.

ס"ק ג ו־ה, וביה"ל ד"ה חולץ; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 3



What can one carry when wearing a shel yad?


When one is wearing tefillin shel yad he may carry a load that weighs less than four kavin, since the shel yad is usually covered. If it is revealed, the above-mentioned halachos pertaining to the shel rosh apply to the shel yad as well. It is forbidden to carry a degrading item (e.g. garbage) even if the shel yad is covered.

ס"ק ב-ג ביאורים ומוספים דרשו 3
  • The poskim disagree about whether it is permissible to sit on a chair or bench which rests upon a chest that contains seforim. It is not necessary to be stringent if there is a tefach of space between the chair and the seforim.

  • A person may not eat a meal while wearing tefillin. There is a concern that he will end up drinking wine and acting in a way that would disgrace the tefillin.

  • A k’beitzah or less of bread or bread-like products (from the five grains) is considered a snack. Snacking also includes eating unlimited amounts of fruit, meat, fish and dairy.


  • Can an item be downgraded to a lower kedusha?




  • Can a tefillin bag be reused for a mundane purpose?




  • Can parts of the shel rosh be repurposed for the shel yad?
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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