Q&A: Tefillin from Large or Small Animal Hide
Tefillin from Large or Small Animal Hide
Question
Dear Rabbi,
My son has reached bar mitzvah age, and I intend to buy him two pairs of tefillin. I am a very well-off person, but at the same time money is still a consideration.
Would you recommend buying tefillin made from large animal hide or small animal hide, or perhaps large for Rashi and small for Rabbenu Tam?
Thank you very much, and Sabbath שלום
Answer
Greetings.
As far as I understand, there is no fundamental difference, and from the standpoint of Jewish law both are acceptable. However, in the past they did not know how to process small animal hide properly (it is very difficult, and therefore sometimes the compartments are small and it is hard to pack in the parchments), and small animal hide can tear and is sometimes made from several patches (so large is preferable).
What about in practice? Can one rely on the assumption that with small animal hide there are no tears and everything is in order? One should ask a Torah scribe who is expert in sacred texts and tefillin. If they tell you yes, I would buy small.
After you clarify these points, if you come to the conclusion that large animal hide is preferable, I do not know how to advise you what to do regarding Rabbenu Tam. That is your decision, depending on what you prefer and how important it is to you to save money.
Congratulations, and may you have much joy from him.
Discussion on Answer
The resemblance to the ancient tefillin is not, in my opinion, a relevant consideration. Especially in the present case, since as I wrote, at that time there were difficulties in processing the hide of large animals.
A few additional non-financial considerations: small animal hide is more similar to the original tefillin, which were small, like a kind of ornament. In the Qumran caves the tefillin are 2 cm in size; they are also more comfortable and lighter, and for the kabbalists among us they easily allow the embellishment of wearing two pairs of tefillin together… At the same time, it is worth buying your son large tefillin from large animal hide, as is customary, so that he will not stand out among his friends. The custom of making tefillin larger and larger also has ancient support, as brought in the New Testament about the Pharisees who enlarge their tefillin in order to boast of their commandments… (similar to Rabbi Kook’s criticism of those who wear the shtreimel: “and wear a hairy mantle in order to deceive”). This practice took on an especially extreme form in Chabad tefillin, which weigh several tons each.