Responsa for Menachot 84:3
אלא לאו היינו טעמא כל מצוה דעשייתה גמר מצוה כגון מילה אע"ג דכשירה בעובד כוכבים בישראל צריך לברך וכל מצוה דעשייתה לאו גמר מצוה כגון תפילין אע"ג דפסולות בעובד כוכבים בישראל אינו צריך לברך
who hast sanctified us by thy commandments and hast commanded us to put on the tefillin'. Over the head-tefillah one must say, 'Blessed. who hast sanctified us by thy commandments and hast given us command concerning the precept of the tefillin'.
Noda BiYhudah I
It is apparent that Rashi unquestionably intended when he wrote ‘covered the t’fillin in gold’ meant that the boxes themselves were made of gold, and he coated the scriptural verses in gold. It is those verses which Rashi calls ‘tefillin’, which is identified in the companion33Lit. ‘and his friend will say this about him’ (next) text which disqualifies the use of an impure animal. Rashi explained that it applies toone who made the phylactery boxes from an impure animal. If that is so, then when he (Rashi) states “coated in gold”, it means the actual boxes
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