Menachot 71

אמר רב חסדא סח בין תפילה לתפילה חוזר ומברך

R'Hisda said, If a man spoke between the putting on of the [hand-] tefillah and the [head-] tefillah, he must make another blessing.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When putting on the head-tefillah.');">¹</span> [Evidently] only if he spoke, he must [make another blessing], but not if he did not speak.

סח אין לא סח לא והא שלח רב חייא בריה דרב הונא משמיה דר' יוחנן על תפילה של יד אומר ברוך אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו להניח תפילין על תפילין של ראש אומר ברוך אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו על מצות תפילין

But R'Hiyya the son of R'Huna sent [from Palestine] the following decision in the name of R'Johanan: Over the hand-tefillah one must say, 'Blessed [art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe,] who hast sanctified us by thy commandments and hast commanded us to put on the tefillin'. Over the head-tefillah one must say, Blessed.

אביי ורבא דאמרי תרוייהו לא סח מברך אחת סח מברך שתים

who hast sanctified us by thy commandments and hast given us command concerning the precept of the tefillin!' - Abaye and Raba both said, It means, if he did not speak [between one tefillah and the other] he must only recite one blessing, but if he did speak he must recite the two blessings.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As reported by R. Hiyya. So that in ordinary circumstances only one blessing is recited, namely at the putting on of the hand-tefillah, which blessing serves for the head-tefillah too. If, however, one interrupted with talk between one tefillah and the other then the second blessing must tk be recited before putting on the head-tefillah. So Rashi and Alfasi, but v. Tosaf. s.v. .');">²</span> One taught: If a man spoke between [the putting on of] one tefillah and the other tefillah, he has committed a transgression and returns home on account of it from the battle line.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In accordance with the Biblical injunction, 'What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house (Deut. XX, 8) , which is explained by R. Jose as alluding to the man who is afraid because of his transgressions. V. Sot. 44a.');">³</span>

תנא סח בין תפילה לתפילה עבירה היא בידו וחוזר עליה מערכי המלחמה

One taught: When a man puts on the tefillin, he should put on first the hand-tefillah and then the head-tefillah, and when he takes them off, he should take off first the head-tefillah and then the hand-tefillah Now it is right that when he puts them on he should put on first the one on the hand and then the one on the head, since it is written, And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. VI, 8.');">⁴</span> and then it says, And they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. VI, 8.');">⁴</span>

תנא כשהוא מניח מניח של יד ואחר כך מניח של ראש וכשהוא חולץ חולץ של ראש ואחר כך חולץ של יד בשלמא כשהוא מניח מניח של יד ואח"כ מניח של ראש דכתיב (דברים ו, ח) וקשרתם לאות על ידך והדר והיו לטוטפת בין עיניך

but whence do we know that on taking them off he should first take off the one from the head and then the one from the hand? - Rabbah said, R'Huna explained it to me. The verse says, And they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes, that is to say, so long as they are 'between thine eyes' both shall be there.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This teaching, according to Rashi, is inferred from the fact that the verse uses in connection with the head-tefillah the expression 'and they shall be', which is in the plural. Accordingly the head-tefillah must never be alone upon the person; therefore it should be put on last and taken off first.');">⁵</span>

אלא כשהוא חולץ חולץ של ראש ואח"כ חולץ של יד מנלן אמר רבה רב הונא אסברא לי אמר קרא והיו לטוטפת בין עיניך כל זמן שבין עיניך יהו שתים

Our Rabbis taught: When must one recite the blessing over the tefillin?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If one has put them on before daybreak.');">⁶</span> At the time when it is proper to put them on.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That is, the time in the early morning when a man can see a friend of his at a distance of four cubits and recognize him. V. Ber. 9b.');">⁷</span>

ת"ר תפילין מאימתי מברך עליהן משעת הנחתן כיצד היה משכים לצאת לדרך ומתיירא שמא יאבדו מניחן וכשיגיע זמנן ממשמש בהן ומברך עליהן

Thus, if a man rises early to go out on a journey and is afraid his tefillin might get lost,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If he were to carry them in his hand.');">⁸</span> he should put them on, and as soon as the proper time arrives he should touch them<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As though he were putting them on at that moment.');">⁹</span>

ועד מתי מניחן עד שתשקע החמה רבי יעקב אומר עד שתכלה רגל מן השוק וחכמים אומרים עד זמן שינה ומודים חכמים לר' יעקב שאם חלצן לצאת לבית הכסא או ליכנס לבית המרחץ ושקעה חמה שוב אינו חוזר ומניחן

and recite the blessing over them. And until when must one keep them on?

אמר רב נחמן הלכה כרבי יעקב רב חסדא ורבה בר רב הונא מצלו בהו באורתא איכא דאמרי אין הלכה כר' יעקב

Until sunset. R'Jacob said, Until every foot has left the market.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., after darkness has fallen.');">¹⁰</span> But the Sages say, Until the time when people go to sleep. The Sages and<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So in many MSS. and in Alfasi, and so Sh. Mek. Cur. edd. read ' (admit) to R. Jacob'.');">¹¹</span> R'Jacob, however, admit that if a man took them off in order to enter a privy or a bath-house and in the meantime the sun had set, he has not to put them on again. R'Nahman said, The halachah agrees with R'Jacob, since R'Hisda and Rabbah B'R'Huna used to say the evening prayer while still wearing them.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence they are worn after sunset.');">¹²</span> Another version reads: R'Nahman said, The halacha does not agree with R'Jacob.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But the halachah follows the first Tanna's view that the tefillin are to be taken off at sunset (Tosaf.) .');">¹³</span>