Tefiros Touching in the Corners
Question: Shulchan Aruch clearly says that the stitching of the tefillin needs to be perfectly square.102 This would seem to be somewhat difficult to achieve since stitching is comprised of multiple stitches that do not necessarily join in the corners (illustration 14). Does Shulchan Aruch indeed mean that all these stitches need to touch each other?
Discussion: This is a question which comes up very often. If the holes of the stitching are not so small, the stitches will often not touch each other. There are two places this can occur: Along one of the sides of the tefillin, or in a corner.
All Poskim agree that when the stitches do not touch on the sides of the tefillin this is not a halachic problem.103 However, when the stitches don’t touch in the corners of the tefillin, there is a serious dispute amongst contemporary Poskim as to whether this will invalidate the tefillin or not.
There are three opinions regarding this matter.
1. Some say that if the stitching doesn’t touch in the corners, the tefillin are not kosher.104
2. Some say that if the stitching doesn’t touch in the corners, but if each of the two giddin were extended they would reach each other (illustration 15), the tefillin are still kosher.105
3. Some say that if the stitching doesn’t touch in the corners, but if one gid would extend it would reach the other (illustration 16), the tefillin are still kosher.
Although the general custom is not to be especially careful about this, nowadays most battim machers make small holes in the tefillin. This usually ensures that the giddin touch, or at the very least it ensures that the third opinion is followed.106
102 32:39.
103 See Shulchan Aruch 33:2.
104 Rav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg and Rav Yisrael Yaakov Fisher, zt”l.
105 Ohr Letziyon I:4. A careful reading of Beiur Halachah 33:2, ד"ה לחוש indicates that he, too, agrees with this position.
106 Tefillah LeMoshe 15:15.