56. Sanctity of the Tefillin

10:18 An object may be elevated in terms of its sanctity but it may not be lowered. Since the tefillin of the head have a higher degree of sanctity than those of the arm (because it has four chambers, as well as the Hebrew letter shin embossed upon it), a strap once used for the head tefillin may not be transferred to arm tefillin but the strap of arm tefillin may be used for the head. (The Biur Halacha on OC 42:1, s.v. “Afilu,” says that even more so, one may not transfer parchments from the head tefillin to the arm tefillin.) Likewise, if the strap of the arm tefillin breaks near the knot, one may not reverse the strap so that the lower part becomes to higher part. Rather, he must make the knot on the arm from the place where it had broken. Similarly, one may not change the strap on the head so that the part that forms the knot ceases to be part of the knot. A bag designated for tefillin may not be used to hold anything of a secular nature (or of a lower degree of sanctity – MB 42:16) even after it is decommissioned as a tefillin bag. (One may use a tallis bag to carry other items but not a tefillin bag – MB 42:11. See MB 42:12 for a discussion of a regular bag that de facto became used as a tefillin bag.)

10:19 One’s tefillin should not be removed until after the prayer U’va L’Tziyon (“a redeemer shall come to Zion”), the end of which contains a prayer that we may be able to observe God’s mitzvos. In communities it is customary not to return the Torah to the ark until after U’va L’Tziyon. When davening in a location with such a custom, the tefillin may not be removed until after the Torah has been returned to the ark. When there is a bris in shul, the tefillin are kept on until after the bris. On Rosh Chodesh, tefillin are removed before saying the Musaf prayer (after returning the Torah to the ark – MB 25:49). On Chol Hamoed Succos, everyone removes the tefillin before Hallel but on Chol Hamoed Pesach, the congregation removes them before Hallel and the shaliach tzibbur (prayer leader) removes them after Hallel.