עברית
Halachot and Customs
What should someone do if his head tefillin fell?
Question
Hello, honored rabbi. This morning my head tefillin fell while I was about to put them on. What am I supposed to do?
And if the tefillin did not fall to the floor, but rather when I took them out of their "case" and was about to place them on my head, they fell onto the table from not such a great height and struck a corner, is that still considered the same as a fall to the floor?
Thank you very much.
Answer
Hello,
1. If the tefillin fell to the floor when they were not inside their "case," the custom is to fast (Mishnah Berurah, siman 40, se'if katan 3). However, in our time, when the generations have weakened, one may redeem the fast by giving charity equal to the value of the meals one eats from morning until evening (see Responsa Chaim Sha'al, part 1, siman 12, and Ashrei HaIsh, Orach Chaim, part 1, chapter 6, section 6), or by observing a fast of speech from morning until evening (see Responsa Rabbevei Efrayim, part 6, beginning of siman 14, בשם ספר הליכות והנהגות from the author of Kehillos Yaakov, page 23, in the name of Rabbi Y. Kanievsky, zt"l, and Or Litzion, part 3, page 284, beginning with the words Veish). Of course, one should check the square shape of the tefillin to make sure it has not suffered damage that would render the tefillin invalid.
2. If the tefillin were inside their "case," there is no need to fast, and it is enough to give a perutah to charity (see Mishnah Berurah there).
3. If the tefillin fell onto a table and the like, there is no need to fast, but it is still proper to give a perutah to charity (see Kaf HaChaim, siman 40, se'if katan 7, and Responsa Afarkasta DeAnya, part 3, siman 194).
Blessings, Hillel Meirs
