Tefillin
are not cheap. Part of the reason prices are high is because the materials are relatively expensive, but moreover because tefillin production is labor intensive and involves high-level expertise.
Basically tefillin are made up of three components: the parchments, the leather boxes that house them and the straps. The difference in cost between mediocre tefillin straps and quality handmade straps is not so significant.
Very bare-bones, barely kosher parchments cost around $100-$150. Top quality writing on good calibre parchment can run you $400 or $500. You pay not only for a sofer who is graced with attractive writing, but also for his reputation as a pious Jew who adheres carefully to halacha in writing the parchments, and keeps his body and mind pure throughout the writing process.
With the battim (the boxes), you pay for fine leather and good craftsmanship. There are plenty of shortcuts to take in making the boxes. If you want tefillin that will last (10-20+ years), you won’t want to buy Tefillin Peshutim, Tefillin Peshutim Mehudarim or even Tefillin Dakkot. Spend the extra money for Tefillin Gassot, which are made of super sturdy leather.
Still, I realize some people are simply not in a position to lay down $500. Less expensive tefillin options include tefillin dakkot, tefillin peshutim mehudarim and tefillin peshutim, which range in price from $200 to $400.
If you are planning to buy tefillin online in this price range, you should be extra careful to buy from a dealer you can trust to ensure the tefillin you are getting really are reliably kosher. Beware if you come across tefillin for under $200. For bar mitzvah tefillin or an initial set of inexpensive tefillin, expect to pay at least $230 if you want to be certain they are really kosher.
What are “tefillin peshutim?” Tefillin peshutim are made using a simple design. The head tefillin (“tefillin shel rosh“) is made of several pieces of parchment to form the inner walls, and then glued within a slit square to divide it into the four required compartments.
The next caliber is “tefillin peshutim mehudarim.” Tefillin peshutim mehudarim can be roughly translated as “superior simple design.” The boxes are made from a single piece of hide, as required. When completed, tefillin peshutim mehudarim look almost identical to the more expensive cowhide type, but are less durable.
The next level up is “tefillin dakkot” (or “dakkos” or “dakkot ohr echad“). “Dak” means thin in Hebrew. Tefillin dakkot are made by stretching a thin layer of parchment over a structural base similar to the peshutim. This outer parchment forms the entire box of the tefillin, which is halachically preferable. Because of its thin design the tefillin can become halachically invalid relatively easily. The quality of the parchments inside is often the same as in tefillin peshutim mehudarim.
Today tefillin dakkot can be hard to find. But keep in mind that until 100 years ago all tefillin were tefillin dakkot.
When I bought tefillin before my oldest son's bar mitzvah, I had a hunch he would take very good care of them, but that still, in the care of a 13-year-old on a daily basis, they were not out of harm's way. Sure enough, somehow the corner got slightly dented within just a few months, but that proved quite simple to repair.
Good boxes cost $200-$300 and great boxes can cost $500-$600 or more. Top-end boxes are made with various stringencies (e.g. "ribua regel") that were very uncommon until the past half century, i.e., they are more kosher than the tefillin the Chafetz Chaim laid!
Typical prices for tefillin gassot range from $450 to $750. You can also find tefillin gassot with exceptionally beautiful parchments inside, superb craftsmanship and various halachic stringencies in the construction that will cost you upwards of $1,000.
HaSofer – Located in downtown Jerusalem. Knowledgeable and reliable staff.
Ben’s Tallit Shop – Located outside Jerusalem in Givat Ze’ev. Affordable prices.
Oter Yisrael – In Jerusalem, straddling Har Nof and Givat Shaul. I bought my first tefillin gassot there 17 years ago.
All of the above online tefillin dealers ship around the world.
Basically tefillin are made up of three components: the parchments, the leather boxes that house them and the straps. The difference in cost between mediocre tefillin straps and quality handmade straps is not so significant.
Very bare-bones, barely kosher parchments cost around $100-$150. Top quality writing on good calibre parchment can run you $400 or $500. You pay not only for a sofer who is graced with attractive writing, but also for his reputation as a pious Jew who adheres carefully to halacha in writing the parchments, and keeps his body and mind pure throughout the writing process.
With the battim (the boxes), you pay for fine leather and good craftsmanship. There are plenty of shortcuts to take in making the boxes. If you want tefillin that will last (10-20+ years), you won’t want to buy Tefillin Peshutim, Tefillin Peshutim Mehudarim or even Tefillin Dakkot. Spend the extra money for Tefillin Gassot, which are made of super sturdy leather.
Bargain Tefillin
If you are shopping for budget tefillin, sometimes referred to as bar mitzvah tefillin or Tefillin Peshutim, be aware that if the tefillin are used on a regular basis, you probably will not wind up saving money in the long term, because inexpensive tefillin cannot be reshaped and may start to come undone after a few years of use.Still, I realize some people are simply not in a position to lay down $500. Less expensive tefillin options include tefillin dakkot, tefillin peshutim mehudarim and tefillin peshutim, which range in price from $200 to $400.
If you are planning to buy tefillin online in this price range, you should be extra careful to buy from a dealer you can trust to ensure the tefillin you are getting really are reliably kosher. Beware if you come across tefillin for under $200. For bar mitzvah tefillin or an initial set of inexpensive tefillin, expect to pay at least $230 if you want to be certain they are really kosher.
What are “tefillin peshutim?” Tefillin peshutim are made using a simple design. The head tefillin (“tefillin shel rosh“) is made of several pieces of parchment to form the inner walls, and then glued within a slit square to divide it into the four required compartments.
The next caliber is “tefillin peshutim mehudarim.” Tefillin peshutim mehudarim can be roughly translated as “superior simple design.” The boxes are made from a single piece of hide, as required. When completed, tefillin peshutim mehudarim look almost identical to the more expensive cowhide type, but are less durable.
The next level up is “tefillin dakkot” (or “dakkos” or “dakkot ohr echad“). “Dak” means thin in Hebrew. Tefillin dakkot are made by stretching a thin layer of parchment over a structural base similar to the peshutim. This outer parchment forms the entire box of the tefillin, which is halachically preferable. Because of its thin design the tefillin can become halachically invalid relatively easily. The quality of the parchments inside is often the same as in tefillin peshutim mehudarim.
Today tefillin dakkot can be hard to find. But keep in mind that until 100 years ago all tefillin were tefillin dakkot.
Tefillin Gassot
For somebody who lays tefillin daily, tefillin gassot are the way to go. Have you ever heard the expression "I can't afford to buy cheap"? That can apply to a tefillin purchase as well.When I bought tefillin before my oldest son's bar mitzvah, I had a hunch he would take very good care of them, but that still, in the care of a 13-year-old on a daily basis, they were not out of harm's way. Sure enough, somehow the corner got slightly dented within just a few months, but that proved quite simple to repair.
Good boxes cost $200-$300 and great boxes can cost $500-$600 or more. Top-end boxes are made with various stringencies (e.g. "ribua regel") that were very uncommon until the past half century, i.e., they are more kosher than the tefillin the Chafetz Chaim laid!
Typical prices for tefillin gassot range from $450 to $750. You can also find tefillin gassot with exceptionally beautiful parchments inside, superb craftsmanship and various halachic stringencies in the construction that will cost you upwards of $1,000.
Where to Buy Tefillin Online
Here are a few recommendations for reliable places to buy tefillin online from sellers in Israel, based on first-hand knowledge.HaSofer – Located in downtown Jerusalem. Knowledgeable and reliable staff.
Ben’s Tallit Shop – Located outside Jerusalem in Givat Ze’ev. Affordable prices.
Oter Yisrael – In Jerusalem, straddling Har Nof and Givat Shaul. I bought my first tefillin gassot there 17 years ago.
Beit El – Located in Beit El, with an outlet store in Jerusalem’s Givat Shaul neighborhood.
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