devotions he first puts on the one on the left arm through the sling formed by the long strap. Hav ing fastened it just above the elbow, on the inner part of the naked arm, in such a manner that when the arm is bent the phylaCtery may touch the flesh and be near the heart, to fulfil the precept, `ye shall lay up these words in your heart,' he first twists the long strap three times close to the phy lactery, forming a Shin, which stands for the Almighty, pronouncing the following benediction : Blessed art thou, 0 Lord our God, king of the universe, who hast sanctified us with thy com mandments and enjoined us to put on the phylac teries.' He then twists the long leather strap seven times around the arm (in the form of two Shins, one with three prongs and the other with four), and puts on the phylactery on the head, placing it exactly in the centre between the eyes so as to touch the spot where the hair begins to grow, and before he secures it pronounces the fol lowing benediction : Blessed art thou, 0 Lord our God, king of the universe, who bast sanctified us with thy commandments, and enjoined upon us the command about the phylacteries and imme diately after adjusting it says, Blessed be the name of the glory of his kingdom for ever and ever' (Maimonides, lad Ha-Chezaka, Rilchath Tephillin, iv. 5). He then winds the end of the long leather strap three times round his middle finger, and the remainder round the hand, saying, I will betroth thee unto me for ever, yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness and in judg ment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercy, and thou shalt know the Lord' (Hos. ii. so).
The phylacteries, like the Mezuza, i.e., the scrolls on the door-posts, must be written in He brew characters, whilst the law may be written in Greek (Alishna i. 8). Every Jew, from the time that he is thirteen years of age, when he is considered a member of the congregation (11 111V1), is obliged to wear the phylacteries during the time of morning prayer, every day except on Sabbath and festivals. Before commencing his There is no special canon about the size of the boxes which contain the slips, and thus con stitute the phylacteries. They are generally made an inch and a half square, and are worn during morning prayer, except on Sabbath and festivals, because these days being themselves a sign (.1)N) require no other sign or pledge (Maimonides, iv. to). The pious Jews who are engaged in the study of the law, and in meditations, also wear them during these hallowed engagements ; they make the phylacteries a little larger than the ordinary ones to give more space, and hence more distinctness to every letter and word composing the writing inside, and walk with the phylacteries on from one place to another. The hypocrites among the Pharisees imitated this and made their phylacteries more than ordinarily large so as to make them conspicuous and visible to any one at a distance, thereby to indicate that they were pray ing or in holy meditation, which our Saviour re buked (?att. xxiii. 5). If the phylacteries are
written by an infidel they must be burnt ; and if written by a Samaritan, an informer, a slave, a woman, or a minor, they are unlawful and must be shut up (Maimonides, lad Ha-Chezaka, Hilchath Tepl:illiu, i. 13). The Sadducees wore the phy lacteries on the forehead or brow, and on the palm of the hand (Maimonides, ibid. iv. 3).
3. Origin and design of the Phylacterkr.—It is the unanimous voice of Jewish tradition that the phylacteries are enjoined in Exod. xiii. 9, 16 ; Deut. vi. 8 ; xi. IS. It is true that Rashbam and Ibn Ezra (on Exod. xiii. 9), who are followed by De Lyra, Calvin, Bishop Patrick, H. Michaelis, Heng stenberg, Keil, etc., take the passages in question in a figurative sense. But against this is to be urged that—I. It is utterly inconceivable that the same declaration should be used four times figuratively, there being no parallel for such a usage throughout the whole Pentateuch. 2. In two cases out of the four (Deut. vi. 9 ; xi. 20), the injunction is fol lowed immediately by the command about the Mezaza, which is admitted to be literal [MEarzAJ, and it is against all sound rules of exegesis to take one command in a figurative and the other in a literal sense. 3. In every one of the four instances wherein the injunction is given, the expression rmii is used, which in all other passages of Scripture invariably denotes • a visible sign, given either to attest an event or doctrine stated in the fore going passage, or to serve as a remembrance. Now, on the supposition that the whole com mandment is to be taken figuratively, it would be no sign whatever, and the term 111:6 could not have been substituted for the technical expres sion as it is in Exod. xiii. 9. 4. The end of the external action enjoined in the first clause of Exod. xiii. 9, is immediately introduced in the second clause by irn9, the law of the Lord may be in thy mouth ;' whereas, as Philippsohn rightly remarks, the simple conjunction 1 would be required if the preceding words had the same ternal figurative meaning. 5. It was a common custom in ancient days for those who engaged in military service, or devoted themselves to the ship of a special deity, to be marked either on the forehead or on the hand, or on both (Veget. de ii. 5 ; Herod., ii. 113 ; Lucian, de Syr. dea, 59 ; Asiat. Res., vii. p. 28t, seq.) Thus the high-priest, as being especially consecrated to the service of Jehovah, had inscribed in the plate on the front of his head Holiness to the Lord' (Exod. xxviii. 36), the ordinary servants of Jehovah were commanded to have a mark (Ezek. ix. 4, 6) ; and at the ingathering of Israel we are told that even the horses shall have written upon their bells Holiness to the Lord' (Zech. xiv. 20); whilst the worshippers of the beast are represented as bearing his inscription on their foreheads and arms (Rev.