Wrapping the Retzuah Shel Yad Prior to Putting on the Tefillin Shel Rosh
Question: Should the coils around the arm and middle finger be done before or after donning the shel rosh?
Discussion: Rosh maintained that the straps should not be wrapped around the arm before donning the shel rosh. Instead, the shel yad should be fastened to the bicep, the shel rosh should be donned, and then the strap should be wrapped around the arm and then the middle finger. His reasoning was that since wrapping the strap around the arm is not an integral part of the mitzvah, it would constitute a hefsek (interruption) between the berachah recited over the shel yad and donning the shel rosh.36
Shulchan Aruch (Chapter 25, Passage 11) follows Rosh’s ruling.
However, Magen Avraham37 cites Arizal who maintains that the wrappings on the arm are part of the mitzvah (though the mitzvah is fulfilled even without them); therefore, they are not considered to be an interruption and should be made before donning the shel rosh, although the coils around the finger should be done only after putting on the shel rosh. Mishnah Berurah cites this and remarks that this is the custom in many places. This does indeed seem to be the prevalent custom in most places today.
It is noteworthy that there is a third opinion as well: Mishkenos Ya’akov38 writes that the strap should be wrapped six or seven times around the arm, then coiled around the finger and tucked into itself, before one dons the shel rosh. This is because there are grounds to suggest that the coils on the finger are indeed an integral part of the mitzvah.39 This practice was reportedly followed by Rav Chaim Soloveitchik as well as other Torah authorities.40
Although common practice is not to make the coils around the finger before donning the shel rosh, R’ Yisrael Ya’akov Kanievsky (the Steipler Gaon) is reported to have been particular to wrap the strap around his hand a few times and then tuck it into itself, so as to ensure that it is secure, before donning the shel rosh.41 His son, R’ Chaim Kanievsky also stated that this should be done.42
36 As explained by Beiur HaGra to 25:11. See Mishnah Berurah 25, note 38. (The berachah recited before laying the shel yad addresses the shel rosh as well; see Chapter 25, Passage 9, with Mishnah Berurah ad loc.)
37 Ibid. 18.
38 29.
39 He notes that this seems to be the implication of Rambam, Tefillin 3:12; see also Rambam’s Responsa, Pe’er Hador 73.
40 Teshuvos Vehanhagos I:38.
41 Orchos Rabbeinu, Tefillin 46; Da’as Notah, Tefillin 303.
42 Da’as Notah, ibid. and 304; see also footnotes 434 and 435 ad loc.