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I have a job that requires I have to keep my tefillin in my car during the day sometimes. I really don’t want to damage them from the heat or cold.
I’ve heard putting them in a large thermos could help, or maybe a nice latching cooler.
Does anyone else on here have any strategies to protect tefillin from temp extremes and humidity?
Of course trolling is always welcome as is CR minhag.
A large cooler is probably your best option. Wrapping everything in a blanket or towel before putting in the cooler would be even better.
A hard cooler might work, and during the summer, try to park in a garage or a spot in the shade if at all possible. Floridians say that the best spots are the ones in the shade, not the ones closest to the destination. It might also be worth running out to the car during a break to check and make sure they’re not getting too hot.
Lostspark,
I’m in the same boat (except for the fact that I bring it into the room where a work (which happens to be a fridge more or less)
From what I hear, cold is not an issue for Tefillin, but heat definitely is.
As for the thermos/cooler idea, unless you have something in there maintaining the interior cool, wouldn’t the heat only amplify inside? I think that it might make it worse, not better.
Maybe the solution is to keep the entire car cooler by covering the windshield with one of those metallic sheets?
Try a cooler, however, add hard refreezable frozen ice packs in the morning.
Yankelle,
“As for the thermos/cooler idea, unless you have something in there maintaining the interior cool, wouldn’t the heat only amplify inside? I think that it might make it worse, not better.”
Even without something cold inside, the insulation of the cooler will help slow the rate of heating inside the cooler as the car heats up, and could make a big difference. Adding a cold pack would keep things even colder, but moisture from condensation may become a problem. If the tefillin are in a plastic case or bag though, they should be protected from moisture, but I would not use ice in a cooler with tefillin.
“Maybe the solution is to keep the entire car cooler by covering the windshield with one of those metallic sheets?”
That will definitely help, but unless the car is in a garage, some sunlight will come in through the windows and the inside of the car will still become much hotter than the outside air.
Moisture is a huge worry. It can destroy the letters. It is vital that, after the heat concern has been addressed, air can still circulate around the tefillin. A similar problem exists for Mezuzos – some people wrap them in cling film. Never do that, particularly when the room is centrally heated. Use only paper, if you must wrap them at all.
What if a dry towel was placed on top of the ice, followed by the bags containing the tefillin? Would that protect from condensation?
A related concern – outside mezuzos where they get direct sunlight, especially in hot climate. I am told to use wooden and NOT to use metal cases in such cases as the parchment will just burn.
Chazal bring down that is is generally assur to store tefillin in a cooler in which you are also storing your lunch or your kid’s science project.
GH, true, you can’t keep other things in the tefilin bag, but what you put a tefilin bag in the cooler – does the cooler still have the status oof the tefilin bag or not?
and recall, people used to put tefilin on the window in the bathroom, until (allegedly) ladies of the night started picking them up for blackmail …
Always ask questions: No ladies of the night ever tried to steal one of our kids’ science projects, much less my tuna sandwich from the cooler.
IYK,
“What if a dry towel was placed on top of the ice, followed by the bags containing the tefillin? Would that protect from condensation?”
I’d worry about the towel getting soaked. Every time I’ve used ice in a cooler, even when the ice is stored in ziplock bags, some water finds its way out and the bottom of the cooler has standing water.
Put one or more refreezable ice packs in the cooler, and wrap the tefillin bag in a thick, dry towel.
I suppose you could put a thermometer in or next to the tefillin bag, ideally one that records the max temperature, and check it after it’s been in the hot car all day.
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