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I know that this is probably a stupid question and only someone as stupid as me could possibly think to ask something this stupid, but here goes (because Ain HaBayashin Lomed and all that)…
Why do we refer to tefillin in the plural in Aramaic as opposed to in Hebrew (i.e. tefillos)?
The Wolf
Tefillin is an Aramaic word the Hebrew word would be totafos
Tefillin “phylacteries”, are composed of two teffilos, the teffilo “phylactery” shel yad and the teffilo shel rosh, together, they are a pair of teffillin.
The Dictionary of Jewish usage: a guide to the use of Jewish terms says: “Although “tefillin” is technically the plural form (the singular being “tefillah”), it is loosely used as a singular as well.”
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary also writes: Tefillin is plural in form but sometimes singular in construction.
As a concept, either singularly or plural, it is called tefillin.
תפילה- לשון יחיד
תפילין – לשון רבים
Not תפילותWow!! Like manna from heaven
I have long contended, publicly here many times, that rgp is nothing more than a לץ with a search engine.
Now look what s/he did here.
Was a simple straight forward question.
Yet the convoluted answer was clearly lifted straight out of a dictionary, DOES NOT EVEN REMOTELY ADDRESS THE QUESTION!!!!
If anything it makes it stronger as it clearly states ”Tefillin “phylacteries”, are composed of two teffilos,”’
I don’t know the author of that but that is exactly what the op asked about
Since it’s tefillah + tefillah = tefillos
Let’s call it thatBut our resident genius saw
Etymological question? OK search word origin.
Didn’t even realize it’s not addressing the question.What a laugh
coffee addict – ” Tefillin is an Aramaic word the Hebrew word would be totafos”
1. The word “totafos” in the Torah is also not a Hebrew word (see Rashi – טט in Coptic meaning two, and פת in Afriki (Phrygian) meaning two (Men. 34b)). I will shortly return to this point!
2. “Totafos” refers only to the tefilah shel Rosh, not the shel yad. I will shortly return to this point too.We refer to “tefillin” by that name because that was the name it was called in the Mishna (e.g. Eruvin 10:1, Megillah 4:8, Mo`ed Katan 3:4. N’darim 2:2, M’nachot 3:7 and 4:1, Yadayim 3:3) and in Targum (Yonoson and Unkelus), which referred to it by the name Teffillin because that was the name Yidden always called it before the time of Mishna.
Getting back to point #1 above, Rashi brings a SECOND explanation to the word טוֹטָפֹת from his teacher Menachem:
Menachem classified it [טוֹטָפֹת] with “Speak (הַטֵף) to the south” (Ezek. 21:2) and “Preach not (אַל-תּטִּיפוּ)” (Micah 2:6), an expression of speech, like “and as a remembrance” (Exod. 13:9), for whoever sees them [the tefillin] bound between the eyes will recall the miracle [of the Exodus] and speak about it.
This pshat associates טוֹטָפֹת with speech. It is likely why Yidden called them Teffilin, a word associated with Tefilah (Prayer/speech).
Returning to point #2, although I listed numerous Mishna that call them teffillin, we DO find the name totofos also used in Mishna: Shabbos 6:1 and 6:5.
It is interesting to point out that when these Mishna use the word totofos, the Mishna specifically refers to wearing the shel rosh on the head.
klugeryid.
‘Like manna from heaven’.
good timing! the מן started coming down yesterday ט”ז אייר.Kluger- I hate to spoil your fun but I am pretty sure he wrote this post in response to your last comment in the hopes of you saying exactly what you than sad
Maybe, Tatofos refers to Rosh because it has multiple batim. As explained by the Meiri the head has four senses, having four batim to subjugate our senses whereas the hand has only one.
syag, I respect you, you know the game.
No one is going to ask about why it’s a pair a pants too?
The Otzar Yisroel Encyclopedia explains that each one individually called Tefilla and together they are called Tefilin. It comes from the word פלא which has many meanings, speech, separation, prayer and hidden. Speech as mentioned above, remembering Yetzias Mitzraim. Prayer, used for praying, tying us to Hashem. Separation, it separates us from the goyim, recognizing that the name of Hashem is on us, and hidden, maybe, the parshiyus are hidden.
knaidelich – “the מן started coming down yesterday ט”ז אייר.” While the manna stopped Adar 7 (Moshe’s petira), the yidden kept eating it till Nissan 17, The annual date from start of manna till end of manna falls short by a month! That’s odd (and the 40 years of eating manna is imprecise).
Kluger- I hate to spoil your fun but I am pretty sure he wrote this post in response to your last comment in the hopes of you saying exactly what you than sad
syag, I respect you, you know the game.
Thereby proving my other posts about this רשע
It’s all a game
Distort דברי חזל-הלכה-השקפה
Be מלעיג על דברי חכמים
Insult and malign large swaths of אחינו בני ישראלAnd it’s all a game
To garner reaction
To see if ”it ” can correctly predict responses
נידון בצואה רותחת מפני שהוא צואה רותחתRebbetzin Golden said “totafos un the Torah is also not a Hebrew word”.
Chas vesholom. The only language other than Lashon Hakodesh contained in the Torah is Aramaic,and that only in the two words yegar sohaduso. Thus say Chazal. When we say that that and pas have meanings in Kaspi and Afriki it is just a soman or a giluy (Rema mipanu, Beer Sheva)
I always thought that Shabbos 6:1 and 6:5 were talking about women’s jewelry not tefillin.
kluger – “It’s all a game”
Moydeh, I am playing you. You are my toy. But c”v to toy with halacha!
I am always mochel on my own kovod, but never mochel on kovod shamayim.
When people bash other frum Yidden, and usually these same people trample on S.A. and rely on more kulos than the MO (because they are “lomdim”), I am mochiach and mocheh.
Chumras is the standard of todays frum yidden. We keep Glat-Kosher and are NOT meikil to eat meatthat is simply kosher. We are machmir in our levush – to dress frum looking. Yet behind closed doors, the frumkeit is water down to the point of issurim according to some shitos!
The only ones that are insulted and maligned are those that pretend to be frum and are exposed to be kal she’b’kalim (or as I call “frum-b’di’eved”).
lower – “Shabbos 6:1 and 6:5 were talking about women’s jewellery not tefillin.” Not tefillin, but a HEAD WEAR (-that is the point I noted) , It is the name for an ornament shel rosh. It is interesting to note (not as a proof to anything but simply a notation) that the ornament shel rosh is called “totofos”.
Tomim – I know that is the pirush al pi drush of Rema MiPanu, but that is not the approach of the Sifsei Chaochomim on Rashi. Certainly not “pshuto shel mikra” of that Rashi.
The Tur O.C. 25, and Bach bring the possuk ויעמד פינחס ויפלל (Tehillim 106:30 as an origin for calling them Tefillin…
RGP – how do you explain the Chazal that Aramis has a special chashivus given that the Torah Itself uses that language?
RG: I can read english and this is what you wrote “It is interesting to point out that when these Mishna use the word totofos, the Mishna specifically refers to wearing the shel rosh on the head.” No, its referring to wearing women’s jewelry on the head or what they generally refer to in english as a “frontlet”
Some want to use the mishna as proof that certain women wore tefillin.
RG. glat kosher has been accepted by the ashkanezim also so it is not a chunra any more as wearing a yarmulka.
We find if the majority of people follow a certain behavior it becomes an obligation. Women listening to shofar and davening maariv etc, but for individual chumras it does not apply. Even the chidren don’t need to follow the father’s chumras. פיק חזו מה עמא דבר
Definitely not a stupid question. Reb Yaacov Emden discusses this question towards the beginning of Hilchos Teffilin in Mor Uktziah.
“Women listening to shofar and davening maariv etc, but for individual chumras it does not apply.”
Women do not have a chiyuv in maariv according to anyone. Those who do so are encouraged to do it privately as an individual churah to avoid the situation you are describing.
I believe the M”B holds that women are over on bal gaavah if they wear tefillin, so it is unlikely to ever become a minhag.
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