Powtórzonego Prawa 6:8 Halacha: Mishneh Torah, Tefillin, Mezuzah and the Torah Scroll, Kitzur Shulchan Arukh, Mishneh Torah, Positive Mitzvot & Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim

A scroll of the Law, Tephillin, or Mezuzoth written by a heretic must be burnt. If written by a Samaritan, by a Jew converted to another faith, by one who surrenders Israelites to tyrants, by a slave, woman or minor, they are unfit for use, and must be hidden; for it is said, "And thou shalt bind them", "And thou shalt write them". The implication is that only that person is qualified to write them, who is charged with the duty of putting on Tephillin and believes in the obligation. If they are found in the possession of a heretic, and it is not known who wrote them, they should be hidden. If found in the possession of a Samaritan or non-Israelite, they are fit to be used. Scrolls of the Law, Tephillin and Mezuzoth are not to be bought from non-Israelites for more than their value, so as not to accustom the latter to steal these holy articles or take them by force.

In the first section, there is only one such letter, namely the closed Mem in Meeyamim which has over it three Zain-shaped lines. In the second section, there are five letters, each of them a Hé; and on each, there are four zain-shaped lines. These are the Hé in Unesanah; the first and the last Hé in Hikshah; the Hé in Vayaharog; the Hé in Yadchah. The third section has five such letters. The Koof in Uvekoomecha has over it three zain-shaped lines; the Koof in Ukeshartam has over it three zain-shaped lines; the two letters Teth, and the letter Pé in Letotaphoth have on each of them four zain-shaped lines. The fourth section has five such letters. The Pé of Veasaphta has above it three zain-shaped lines. The Tav of Veasaphta has one zain-shaped line. The two letters Teth and the letter Pé in Letotaphoth have on each of them four zain-shaped lines. Altogether, the letters thus ornamented are sixteen. If the scribe wholly omitted these ornaments, added to them or omitted them over some of the letters, he has not rendered the phylacteries unfit for use.

To lay the phylactery of the hand on the palm or that of the head on the forehead is the practice of the Sadducees. He who makes the phylactery round like a nut is not fulfilling the precept in any way. A left-handed person lays the phylactery on his right arm, used by him as his left. If one is ambidextrous, he lays it on his left arm, which is the same as the left arm of any other person. The places where the phylacteries are respectively bound and laid are known by tradition.