phylactery

phylactery
—phylacteric /fil'ak ter"ik/, phylacterical, adj. —phylacteried, adj.
/fi lak"teuh ree/, n., pl. phylacteries.
1. Judaism. either of two small, black, leather cubes containing a piece of parchment inscribed with verses 4-9 of Deut. 6, 13-21 of Deut. 11, and 1-16 of Ex. 13: one is attached with straps to the left arm and the other to the forehead during weekday morning prayers by Orthodox and Conservative Jewish men.
2. (in the early Christian church) a receptacle containing a holy relic.
3. an amulet, charm, or safeguard against harm or danger.
[1350-1400; < LL phylacterium < Gk phylaktérion outpost, safeguard, amulet, equiv. to phylak-, s. of phylássein to protect, guard + -terion n. suffix denoting place; r. ME philaterie < ML philaterium, for LL, as above]

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Hebrew  Tefillin,  also spelled  Tephillin, or Tfillin,  

      in Jewish religious practice, one of two small, black leather, cube-shaped cases containing Torah texts written on parchment, which, in accordance with Deuteronomy 6:8 (and similar statements in Deuteronomy 11:18 and Exodus 13:9, 16), are to be worn by male Jews of 13 years and older as reminders of God and of the obligation to keep the Law during daily life. The name phylactery is derived from the Greek phylakterion, meaning amulet.

      According to rabbinic regulations, one of the phylacteries is worn on the left arm facing the heart and the other on the forehead at the morning service (except on the Sabbath and festivals) and at the afternoon service on the Ninth of Av.

      The tefillin are worn in a prescribed manner so as to represent the letters shin, daleth, and yod, which taken together form the divine name Shaddai. The hand phylactery (tefillin shel yad) has one compartment with the texts written on a single parchment; the head phylactery (tefillin shel rosh) has four compartments, each with one text. The extracts are Exodus 13:1–10, 11–16; Deuteronomy 6:4–9, 11:13–21. Reform Jews interpret the biblical commandment in a figurative sense and, hence, do not wear phylacteries. Because of rabbinic indecision about the exact sequence of the four scriptural passages, very pious Jews may have two pairs of phylacteries.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Phylactery — Phy*lac ter*y, n.; pl. {Phylacteries}. [OE. filateri, OF. filatire, filatiere, F. phylact[ e]re, L. phylacterium, Gr. ?, fr. ? a watcher, guard, ? to watch, guard. Cf. {Philatory}.] 1. Any charm or amulet worn as a preservative from danger or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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  • phylactery — late 14c., small leathern box containing four O.T. texts, from O.Fr. filatiere (12c.), from L.L. phylacterium reliquary, from Gk. phylacterion safeguard, amulet, properly neuter of adjective phylakterios serving as a protection, from phylakter… …   Etymology dictionary

  • phylactery — [fi lak′tər ē] n. pl. phylacteries [ME filaterie < ML phylaterium < LL(Ec) phylacteria (used for Heb tefilin, pl. of tefila, prayer < root pll, to pray, entreat < Gr phylaktērion, a safeguard < phylassein, to defend, guard >… …   English World dictionary

  • phylactery — noun (plural teries) Etymology: Middle English philaterie, from Medieval Latin philaterium, alteration of Late Latin phylacterium, from Greek phylaktērion amulet, phylactery, from phylassein to guard, from phylak , phylax guard Date: 14th century …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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  • phylactery — (Roget s Thesaurus II) noun A small object worn or kept for its supposed magical power: amulet, charm, fetish, juju, periapt, talisman. See SUPERNATURAL …   English dictionary for students

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