General letter from Rav Friedlander, ztz"l on the importance of
regular periodic checking of tefillin and mezuzot

Vaad Mishmeres STa"M

The center for international activities to preserve and promote the halachic
integrity of scribal arts: Torah Scrolls, Tefillin And Mezuzos.

To my fellow Jews, may HaShem bless you all!

I find myself obliged to speak out and emphasize the magnitude of one's duty to check his tefillin and mezuzot. This is so even if they have been checked within a few years in a way that halacha doesn't require one to check them again. To our regret, the sad reality is that every person who possesses awe of HaShem must do the maximum to ensure that his tefillin and mezuzot are kosher. Our greatest Rabbis have already issued similar statements about the magnitude of the problems in these areas today.

My purpose here is to awaken everyone to this reality as one who answers questions in hilchos STa"M every day. Unbelievable cases are known to me in which young men and avreichim have come to the painful conclusion that never in their lives have they yet put on a kosher pair of tefillin because their tefillin were pasul due to a letter being missing, letters touching each other, or other problems which invalidate the tefillin.

Therefore my brothers, please pay attention to this serious matter.

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