Tefillin - Phylactery: Personalized Edition With loving attention and precision, Ellen Miller Braun will craft a spiritually uplifting personalized semi-original just for you. The name of your choice, in Hebrew or English, will fill the 3 visible sides if each Tefillin box. Such painstaking detail creates a most unique gift. This is a gift sure to be cherished for a lifetime. Tefillin (phylactery) are described as an "Ote" (a sign) of the covenant between Hashem - G-d - and Israel: A set of Tefillin (phylactery) has the "Shel Rosh" (head-phylactery) and the "Shel Yad" (arm-phylactery) with corresponding straps. The Shel Rosh and Shel Yad each contain four paragraphs, hand written on parchment, from the Torah: Exodus 13: 1-10, 11-16, Deuteronomy 6: 4-9, 11: 13-21. The Shel Yad, worn bound to the forearm, parallel to the heart, represents Hashem's strength and the directing of our hearts and emotions to His service. We dedicate our intellect and thoughts to Hashem with the crowning of the Shel Rosh on our head. Thirteen is when a young man reaches the age of accountability for the Torah and Hashem's Mitzvahs (commandments). He becomes a Bar Mitzvah and begins donning Tefillin. Ellen Miller Braun's beautiful design repeats these four Torah portions, four times each. The words form the outline of the Shel Rosh and Shel Yad and fill the front (black area) of the Tefillin's straps. The back of the straps (gray areas) are created using the blessings, recitations and declaration of intent that are recited before and during the laying of Tefillin. Ellen will use colorful flowing ink to fill the Shel Rosh and Shel Yad with the name of the recipient, as well as framing the border of this piece with his name. This personalized artwork flows with beauty and grace, yet is the essence of strength and spirituality. In Jewish numerology, the "dalet", the fourth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, equals the number four. The word "dalet/delet" means door. Prayers are a doorway to Hashem. With the laying of Tefillin, and our daily prayer, we are given the opportunity to open a door between ourselves and The Holy One Blessed Be He. May all of our prayers be answered. Birth-date (Jewish or Secular), Shabbat Torah Portion, and Mazel Tov will be hand written in pencil across the bottom of the piece. The name repeated in the Tefillin will be written in the color of your choice: red, blue or black with gold.