"Our Rabbis taught:
All must observe the law of Tzizith, priests, Levites,
and Israelites, proselytes,
women and slaves."
Talmud - Mas. Menachoth 43a
What did our sages have to say about women wearing tefillin?
The mitzva (commandment) of tefillin is mentioned four times in the Torah, including in the Shema: "And you shall bind them for a sign upon your arm and they shall be totafot between your eyes" (Deut. 6:8). Tefillin symbolize tying our physical and mental capacities to the service of God. We say when we wrap the tefillin on our hands: "I bind myself to you forever, I bind myself to you in Righteousness, in Justice, in Kindness and in Mercy; I bind myself to you forever, and in that way I come to Know You." When we wear tefillin we bind ourselves to ideals through which we can come to know God.
Despite the Torah's generic language, it was understood that women are exempt from this mitzva. The Mishna (the second-century CE law compendium) records: "Women, slaves and minors are exempt from the recitation of Shema and from tefillin, but are obligated for the Amida Prayer, mezuza, and Grace after meals" (Berakhot 3:3).
Although exempt, may women voluntarily perform this mitzva? The Talmud states, "Mikhal the daughter of King Saul used to wear tefillin, and the sages did not protest" (Eruvin 96a). During the period of the Rishonim (1000 to 1500 CE), some sages, including posqim such as Rashi and Rambam, say that women may perform mitzvot from which they are exempt but do so without reciting a berakha (blessing), since the berakha's phrase "who has commanded us" would not apply. Rambam writes: "Women, slaves, and minors are exempt from tzitzit from the Torah...Women and slaves who want to wrap themselves in tzitzit may do so without a berakha. And so too with other such mitzvot from which women are exempt: if they want to perform them without a berakha, one does not protest" (Hilkhot Tsitsit 3:9).
<FONT face=Arial color=black size=3>The largest group of sages of this period rule that women may perform such mitzvot and recite the berakha as do men. These sages include Rabbenu Tam (1100-1171) and Rabbi Zerahia haLevi (12th c.
