The ketzitza (the “box” housing the parshi’os) of the tefilin shel rosh is made of four separate sections. Together, the sections must form a perfect square. In order to minimize the possibility of the ketzitza spreading apart (causing it to lose its square status), some batim makers glue the sections together. If the glue totally fills the spaces between the sections, the tefilin are pasul according to some poskim. If only the lower portion of the sections are glued together, and the glue does not extend to the front and back edges of the ketzitza; the ketzitza is “mostly separate”, the tefilin are kosher according to all opinions, and many poskim consider them mehudar. To be mehudar according to all opinions, the sections of the ketzitza must be totally separate, with no glue at all between them.
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STAM 101 introduction & index