What are the gizmos on some Jews' foreheads?

[Disturbed]

Jus wonderin'?

[wakeme2008]

1. picture would have helped nt

[Disturbed]

3. Saw it on TV

A black box.

[praxiz]

2. You're not confusing jews and hindus, are you?

If you are, you're thinking of a bindi.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bindi

[Disturbed]

4. No confusion.

I saw this several times on TV and these were Jewish men.

[Gildor Inglorion]

5. "Tefillin"

Check it out:

http://www.ahavat-israel.com/torat/tefillin.php

[whistle]

6. You are probably rerferring to the Tefillin.....

<snip>
Tefillin are two small black boxes with black straps attached to them; Jewish men are required to place one box on their head and tie the other one on their arm each weekday morning. Tefillin are biblical in origin, and are commanded within the context of several laws outlining a Jew's relationship to God. "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day. Impress them upon your children. Recite them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a frontlet between your eyes" (Deuteronomy 6:5-8).

Certain Jewish groups — including probably the Sadducees, and definitely the medieval Karaites — understood the last verse to be figurative; it means only that one should always be preoccupied with words of Torah, as if they were in front of one's eyes. The Pharisees, however, took the text literally; the words of the Torah are to be inscribed on a scroll and placed directly between one's eyes and on one's arm. Tefillin are wrapped around the arm seven times, and the straps on the head are adjusted so they fit snugly.

The text that is inserted inside the two boxes of Tefillin is hand-written by a scribe, and consists of the four sets of biblical verses in which Tefillin are commanded (Exodus 13:1-10, 11-16; Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 11:13-21). Because each pair of Tefillin is hand-written and hand-crafted, it is relatively expensive, and a well-made pair costs several hundred dollars.

The word Tefillin is commonly translated as "phylacteries," though the Hebrew term is more often used. I have never met a Jew who puts on Tefillin who calls them "phylacteries."


<more>
<link> http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/tefillin.html

[Metta]

13. Thanks for the informed clarification.

nt

[wakeme2008]

7. pic here

[mark11727]

8. I Googled for some other pics of Tefillin

and found this very interesting site --- with lots of description and explanations... http://www.milechai.com/

[Drum]

9. for info on this,

Go to Slate.com and look for the column "Explainer."

[Beetwasher]

10. That's The Button, When If Pressed

It makes our horns pop up! :evilgrin:

[Disturbed]

11. Thanks, all.

I am a curious person and now I know one more thing. ;0)

[Disturbed]

12. Thanks, all.

I am a curious person and now I know one more thing. ;0)

[Metta]

14. "Horns" is actually a mistranslation.

As one of my rabbi brothers tells it, the word in Hebrew or Aramaic actually has to do with light. The horns on Michaelangelo's Moses represent the light that eminated from his head although I don't know if that's what M meant. Likewise, the wings of angels is the light that shines off of them. Just thought you'd like to know.