Why tefillin loans?

Perhaps you want to take on the mitzvah of tefillin but can't yet afford to buy a set. Perhaps you want to try the mitzvah for a while in order to decide whether you want to take it on long-term.

If you are male and traditionally Jewish, there are any number of people who will be delighted help you out. Synagogue rabbis may have spare sets or discretionary funds; it doesn't hurt to ask. If you haven't a synagogue, or your synagogue hasn't funds, Chabad has a dedicated tefillin bank; contact your local Chabad to access these.

If you are female, your options are rather more limited since rather fewer people think you have any business laying tefillin at all. Even rabbis of egalitarian shuls may well be less willing to help you than to help men. Your options are also limited if you are male but Chabad et al don't agree that you're Jewish,

These tefillin exist to help people who are serious about the mitzvah of tefillin but do not have the means to buy their own.

How do I get some?

In the interests of strengthening communities, I ask that you try local resources first. If you do belong to a synagogue, ask whether there are spare tefillin, or discretionary funds which could help you. Or if your bar mitzvah pair is languishing in your parents' attic, call your parents. For example.

Otherwise...

If you have funds, but just aren't sure if you want to take on the mitzvah, I will ask you for a $300 deposit while you are borrowing a pair of tefillin. After approximately three months, we will check in; you may decide to keep the tefillin and turn your deposit into a donation, or you may decide to return the tefillin and buy your own pair.

If a deposit isn't an option, I will ask you for references. I am lending you a valuable item and trusting you not to run off with it; ideally, you can give me two or three references who will reassure me that my tefillin are safe with you.

Again, if you want to test out the mitzvah, we will check in after three months or so, and you will decide whether you want to return the tefillin at this point.

If you are committed to the mitzvah long-term: sadly I cannot just give you tefillin; I do not have such extensive funds. We will talk over saving up for a pair of tefillin; for instance if you save $5 a week you will have a basic pair of tefillin within a year, or an amazing pair of tefillin within four years. You can borrow the tefillin for whatever period we decide on, at which point you will buy the borrowed pair from me, or return the borrowed pair and buy your own.

Will I think they're kosher?

From an Orthodox perspective, tefillin aren't kosher if I've worked on them. Thus, if you're Orthodox, I will make very sure to lend you a pair of tefillin which are kosher from your point of view, i.e. have been worked on only by Orthodox men.

Can I donate?

By all means. Donations of tefillin are gladly received; financial donations also very welcome. Please contact me for a mailing address.

If you'd like to donate tefillin but aren't sure whether they're kosher, don't worry; I'll check them and have them repaired if possible, and if they can't be made kosher I will use them for teaching people about tefillin. They will have a good life with me, regardless.

What do you mean, test out the mitzvah?

Some people - non-halakhic Jews and non-egalitarian women, in particular - operate in a framework in which adopting certain mitzvot is a personal choice. It is hard to make informed choices about a mitzvah like tefillin without trying it first.