A new patent unveiled at ALYN Hospital in Jerusalem helps amputees with one arm put on tefillin while adhering to halachic guidelines. The device secures the tefillin to the arm without needing an extra hand and has already been used by soldiers injured in combat.
Developed collaboratively with a team from Sheba Medical Center, the device addresses the unique challenges faced by amputees. Among those benefiting is Itay, a 26-year-old soldier who lost part of his right arm during operational activity. "I always dreamed of regaining full independence," he said. "Putting on tefillin, a daily ritual, became a challenge after my injury."
Itay places tefillin with one hand
"One of the biggest challenges for amputees putting on tefillin is not just wrapping the straps but ensuring precise placement on the arm as required by halacha," said Itay.
During his rehabilitation, ALYN Hospital introduced him to the new device. "I was skeptical at first, but I realized a team of professionals—engineers and occupational therapists—had developed a solution for people like me. They created a custom device that lets me hold the tefillin stably, despite my physical limitation," he explained.
Placing tefillin on the arm involves positioning the beit, the leather cube containing Torah verses, facing the heart, then wrapping the straps around the arm and middle finger. "This isn't just a technical fix; it restored my self-respect," Itay said. "I can now perform this daily mitzvah without relying on others."
He praised the team's dedication: "They listened, tested and refined the device until it worked perfectly for me. It proved that when we work together, there are no limits to what we can achieve."
"The initiative began when Sheba contacted us and told us about soldiers who were injured in combat, as well as civilians who were injured for various reasons, who have difficulty putting on tefillin themselves due to amputation or other limitations in their upper limbs," said Hila Borel, the director of the ALYN Hospital team.
"This is not an easy challenge. It is impossible to offer a uniform solution that fits everyone, since each injury is different in its structure and each person faces unique limitations. We understood that this was a real need that required an innovative and creative approach, one that required cooperation between different fields of knowledge such as rehabilitation, engineering and halachic law."
"We strive to enable anyone interested in putting on tefillin to do so independently, regardless of age or physical limitations. Beyond the technical aspect, this is a process that restores people's sense of control and self-respect, and this, for us, is the true meaning of success in such a project," she added.
Rabbi Zvi Porat, rabbi and halachic consultant at Sheba Medical Center and ALYN Hospital, added that "upper limb injuries raise complex halachic questions. For example, how do you put on hand tefillin when you don't have an elbow or arm to put on? What is the strong hand, and is the use of technological tools or specialized devices to fulfill the mitzvah possible according to halachah? Beyond that, there are also challenges in putting on head tefillin, when the patient has difficulty performing the action on their own."
According to him, "Every solution developed as part of the 'Yesh Le'aniach' event is designed to allow the patient to fulfill the mitzvah independently, without depending on others, while adhering to the requirements of halacha. I am happy that we were able to find creative solutions and adapt them personally, so that even those who thought they would not be able to put on tefillin on their own now have the opportunity to regain the ability to do so independently as they wish."
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Einat Carmeli, director of the Sheba team, concluded: "At the event, we felt that we were not only developing technological solutions, but also giving people back something of their ability to be themselves. The challenge here was twofold: on the one hand, to find customized solutions that allow people with physical limitations to handle an action that requires delicate skill, and on the other, to maintain absolute fidelity to the halacha. For us, it is not just a technical solution, but also a mission."