On Passover it is a mitzvah to ask questions. Judaism always encourages intellectual thought and welcomes all questions, unless they are from the wicked son, in which case we give a highly insulting answer.
As a Sofer I often point out that two of the four sons are inside every pair of Tefillin, Do you know which 2 sons ?
See:
Shalom from Jerusalem,
Do you want to purchase Tefillin, Mezuzot, and Megilot direct from the Sofer in Jerusalem that makes them? Well, that is what Rabbi Steve Bar Yakov Gindi does. Even with this flash Sale I will make them personally for you.
Lately some in USA have asked how I deliver specially ordered holy scrolls? I send them via EMS – 3 day delivery, or with your neighbor who is visiting Israel.
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Tefillin “Mehudarim” 1500 ש”ח reduced to 1395,
Tiny Mezuzot – 220 ש”ח reduced to 204,
Tiny Gassot Tefillin – 3260 ש”ח reduced to 3031,
Tiny Rambam Tefillin $1126 $79 off 1047 but still free shipping
Mezuzot $50 7% off $46.50,
Mezuzot on Gewil $65 7% off $60.45,
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Israel 0544572366,
Purim Flash SaleMishloach Manot
Shalom Alechem wrote several very funny yet realistic stories about Mishloach Manot. In his story “Mishloach manot” He tells of two close friends each of which exhausted their Jewish domestic help on Purim by having them run around all of Kasrilevke to deliver mishloach manot. The two girls met each other on the way to deliver mishloach manot to their respective Bosses.
They were both mutually attacked by hunger and a need to consume the delicious vittles of Honey cake and a Huge Hamentashin. They ate each other’s just to keep it even.
I have written the parchments for Tefillin, mezuzot, megilot and 4 Sifrey Torahs over the last 30 years. Lately, some have asked why they should order from me and not from the new competition which are all Yirey Shamayim religious people? Over 10 years ago, I started to offer “The Tefillin Experience” for Bar Mitzvah and anyone else. During these sessions you get to learn a ton of Torah and tradition surrounding the work of a Sofer, I am happy to do this for Megilot also. When the session is in person (not via Skype) you even get to write crowns on the letters and sew the tefillin closed. Soon after I started to offer the Tefillin Experience, a local Sofer started offering my educational experience. Today, Baruch Hashem, Sofrim all over teach and share knowledge with their customers. I feel like I started a movement to bring the holy work of a the sofer close to all of my customers. Click on the image to see a recent YouTube session with a customer via Facetime while I wrote his Perashiot for his tefillin. So please give me a ring to 516-595-1713 or 212-72-8094, in Israel 0544572366. See my catalog at
https://milknhoney.co.il
https://youtu.be/B43vyOF5g3k
Upon delivery the receivers fainted and then flipped out. The next day at the store the Bosses mumbled at each other and pouted until their wives showed up and incited them to a fist fight. The whole Kasrilevke market place had to break them up. (Hebrew translation in “Yamim Tovim” published by Dvir La’am)
They did not talk to each other until one of the maids admitted what had happened then they were both immediately fired.
From the following story we learn that it is important to send a politically correct Mishloach Manot.
On Purim we send food items to each other. Rabah was of a poor background and was still poor after being recognized as a Torah giant. He sent with Abaye to Mareh Bar Mar a basket with a leg of lamb and a cup of oven sweetened wheat. According to Maharsh”a these were simple gifts. To this Abaye in the name of Mareh bar Mar responded by saying another popular Aramaic expression, “When a peasant becomes king he eternally leaves the basket tied around his neck.” Abaye then sent a Basket full of ginger and another cup full of pepper. To this, Rabah responded by saying yet another popular expression, “I sent you sweet things and you sent me hot things!” (Megila 7b and Yalkut Shimoni Esther 1159)
In order to avoid any of these conflicts many Syrian Jews were accustomed to prepare a single Mishloach Manot of several small items. Two food items is the minimum required by the Halacha. (Shulchan Aruch – Or Hachayim – 695 – 4) They would send this to a neighbor. When they would receive a mishloach manot they would change one item in it and pass it on to someone else or give this to the one who delivered one.
Many halachic issues have arisen over the ages as to whether certain items may be used to fulfill this Mitzvah. Trumat Hadeshen (vol 1 – 111) stated that one does not fulfill the mitzvah by sending clothing or sheets as Mishloach Manot. Yalkut Yosef states that one does not fulfill the mitzvah by sending an interesting torah discussion (food for thought). However, I do suggest that you include this Torah discussion with your mishloach manot. (Halacha 5)
If you give someone satisfaction does that count as Mishloach Manot? Yalkut Yosef additionally states. that an “Important” person who is kind enough to receive mishloach manot from a simple person has not fulfilled the mitzvah of mishloach manot even though he has given tremendous enjoyment to the simple person. This is only enjoyment without food. (Halacha 18)
Our rabbis have stated that we must study the laws of Passover thirty days before the holiday. (Shulchan Aruch 429 – 1) Many have asked how we can fulfill this Mitzvah? thirty days before Passover is Purim. We are already busy with other Mitzvot and torah discussions. It seems that many Jews think about Passover on Purim when they realize that they have only a month to finish all of the food delivered in Mishloach Manot. Therefore it seems that it is a very popular Halacha to discuss the laws of getting rid of Chametz thirty days before Passover.
Below is a great discussion about Old Sephardic Customs of S&P community in London
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Hand Tephillin
 The illustration above, by non-Jewish artist Bernard Picart, though not accurate, certainly resembles the second photo below rather than the first (note the straps to and from the index finger).
Note: Picart’s illustration shows the tephillin worn on the right hand. I have inverted it so it can be more easily compared with the photos below, which show tephillin worn on the left hand, as is correct for most wearers.
Up until the wrist there is no dispute. Like all Sephardim the S&P wind the strap out and over the arm, and back in under it. The difference occurs after the index finger:
 Note: A minor additional point is that the index finger windings were originally one winding round each section of the finger (lower picture), until Ben Ish Hai changed it to one around the middle and two around the lower section (upper picture).
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Head Tephillin
 The main point to make here is not a particularly S&P one. It is that virtually all Sephardim and Ashkenazim used to use a type of knot that looked like a square made of 4 smaller squares (left). This was referred to as a Hebrew letter Dalet, because the lower straps come out of it at right angles, like a Dalet.
The reference in the sources to a “Dalet-shaped knot” was misunderstood, and eventually led to the invention of a new and unwieldy knot that indeed itself looks like a Dalet (right). Many people who originally wore the old knot have now changed to the new one (or been changed to the new one by overzealous soferim without their knowledge), under the erroneous impression that it is the authentic “Dalet-shaped knot” – which it is not (knot).
 Picart’s illustration presents us with another problem. He shows a tricorn hat worn along with the head tephillin, which is significantly lower on the forehead than the position recommended in traditional sources: the natural hairline.
So, either they wore their head tephillin (as in the picture), lower than tradition tells us to, or perhaps the picture is inaccurate and they wore the tephillin in the traditional position with their tricorns tipped back.
In New York today, the soft hats worn by the clergy and congregants can be tipped back, allowing for tephillin to be worn level with the hairline. In London, where stiff top hats replaced tricorns long ago as the only hats worn in synagogue, they are today done away with altogether on weekdays, but a few decades back they were in fact worn precariously tilted back to allow for the correct positioning of head tephillin.
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