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Gassot Tefillin

Gassot

The term Gassot refers to the Tefillin Battim - the black housings that house the Tefillin Parshiot Scrolls. Our Gassot Tefillin are Mehudarim- of superior quality. The word Gassot is a reference to the source of the hide from which these Battim are made from; namely steer hide. these Battim are of superior construction and are meant to last a long lifetime. For more on Battim, click here. 

Gassot Tefillin refers to housings made of steer hide as opposed to Peshutim that are made of sheep skin. These thicker hides make for a more durable construction, as well as the ability to be sanded and refinished, should the need arise.

Gassot begin with a piece of hide that comes from the neck of the ox. Ideally, the hide should not be fatty, as the paint that will be applied later will not adhere well. The hide undergoes a tanning process, after which it is left in a lime bath for up to three weeks. The hide is now ready to be shaped. For the Tefillin of the head, four prongs will press their way into the hide, with the help of a hydraulic press exerting 25 tons of pressure, to form the 4 compartments that will house the Perashiyot. for the Tefillin of the hand, one compartment will be pressed. Due to the pressure, notice the edge of the hide start to curl.

     

Notice that all 4 compartments will be part of one piece of hide, This is known as עור אחד, Tefillin made of one piece.

The hides are left to dry for a number of weeks. The longer the drying process, the better the quality of the finished product. Battim with more moisture will tend to warp with time.

Once dry, the Battim will start to have their required square shape. This as well is done with the help of a press. 

    

An essential component of Tefillin is the letter Shin that must be made from the leather of the box itself and not applied to the box. One Shin has 3 heads and one has 4.

  

The hide is then bent underneath to for a cover. These 2 ends are eventually going to be sewn together to seal the Tefillin.

The last stages of completion are the squaring and painting of the Tefillin.

 

GASSOT BLI KEMATIM (without folds)

These are the deluxe model of Tefillin boxes. They are produced using a new method of formation, which pushes the four individual compartments upward without creating folds in the base. This makes for a box that is more stable being that there are no folds that may shift over time.