The Holy Garments of Religions -   Which are True and Which are False? -
Which are By God   and   Which are By Man? -
Kippa, Yarmulka is it Profane or Holy?

            In a recent article by several authors, the Traditions of wearing special garments in connection to the Commendments from Yahveh. THE QUESTION ARISES; Is there a Biblical commandment involving men’s dress that the modern Jew must wear? 

(to offer your comments click here >> Discussion Forum ) Should we wear a garment if it is specifically Profane?
 
Notice what the word of God says about this matter:  “Again, YAHWEH spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel:  Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners.  And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of  YAHWEH to do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined, and that you may remember and do ALL My commandments, and be HOLY for your God.  I am YAHWEH your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God:  I am YAHWEH your God” (Numbers 15:37-41).
 
                What an interesting commandment! God is very plain.  He says His people are to wear unique tassels or fringes in the four corners of their garments.  Today, the “prayer shawl,” or tallit, is an item of Jewish clothing which fulfills this commandment.  It has four fringes, called tzitzyot, tied to its four corners, and is often worn in religious services, in the synagogue, and during religious obligations and functions. 

The Command to Wear Tzitzit

A closer look at the passage in Numbers 15:37-41 shows that the command of tzitzit applies only to clothing, as the passage specifically states “And they will make for themselves tzitzit on the corners of their garments” (verse 38). The Biblical Hebrew word for garments relates to something that is worn as clothing.  In Deuteronomy 22:12, we read further about this commandment: “You shall make tassels on  the four corners of your clothing with which YOU COVER YOURSELF.” (THIS IS REFERRING TO AN OUTER COVERING) The inner garment in the shape of a singlet produced with tzitzit tassels is an added version placed on the people by the Rabbinic, it is not mentioned as an inner garment or undergarment in the Torah.
The Torah commands that every FOUR CORNERED garment have strings attached to it and among those strings must be a strand of blue (tekhelet in Hebrew).  We are commanded to carry out this practice by placing a blue string on our tzitzit, Ironically, modern Orthodox Jews have abandoned this practice of including the blue thread and only use white threads. 

The reason for abandoning the commandment to place a blue string on the tzitzit is that they claim the dye needed for the blue has been lost.(THIS BELIEF IS SPURIOUS) for the Torah does not state which dye must be used to create the blue strings. Which means any dye that produces the color blue is sufficient.

The strings of the tzitzit are to be tied into a chain-like knot and placed on the corners of four-cornered garments.  Deuteronomy 22:12 literally states “Chains [gedilim, compare I Kings 7:17] shall you make for yourself on the four corners of your clothing, with which you cover yourself.”  The chain-like knots can be made in any number of ways and do not have to be made strictly in the fashion modern Rabbis use( again the modern European Rabinic has proclaimed a method of their own design not specified in the Torah).  In fact, modern Karaite Jews in Israel make the knots in a slightly different way than the Rabbis make them. The important thing is that they have the appearance of links in a chain (gedilim) and that they include at least one blue strand. The word tzitzit itself literally means a “braid, plait” as in the verse “and took me by a plait (KJV: lock) of mine head.” Thus the design of the tzitzit must be like that of a braid/plait of hair which is the same design as the links in a chain.

These tassels or fringes were commanded by YAHWEH to be worn by His people, to remind them to always keep His commandments.  They are in full view, and therefore would be a constant reminder of God’s law.  These tassels are tied into knots, as a reminder of all 613 of the laws of Moses (of which there are 248 prohibitions or negative commands, and 365 affirmations or positive commands).  The numerical value of the letters of the word tzitzit is 600; there are eight threads in each fringe, and five knots; add these all up and you get 613, the number of  YAHWEH's commandments in the Torah!
           
                                                            The Blue Thread

 
Each tassel was to have a blue thread.  During the Biblical period, blue was probably the most expensive color to produce.  Therefore, it was generally reserved for royalty and the very rich.  Historically, the only source for the blue was a small gland in the murex snail.  It took some 12,000 snails to fill up  a thimble of blue dye.  In 200 B.C., one pound of cloth dyed blue cost the whopping sum of $36,000 in terms of today's dollar.  By 300 A.D., the cost had soared to a staggering $96,000.  This indicates that Lydia, mentioned as being a seller of purple, was one very wealthy lady -- perhaps one of the wealthiest in the entire Roman Empire .
 
-Why was each tassel inclusive of a blue thread?  Of the primary colors, red represents man (Adam’s name was actually “red,” for the red clay from which he was made).  Blue is the color representative of the heavens, and of G-d the Father. 
 
            Therefore, for each man of Yahweh to have something blue in his tassels, was symbolic of having something of the divine -- a connection with Yahweh the Father!  This served to remind each person not only of Yahweh ’s commandments, but of their direct connection to G-d Himself, as their Father and Yahweh.  Yahweh said for His people to wear these fringes in their garments to be an ever-present REMINDER of His holy Law, so we would be OBEDIENT to His commandments.  They remind us constantly of HIM.  He said:  “I am the Yahweh your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your Yahweh.  I am the Yahveh your God.” (Num.15:41).  We human beings need to be constantly reminded of this fact, so we have the fear of Yahweh in our hearts, and so we will be constantly reminded to obey Him and put Him first in our lives!
 
Such an expensive and treasured thread of costly blue would probably have been passed down from generation to generation, from father to son as one of his precious legacies.

What about David and Saul? When David Cut Sauls Garment?

 
The tassels, or fringes, in a man’s garment, were symbolical also of his authority.  We find an interesting story in the first book of Samuel, where David sneaks up on king Saul in a cave at En Gedi, and cuts off his tassels.  This is what it says in the Tenach;

“Now it happened, when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, that it was  told him, saying, ‘Take note!  David is in the Wilderness of En Gedi.’  Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the Rocks of the Wild Goats.  So he came to the sheep folds by the road, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to attend to his needs, (David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave.)  Then the men of David said to him, ‘This is the day of which the Yahwey said to you, “Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do  to him as it seems good to you.”’ 

And David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 

Now it happened afterward that David's heart troubled him because he had cut Saul's robe.  And he said, ‘The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my  master, the Yahveh's anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Yahveh.’  So David restrained his servants with these words , and did not allow them  to rise against Saul” (I Samuel 24:1-7).
 

David’s heart was torn because he knew that to cut off a king’s tassels was tantamount to stealing his authority, stripping him of his power, emasculating his spiritual connection with G-d, depriving him of his virility and nobility.  At En Gedi, David had literally taken Saul's “authority” and at that point he could probably have seized the kingship over Israel and taken the throne from Saul.  But he chose not to do it, but to leave the decision and timing in G-d’s hands. 
 

The Tenach says - After David prostrated himself before Saul, showing him the tassel he had cut off his robe, explaining he had not killed Saul despite the urging of his men to do so, Saul was impressed with his charity and having his own life spared.  Saul said:  “You are more righteous than I; for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil.  And you have shown this day how you have dealt well with me; for when Yahveh delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me.  For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him get away safely?  Therefore may the Yahveh reward you with good for what you have done to me this day.  And now I know indeed that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand” (I Samuel 24:17-20).

Modern day Rabbinic believe they have a single right to obey Yahweh’s commandment of wearing “tassels” on one’s clothing, and using the “prayer shawl,” may think they are clever and righteous in Yahweh’s sight, believing this commandment was ONLY for them, and no other human being has the right to wear such clothing, they are sadly mistaken.  The Torah is clear; Those who keep His commandments and obey the words in Deut chapter 6 have every right to honour Yahweh by wearing the garments he has instructed be worn. Those of the Rabbinic who dare to refuse the "Proselyte" person who sojourns in the congregation to wear the sacred garments should heed to the Mitzvot; Numbers 15:15 30, 26."For the congregation- The same decree shall be for you and for the proselyte who sojourns with you, an eternal decree for your generations, like you like the proselyte shall it be for you before Yahveh. There will be one teaching and one judgement shall be for you and for the stranger that sojourns among you. Every person in the congregation were equal under the Law. Neither the Samaritans, Sadducees, (Karaites) or Pharasees could deny another the right to act according to the Torah.
 

God thunders in the book of Hosea, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.  Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will REJECT YOU from being priest (Rabbi) for Me; because you have FORGOTTEN THE LAW OF YOUR G-D, I also will forget your children” (Hosea 4:6).
 

G-d also declares through the prophet Malachi:  “ ‘For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the  LAW at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Yahveh of hosts.  But  you have departed from the way; you have caused MANY to STUMBLE AT THE LAW.  You have CORRUPTED THE COVENANT [teaching a false version or interpretation of the “New Covenant”] of Levi,’ says the Yahveh of hosts.  Therefore, I also have made you contemptible and base before all the people.  Because you have not kept My ways, but have SHOWN PARTIALITY IN THE LAW” (Malachi 2:1-9, NKJV). 

(to offer your comments click here >> Discussion Forum )

What about Phylacteries?
 

Jewish Orthodox men not only wear fringes in their garments, but also adorn themselves with “phylacteries” especially when praying or performing religious functions.  This custom is based on the words of Yahweh in Exodus:  “It shall be a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the Yahveh's law may be in your mouth” (Exo.13:9). 
 

The word “phylactery” is derived from the Greek phylakterion and is also known by the Aramaic word tefillin. 

It is the name given in rabbinic sources to two black leather boxes containing scriptural passages which are worn on the forehead and left arm. The Mishna (Shebu.3.8, 11) requires males thirteen years and older to wear tefillin each day. Women are explicitly exempt from this religious obligation

Modern Rabbinical legendary teaching has it that the Karaites, and the Sadducees before them, interpreted the words “and they shall be for totafot between your eyes” literally, in other words, they fabricated a piece of clothing to wear in a litteral place. -- and as a result they wore tefillin (phylacteries) right above their noses.

In reality, the Karaite Jews, and the Sadducees before them, never wore “phylacteries” in any manner at any place, and there is NO records of any such garments. 

The wearing of phylacteries is a practice of Orthodox Jews based on their “Oral Law,” or decisions and interpretations that they say were of the Law of Moses handed down from generation to generation.  In other words, this custom is a completely invented fabrication which has no real basis in Scripture. AND No early writings support this custom. There is no authentic historical documents to support this belief.If there were a set of "So-Called" Oral Laws to follow, it must also be argued, "Who had them the Parasees, or the Saducees?" OR did the Samaritans have them, or did the Karaites take them over. Even though there was a divide between all groups , they would all have knowledge of such "Oral Laws" but History attests that this is not so..

The phrase which allegedly commands the donning of tefillin appears four times in the Torah (Exodus 13:9, 16; Deut. 6:8-9; Deut.11:18). It should be noted that the difficult word totafot which the Rabbis arbitrarily interpret to mean “Tefillin”, actually means “Remembrance.” This is clear from Exodus 13:9 (one of the four passages) which substitutes the word totafot with the equivalent but more familiar word zicharon which means “remembrance.”

Thus the Rabbinic today say that both the head and hand phylacteries contain four passages from Scripture which include these verses: Exo.13:1-10, 11-16; Deut. 6:4- 9; 11:13-21. The head phylactery consists of four compartments, each containing one section of Scripture, while the hand phylactery has one compartment containing all four passages on one parchment. The boxes of the phylacteries must be exactly square made from the hide of a kosher animal, and both the boxes and the straps which hold them firm must be painted black. The head phylactery is imprinted twice with the Hebrew letter shin: once on the side which is to the left of the wearer, and once on the opposite side. The shin on the right has four rather than the usual three prongs, as a reminder of the four scriptural passages contained in the phylacteries (b. Menah. 35a). Each box is sewn to a base of thick leather with twelve stitches, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel (b. Shabb. 8b). The phylacteries are not worn at night, nor on festivals or the Shabbath (b. Menah. 36a-b).

The hand phylactery is donned first: the box is placed on the inner side of the upper arm (facing the heart) and the strap is wound seven times around the arm. The head phylactery is placed in the middle of the forehead, with the two ends of the strap hanging over the shoulders. The placing of each phylactery is accompanied by certain blessings. They are worn during the morning prayer and removed in the reverse order in which they were placed on the body.

Upon close examination of these verses, it should be clear that this phrase is a" figure of speech" and not a command at all. The brilliant Rabbinical commentator Rashbam (Rashi’s grandson) was wise enough to realize the true meaning of this expression. Commenting on the verse

“And it shall be for a sign upon your hand and a remembrance (zicharon) between your eyes,” he writes: “ ‘For a sign upon your hand’ -- According to its plain meaning (Omek Peshuto), ‘It shall be remembered always AS IF it had been written upon your hand’ SIMILAR TO ‘he put me as a seal upon your heart’ (Cant.8:6). ‘Between your eyes’, LIKE a piece of jewelry or gold chain which people put on the forehead for decoration” (Rashbam on Ex 13:9).

Rashi’s grandson rightfully interprets the ‘Tefillin passage’ as a metaphor which demands that we remember the Torah always and treasure it like a piece of fine jewelry. Rashbam realized that not everything in the Torah is to be taken literally as a command.   For example, God also says in His Word, “And you shall circumcise the foreskin of your heart” (Deut.10:16).

"HOW SHOULD WE EXECUTE SUCH A COMMAND TO CIRCUMCISE OUR HEART?"
(to offer your comments click here >> Discussion Forum

Modern day Jews have a dislike for anything from the Karaites, who; they would argue, were ;" Too Fundamental" and off the rails - BUT as the Karaite Jews pointed out, Yahweh is not commanding mass suicide TO "CUT-OUT" OUR HEART but is rather commanding us to figuratively circumcise the foreskin of our hearts, that is to, "Remove our impurity and stubbornness - Remove our obedience to man-made traditions that are handed down to us from well meaning but misled Jews". And commit to his covenant with our hearts, just as it is read from the Torah
While this metaphor is easy to understand, it is less obvious what kind of metaphor lays behind “and it shall be for a sign upon your hand and a remembrance between your eyes.” This question is clarified by several passages elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible.  read your Tenach

It is the name given in rabbinic sources to two black leather boxes containing scriptural passages which are worn on the forehead and left arm. The Mishna (Shebu.3.8, 11) requires males thirteen years and older to wear tefillin each day. Women are explicitly exempt from this religious obligation
A popular Rabbinical legend has it that the Karaites, and the Sadducees before them, interpreted the words “and they shall be for totafot between your eyes” literally -- and as a result they wore tefillin (phylacteries) right above their noses. One version of the story claims that the Sadducees were wiped out because of this practice.

WHERE DID THE KIPPA ORIGINATE?.
            Should men of God today wear the customary “kippah” when they pray, attend religious services, or go about their daily business?  Obviously, Orthodox Jews do this very thing.  Many feel this custom identifies them as being “Jewish.”  Some Messianic Jews have also adopted this custom, and claim it is derived from the fact that Aaron and the priests of ancient Israel wore a “turban” or hat when performing their sacred duties, but this has nothing to do with this custom.
            What about the wearing of the kippah? 
            The custom of men in general wearing a kippah or head covering for religious purposes is nowhere mentioned in Scripture. There is no such commandment or even any indication that men of God wore head coverings for religious identification or worship purposes.  Josephus is completely silent concerning this mode of dress and does not mention such a custom, nor do any other ancient Jewish chronicles or authorities.  During the 1st 2nd century, men in general did not wear any separate hat, head covering, or the like.  Their robes, on the other hand, often included a “hood,” which could be worn over the head, for protection from the sun, or the wind, or dust storms.  But hats as such were not a customary part of a man’s attire in any culture of Israel, and as far back as 2000 BC no authentic records of any person was wearing hats or  caps such as Kippahs.. 
           

Why then do Jews, Hindus, and Islam wear the kippah today?  And why do Roman Catholic priests, bishops, and the Pope also wear a similar head covering? 

            The only Biblical mention of the wearing of hats or turbans for religious purposes is found in the head-gear Yahweh prescribed for the sons of Aaron.  We read in Exodus, “For Aaron’s sons you shall make tunics, and you shall make sashes for them.  And you shall make hats [margin, “headpieces or turbans”] for them, for glory and beauty” (Exo.28:40).  They were also to wear “linen trousers” (verse 42), reaching from the waist to the thighs.  This clothing was to be worn “when they come into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister in the holy place” (v.43). This is for the purpose of "PRIESTLY' attire only.
            Notice!  This is specifically mentioned as priestly garments – no command that all the children of Israel were to dress in such a manner.  The priests were to wear tunics, which were white cotton or linen, with sashes, trousers, and they were to wear turbans, while performing their priestly duties at the Temple.  This commandment has no connection what soever with the Jewish custom of wearing kippahs or yarmulkes, as they are also known!  In fact the ancient pagan priests of Babylon and Egypt under the "Sungod" worship system shaved their heads to show they were holy servants to their 'sungod' and to allow a direct contact with the divines such as Horis, Tammuz, Attis, Dyonis etc, which was their pagan god,  TODAY the shaving of the head has been replaced by wearing a cap the shape of a shaved head which is called a Kippah, or yarmulkas.

NO JEWS residing in the land of Israel, WERE WEARING a kippah or skullcap

It is certain that in the first century, NO JEWS residing in the land of Israel, WERE WEARING a kippah or skullcap.  This custom arose from the pagan systems in Babylonia between the third and fifth centuries among the non-Jewish residents, who had not yet adopted the custom.  It arose among them, among the scholars first, and then spread throughout the Jewish world, passing first to the European Jewish communities. ALSO THE EXTENSION OF WEARING LONG BLACK SUITS AND ROBES WITH BLACK HATS, a pagan relic of Europe, and with absolutely no connection to Israel. WHY do we Jews wear such pagan abominable clothing is beyond reason.
 
Although priests wore a “turban” or “hat” (Exo.28:4, 40), while officiating at the Temple, other Jews of the Second Temple period did not generally wear a headcovering.  This is confirmed by both the literature and archaeological  remains of the period.  For instance, the reliefs on the Arch of Titus in Rome picture the victory procession in Rome over the Jewish rebellion of 70 AD, and it shows the Jewish captives bareheaded.  Likewise, the frescoes of the mid-third century CE synagogue excavated at Dura-Europos represent all Jewish men as being bareheaded, except for Aaron the priest.
 
According to the Babylonian Talmud, Nedarim 30b, Jewish children were always bareheaded, men sometimes covered their heads, sometimes not.  Remember, however, this was a late source, reflecting the custom at the end of the fifth century CE. 
 
According to the Shulhan Arukh, the 16th century code of Jewish law compiled by Rabbi Joseph Karo, one should not walk bareheaded even four cubits (six feet or  two meters) (see Orah Hayyim 2:6).  This ruling is based on the Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushim 31a, where it says that Rav Huna, of the fourth century, the son of Rav Yehoshua, would not walk bareheaded four cubits. This was the custom for the babylonian priests who shaved their heads to be 'holy' servants to their pagan god. This was the particular practice of one  Jewish sage, however, not a general custom or law of the time for all males.  The current Jewish practice of wearing a kippah was not yet widespread in fourth century Babylon.
 
There is no doubt this is a Pagan HUMAN, Jewish tradition of MEN, and was developed long after the fall of Judah to the Romans.  In the 1st and 2nd century Jewish men were customarily bareheaded, although head-coverings were permissible in foul weather, to protect from too much sun, cold, or rain.  It was much like today in that regard.
 
What about the Priests? They have Misused Scriptures
 
To justify wearing of the kippah, some Rabbis pointed to the example of the prophet Ezekiel, who wore a headcovering.  What such people forget, however, is that Eziel was not only a prophet – he was also a priest of Yahweh (Ezek.1:3).  God on one occasion, used him as a sign for Israel.  Yahweh intends to bring punishment upon the nation.  So we read in Ezekiel, “Sigh in silence, make no mourning for the dead, bind your turban on your head, and put your sandals on your feet” (Ezek.24:17).  This was a SIGN to the people (verse 19).  What did it signify?  That Yahweh was about to punish the house of Israel, profane His sanctuary, that which they boasted about, and that their sons and daughters were going to be killed (verse 21).  They were going to pine away, with their turbans on their heads (verse 23) – that is, even as David pined away, and mourned, weeping, fleeing from Absalom, for the punishment of his own sins, so they would be brought to utter humiliation and shame, with their heads covered. 
 
But what about during the Millennium?  Will men wear turbans, or kippahs, then?  Ezekiel prophesied of the priests during the Kingdom of Yahweh, the sons of Zadok, that “they shall have linen turbans on their heads and linen trousers on their bodies” while performing their duties in the Tabernacle (Ezek.44:16-18).  However, notice this Scripture carefully!  When these priests EXIT the Temple, and return to normal daily life, Yahweh said,“they shall take off their garments in which they have ministered, leave them in the  holy chambers, and put on OTHER garments” – their normal regular attire (verse 19).  This passage certainly does not say that all men will be wearing KIPPAHS during the Millennium!  Far from it!
 
Yahweh’s people we are considered a “holy priesthood,” spiritually speaking Isa 61:6 But so was all of ancient ISRAEL!  Yahweh declared at Mount Sinai, to all Israel, men and women, that the whole nation of Israel was called to be a “kingdom of priests” (Exo.19:6).  But this did not mean all the men wore kippahs – only the priests of the tribe of Levi, the sons of Aaron, were commanded to wear turbans or hats, and this was only while they were performing the service of the Temple or Sanctuary! Not any any other time to wear the attire for services. The history books confirm that the man outside of the AAronic priesthood did not wear any form of head covering in their country.

Yahweh commands us to ADD NOTHING to His law, Deut 4:1-2 So why Jews add such things to the law.?
Vishnu, Buddha & Osiris, and the Egyptian Bacchus the same sungod system as Tammuz  shaved their heads to be holy, Now this is replaced by the Yarmulka.

            What about men wearing the kippah, then?  Is it something we should do?  The plain truth is that it is not a custom of Yahweh ’s Word or a commandment of Yahweh, and He commands us to ADD NOTHING to His law, and to subtract nothing from it (Deut.4:1-2).  The customs of men are VAIN (Jer.10:1-2).  Such customs distract people from the pure Word of Yahweh.  They cause people to lose their spiritual FOCUS, and they begin looking to human traditions and customs instead of to the inviolate and immutable Word of Yahweh. 

A Custom from BABYLON!
            The Second Jewish Book of Why informs us, “There are no regulations in the Bible that require men keep their heads covered.  The Bible does not even require headcoverings for men entering the sanctuary or participating in a religious rite or service.  Only Priests were required to wear headgear (Exo.28:4), and this when officiating at the Temple altar or when performing other priestly functions” (p.49).
            This same authority admits, “In talmudic times there was no established practice or binding law with regard to the covering of the head.”  However, it goes on, in Babylonia, during the exile after the sacking of Rome and burning of the Temple, Jews developed the custom of placing a kerchief over their head and recited a blessing.  Yet the Talmud states that the average man did not always keep his head covered.
            However, it was also in Babylon that scholars in particular wore a special headcovering which symbolized their status.  In the third century of the common era, Rabbi Chia bar Abba, a Babylonian born Palestinian, once reprimanded a fellow scholar for wearing a plain kerchief rather than a scholar’s cap on his head.  Over time, the custom of scholar’s wearing a special hat spread to the Jewish masses, “and it became increasingly common for the average man to wear a headcovering, especially when reciting prayers or studying” (p.49).

Covering the head with a kippa was Both Egyptian, and Babylonian in origin.
Ecclesiastical history of Scotland & Europe for the Roman Church and Celtic tonsures, " Those that followed the usage  of this pagan observance included the foreign churches who had their tonsure shorn in a circle, later to be replaced by the Kippa.
           

This habit of covering the head was Babylonian in origin. It did not prevail among the Jews in Palestine.  “In Palestine, a person in mourning generally followed the ancient custom of covering the head, but the Talmud indicates that those who came to comfort him and to recite prayers before him did not cover their heads.  The minor talmudic tractate Seforim, which was composed in Palestine, clearly states that a man with uncovered head may serve as the Torah Reader and may lead the congregation in reciting the Shema, something not permitted in Babylonian synagogues” (p.49-50).
The practice of Jewish men originated IN BABYLON!  It was a Babylonian pagan custom!  Originally, it was a scholarly custom, which later spread to Jewish men everywhere, and today it has become an identifying mark of Jews worldwide. 
Nevetheless, it is not Biblical in origin nor in practice! But it is totally pagan with the ancient religions. The Jews themselves admit that was a custom they developed or learned in BABYLON, THREE TO FOUR CENTURIES AD. AFTER - It is mere Babylonian “TRADITION”!

Paganism, Tradition and Judaism

This pagan custom had become intermingled with the children of God.  In sixteenth century Poland, a leading Rabbi quoted a German Rabbi who said it was “wrong to pronounce Yahweh ’s   name without a headcovering” (p.50).  But he said that he himself would not hesitate to do it without a headcovering.  Ironically, however, he declared, “Since other teachers have said it is not proper to pray without a headcovering, he will not contradict them and will support their view.” 
But what really matters?  The traditions of  MEN, or even Rabbis?  Or the plain Word of the Living God? 
No Jews in the three centuries BCE or three centurie A.D went about wearing headcoverings, kippahs, Yarmulkas or turbans.  Nowhere does the Word of Yahweh command that men should wear headcoverings.  This command was restricted to the priesthood alone, as they performed their sacred duties at the Temple.

Rabbis Report - Says the Jewish Book of Why, “It is clear that according to Jewish law that there is no compelling reason for Jews to wear a headcovering.  Nonetheless, for the reasons indicated above the BABYLONIAN CUSTOM of keeping one’s head covered not only during prayer but at all times became accepted by all traditional Jews” (page 51).

Says this authority, “the skullcap has no religious significance in Jewish law.  This has been affirmed over the centuries by outstanding authorities, including Rabbi Solomon ben Yechiel Luria (1510-1573), better known by the acronym Maharshal, and by Elijah ben Solomon (1720-1797)), better known as the Vilna Gaon.  In our own time, many authorities – even among the ultra-Orthodox – have pointed out that the custom of wearing a skullcap has no basis in biblical or rabbinical law” (p.100). So why do we do it?)

The practice of Jewish men originated IN BABYLON!  It was a Babylonian custom!  Originally, it was a scholarly custom, which later spread to Jewish men everywhere, and today it has become an identifying mark of Jews worldwide. 
Nevetheless, it is not Biblical in origin nor in practice!  The Jews themselves admit that was a custom they developed or learned in BABYLON, THREE TO FOUR CENTURIES after the Common Era and the Temple!  It is mere Babylonian “TRADITION”!
Paganism, Tradition and Judaism

Vishnu, Buddha & Osiris, and the Egyptian Bacchus and Tammuz - were symbolised by the "Tonsure" shaving of the head.

Over all the world, where the traces of the Chaldean system are found, this tonsure or shaving of the head is always found along with it. The priests of Osiris, the Egyptian Bacchus, were always distinguished by the shaving of their heads. In Pagan Rome, in India, and even in China, the distinguishing mark of the Babylonian priesthood was the shaven head. Thus Gautama Buddha, who lived at least 540 years BC, when setting up the sect of Buddhism in India which spread to the remotest regions of the East, first shaved his own head, in obedience, as he pretended, to a Divine command, and then set to work to get others to imitate his example. It is often customary for pilgrims on the Hajj to shave their heads before entering Mecca as a sign of their rejection of vanity and for cleanliness.

Yahweh expressly forbade to make any baldness (Tonsure) upon their heads (Lev. 21: 5),

One of the very titles by which he was called was that of the "Shaved-head." "The shaved-head," says one of the Purans, "that he might perform the orders of Vishnu, formed a number of disciples, and of shaved-heads like himself."
The high antiquity of this tonsure may be seen from the enactment in the Mosaic law against it. The Jewish priests were expressly forbidden to make any baldness upon their heads (Lev. 21: 5),which sufficiently shows that , even so early as the time of Moses, the "shaved-head" had been already introduced.

Priest of Catholic Church receive the Bacchus pagan circular tonsure

In the Church of Rome the heads of the ordinary priests are only clipped, the heads of the monks or regular clergy are shaven, but both alike, at their consecration, receive the circular tonsure, thereby identifying them, beyond all possibility of doubt, with Bacchus, "the mutilated Prince."
Now, if the priests of Rome take away the key of knowledge, and lock up the Bible from the people; if they are ordained to offer the Chaldean sacrifice in honour of the Pagan Queen of Heaven; if they are bound by the Chaldean law of celibacy, that plunges them in profligacy; if, in short, they are all marked at their consecration with the distinguishing mark of the priests of the Chaldean Bacchus, what right,what possible right can they have to be called ministers of our G-d Yahveh, they are definatley NOT ministers of any one else but Satan's representative. (Click here for more)

However, it is recorded in Tenach how the Jews were worshipping the Sun God at this time in history -

G-d said of their behaviour; Jer 44:  "because of their evil that they did to anger Me, to go to burn incense to worship the gods of others, whom they did not know...... do not perform this act of abomination that I detest,..So My wrath, My anger was poured out....... With complete disregard to G-d's orders, Israel continued; this is the report   vs 16, 17, 24, 25  "Rather we will indeed continue to fulfill everything that came from our mouths, to burn incense to the Queens of heaven, and we will pour out libations to her, as we did, we our fathers, our kings and our officers in the cities of Judah and in the Streets of Jerusalem when we were sated with food, lived well and saw no misfortune, for ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of the Heavens, and pouring ot libations tro her, we have lacked everything and we have perished by the sword, and by famine..... that we make for Her HOT CAKES (delicacies) to gladden her (Mary today) ......

Jeremiah chapter 44 is proof from the Tenach, that the Jews in the 6th, 5th 4th, 3rd, 2nd, centuries BCE were completely saturated in corrupt apostate worship of the "Sun God" worshipping system, the same system that is passed directly into the Christian and Catholic church today, with the Queen of heavens being Mary, and Tammuz, now being Jesus. And the HOT CAKES now being the "hot-cross-buns" of Easter, and the Kippa stayed on their heads today, and the Kippa passed over onto the heads of the Popes and the Cardinals today.

Thus our own god Thor was represented with a blazing circle on his breast. - (WILSON'S Parsi Religion, p. 31.) In Persia and Assyria the circle was represented sometimes on the breast, sometimes round the waist, and sometimes in the hand of the sun-divinity. - (BRYANT, vol. ii., Plates, pp. 216, 406, 409; and LAYARD'S Nineveh and Babylon, p. 160.) In India it is represented at the tip of the finger. - MOOR'S Pantheon, Plate 13, 'Vishnu.'

Hence the circle - the tonsure - the kippah became the emblem of Tammuz born again, or 'the seed.'

The circular tonsure of Bacchus was doubtless intended to point him out as 'Zero,' or 'the seed,' the grand deliverer. And the circle of light around the head of the so-called pictures of Christ was evidently just a different form of the very same thing, and borrowed from the very same source. The ceremony of tonsure, says Maurice, referring to the practice of that ceremony in India, 'was an old practice of the priests of Mithra, who in their tonsures imitated the solar disk.' - (Antiquities,vol. vii. p. 851. London, 1800.)
As the sun-god was the great lamented god, and had his hair cut in a circular form, and the priests who lamented him had their hair cut in a similar manner, so in different countries those who lamented the dead and cut off their hair7 in honour of them, cut it in the same circular form.
There were traces of that in Greece, as appears from the Electra of Sophocles (line 52, pp. 108, 109); and Herodotus particularly refers to it as practised among the Scythians when giving an account of a royal funeral among that people.

In ancient Babylon, Tammuz, the son of Queen Semiramis, was said to have been crucified with a lamb at his feet and placed in a cave. When a rock was rolled away from the cave’s entrance three days later, his body had disappeared. The ancients also symbolized the Sun as a baby in December. The Greek version of this religious system is very similar.  This is the worship system that angered Yahweh when Jereboam led the people down this track. 450BC, and was continued by the Pharasees, however, Satan's clever trick on humanity was to transfer this worship system over to a NEW deity called Jesus, and reintroduce a corrupt version of judaism with the Talmud, and entice the people to lose the name of the Creator God Yahweh to be replaced by 'Hashem"  and ultimately lose the 'Ten Commandment laws" to Satan's Noachide laws at the end of days. However, Satan has orchestrated a severe rift between Jews and christians as can be seen ; http://www.talmudunmasked.com/chapter8.htm
In Abhodah Zarah (22a) it says: "A Jew must not associate himself with gentiles because they are given to the shedding of blood." Likewise in Iore Dea (153,2): "An Israelite must not associate himself with the Akum [Christians] because they are given to the shedding of blood."In Iore Dea (81,7, Hagah) it says: "A child must not be nursed by a Nokhri, if an Israelite can be had; for the milk of the Nokhrith hardens the heart of a child and builds up an evil nature in him."  2. NOT AS A TEACHER In Iore Dea (153,1, Hagah) it says: "A child must not be given to the Akum (Christian) to learn manners, literature or the arts, for they will lead him to heresy."

It must be remembered; The Greek influence of the times over Judaism was responsible for many pagan tenets adopted by the Sanhedrin and the NEW  Sanhedrin will also be under the same pagan tenets with the Talmud.

"The body", says he, "is enclosed in wax. They then place it on a carriage, and remove it to another district, where the persons who receive it, like the Royal Scythians, cut off a part of their ear, shave their heads in a circular form," &c. - (Hist., lib. iv. cap. 71, p. 279.)"

Now, while the Pope, as the grand representative of the false Messiah, which is Satan himself received the circular tonsure himself, so all his priests to identify them with the same system are required to submit to the same circular tonsure, to mark them in their measure and their own sphere as representatives of that same false Messiah or Counterfeit G-d.

The 'kipa' that the Pope and his Cardinals wear is a mirror reflection of the circular tonsure, a symbol of the solar disk. The Catholic Pope and his Cardinals had it long before the Jews. And the pagan priests and peoples long before the Catholics. The Catholic Church is an extension of Babylon. But why must we Jews follow them? Some tribes in Africa and some South American Indians shave their heads in the exact form of a kipa also. Coincidence?
One Rabbi wrote - Quote: "I cannot in the conscience that G-d has given me, wear a kipa any longer. I will not be part of what I have come to see is a pagan symbol and that has absolutely no biblical basis, but associates the wearer and identifies the wearer with the sun god worship system, better known as Satan. Tamuz, his 'son' is the anti-Messiah. I am not talking about wearing a hat or head covering for a woman, or a hat for a man, but specifically the kipa (Yamulka). The kipa is not a hat or a bonnet or a cap. It is a specific pagan religious symbol of the sun god."

Jews for whatever reason, may not have intentionally copied it, I don't know, it is a relic from the Greek and Babylonian influences from 300B.C. but it is not for me to wear. How can I look at Yahveh when he sets up the Messianic Kingdom and declare that I have been a faithfull Jew if I continue to wear the heathen relics which are significant to show what club you belong to.

As a result of the evil the Jew are charged with by worshipping gods they did not know, Yahveh purposefully "Took-out-of-their-mouths" the ability to 'Speak" or understand His Sacred Name, when for centuries it was common knowledge, and in common use by the Jews. This is what G-d said:-

"Behold I swear by My Great Name said Yahveh, that My Name will no longer be mentioned (Uttered) in the mouths of any man of Judah....." Jer 44:24-30 Jews to this day will not utter His name.
Jews, up to this time referred to Him by His Sacred name,Gen 12:8 13:4 Today, Jews will argue, that they do not know the proper pronunciation of His Name, or they will say that it is Blasphemy and could be breaking the first four commandments if one was to utter it, so they have not only refused to utter it, but they have taken it one step further, they will not reproduce it in any other language other than Hebrew, and they have replaced it with either "Lord" (Adonai) or Hashem, a word which simply means "The Name" - Adherence to this practice is again strictly enforced by the Rabbinic power (Orthodoxy) over the people. However, there's a down side to this; Yahveh said that in the last days before He sets up the messianic kingdom, all of those who know Him will call Him by His Name. In other words, Genuine Jews who wish to practice wholesome worship to Yahveh will gladly call Him by His proper Name, They will not be intimidated by their Rabbis.

Is the bonnet or cap that Yahveh gave to Aaron and his sons, equal to the kipa? Where is this described? Not pictured by an artist who was not there, as we sometimes see as illustrations in books that talk about biblical things, but some reference that tells us exactly how the bonnet was shaped. For I cannot see how the God of Israel would forbid His People on the one hand, from shaving their heads or cutting their hair in a circle, and then order the priests to look like the pagan priests and people (mourning for the dead), around them.

Again I agree If you choose to wear it to identify with the religious Jewish People, then you are placing yourself symbolically under the authority of the Pharisees, for traditional Judaism is a direct descendant of them. The kipa is the Rabbinic religious symbol, of what one needs, in order to be covered before the Living God.Now, look at the Pope's (and his Cardinal's), 'kipa's' and please try and tell me what the essential difference is between theirs and the Jewish People's. I find that there is none. And the Pope had it many centuries before we Jewish People. And of course, it first came into use among the Babylonians as the circular tonsure.

More Rabbinic Control - In rabbinic law, one cannot wear tzit-ziot without a kipa. It is forbidden.

The bottom line is that the kipa is the physical representation of the clerical tonsure that Yahveh commands against in both Leviticus 19:27 and 20:3. The tonsure is the mark for the priests of the sun god, the tonsure being circular, representing the sun, as well as the kipa. The kipa is the religious symbol of Orthodox and Sefardic Judaism, and the one who wears it places themself under that heathen authority.

G-d chose the Hebrew nation because of His word to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and because of His love for Israel (Deut. 7:7-8). For more than 2,000 years, Jewish people have put on tefillin (also called phylacteries). According to Orthodox Judaism it's a Commandment from G-d. But is this really the will of G-d for His people Israel? If it is, then all men who call upon His Sacred Name Yahveh - (In Orthodox Judaism only men wear tefillin: 'Women, slaves, and minors, as well as those persons whose dead lay unburied' are 'exempt from wearing tefillin'.4 The biblical authority to wear tefillin are seen coming from four passages in Scripture: Ex. 13:9, 16; Deut. 6:8; 11:18.)
What Are Tefillin?
Tefillin are two small, black leather boxes attached to black leather straps that contain the four passages of Scripture mentioned above. One box is placed on the left arm by the biceps and the other is placed on the forehead by or on the hair. They are held in place by the straps. H.L. Ellison in The Illustrated Bible Dictionary tells us that the present form of tefillin,
'became standardized by the early years of the 2nd century AD and consists of two hollow cubes made of the skin of clean animals. They vary between 1.25 cm and 4 cm a side' (about half an inch to one and a half inches respectively). 'That for the head is divided into four equal compartments; that for the hand has no division. In them are placed the four passages Ex. 13:1-10; 13:11-16; Dt. 6:4-9; 11:13-21 written by hand on parchment (on four pieces for the head, on one for the hand). The phylacteries are attached to leather straps by which they are fastened to the left hand and the center of the forehead by the men before morning prayers, whether in the home or the synagogue, except on the sabbath (sic) and high festivals. They are put on after the' prayer 'shawl (tallit), that for the hand coming first.

Both they and the straps are always colored black. The phylactery for the head can be recognized by a three- and four-armed' sheen 5 'on its right and left sides.6
The Prayers For Wearing Tefillin
Before the tefillah (singular for tefillin), for the arm is put on, a prayer is offered. This prayer tells us that for the Orthodox Jew, the wearing of tefillin is seen as a Commandment from G-d. They say in Hebrew,
'Behold, in putting on tefillin I intend to fulfill the Commandment of my Creator, Who has commanded us to put on tefillin, as is written in His Torah: "Bind them as a sign upon your arm and let them be tefillin between your eyes."'7 (This last sentence comes from Deut. 6:8 although as we'll see, the Hebrew word is not tefillin but totafote, 'bands'.)

The idea that the wearing of tefillin is commanded by G-d is further seen in the next prayer which is said after the left arm tefillah is in place, but the straps haven't been tightened yet. The box goes on the biceps, the prayer is said, and then the straps are wound around the arm and hand seven and three times respectively while the other box on the forehead is also placed in a 'mystically significant manner.'8 It is wrapped in such a way as to form seven 'circles' around the forearm and three on the hand (forming three sheens). The seven circles around the forearm are said to make two sheens, one of three prongs and one of four 9 while that on the hand makes another sheen.

The prayer in between the placing of the arm tefillah and the tightening of the straps is, 'Blessed are You, Oh Lord our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with the Commandments and commanded us to put on tefillin.'10 This is twice they have said that G-d commanded them to wear tefillin.
The head tefillah is placed in the center of the forehead with yet a another prayer recited. The straps in the back are knotted so as to form the Hebrew letter dalet, and the arm strap by the hand is to be in the form of a yod. These three Hebrew letters form the name Shaddai (Almighty). Alfred Edersheim writes of their mystical significance:
'for their value and importance in the eyes of the Rabbis, it were impossible to exaggerate it. They were reverenced as highly as the Scriptures'. 'It was said that Moses had received the law of their observance from G-d on Mount Sinai; that the 'tephillin' were more sacred than the golden plate on the forehead of the high-priest, since its inscription embodied only once the sacred name of' Yahveh, while the tefillin 'contained it not less than twenty-three times'.11
For the Orthodox Jew, the wearing of tefillin is a Commandment from Heaven. The Chumash by Rabbi's Nosson Scherman and Meir Zlotowitz (Gen. Editors), confirms this. In a comment on Deut. 6:8, it states,
'The Torah commands that this passage be written and inserted into tefillin that are to be placed on the upper arm and on the head, above the hairline, directly above the space between the eyes.'12

They also tell us that Rashi got the idea where the four compartments (which house the parchments), came from. They are from two foreign words which both mean 'two' and when combined, form the Hebrew word totafote. The 'word tat, means two in Katpi and fas (faht), means two in Afriki, two ancient languages.'13 (The 'tat' will change with a different vowel to a 'tote' sound and likewise with 'faht' to 'fote' to make totafote, the rabbinic base for tefillin.) How this connection between the foreign words for 'two', and the four compartments of the tefillin was made, is hard to see but shows us how free association played an important part in Rashi's life (1040-1105 A.D.). Rashi's 'theology' is impregnated with it.
The Biblical Concepts Behind Tefillin

Rambam (1135-1204 A.D.), considered by many, the greatest Rabbi who ever lived, writes about the biblical concepts behind the wearing of tefillin:
'The two passages in this chapter' (Ex. 13), 'speak of the Exodus, which is basic to the Jew's awareness of his responsibilities to G-d, Who liberated him and made Israel a nation. The first two passages of Shema' (in Deut. 6, 11), 'express the concept that G-d is One and that we accept His Kingship, the concept of reward and punishment, and the responsibility to observe all the commandments. These principles must always be with us - upon the arm that symbolizes our capacity for action and is opposite the head, the seat of emotion; and upon the head, the abode of the intellectual soul and the power of memory which enable us to be conscious of our antecedents and obligations to do His will. The Torah repeats over and over that commandments are reminders of the Exodus from Egypt. Clearly, therefore, there is a dimension of the Exodus that affects the entire Torah.' 'This message of the Exodus is not only basic to our belief and existence, but it must be reiterated constantly. Therefore, we wear it on our person in the form of tefillin and recall it when we perform the commandments.'14

The concepts behind the wearing of tefillin are certainly biblical. But do they pertain to tefillin?

The Dating of Tefillin
R.L. Omanson in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia writes that the 'Letter of Aristeas (ca. 130 B.C.), refers to the practice as already old (verse 159).15 We think Aristeas may have been wanting us to view the tradition as coming from Mt. Sinai, and speaks of it as 'old' in this way. All rabbinic traditions are said to come from Mt. Sinai, and therefore supposedly lend God's authority to the tradition.
We also question the date that Omanson uses for the Letter as this would have given more than enough time for the practice of wearing tefillin to have been solidly established BC 100 - 160 years later. But it wasn't. Actually, there is much debate over the dating of the Letter. Even Omanson acknowledges that tefillin were 'unknown among the Samaritans; hence one view concludes that the custom must have developed after the Samaritan-Jewish schism (3rd cent. B.C.?).'16

The purpose of the Letter of Aristeas was 'to tell the story of the translation of the Septuagint (the first Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible).17 Unfortunately, as with some ancient writings, it takes great liberty in terms of historical accuracy. Aristeas, the alleged author, unknown in any other 'historical literature', was supposed to be a court official of King Ptolemy the 2nd Philadelphus of Egypt (285-246 B.C.).18 The story goes that because of the influence of Aristeas, the king sends to the High Priest in Jerusalem and receives 72 scribes who, in 72 days, present the Torah (the five books of Moses), in Greek to the king.19 The rest of the Hebrew Bible would be translated into Greek fifty to one hundred years later.
G.E. Ladd tells us that it 'is obvious that this story is fictional.'20 The Letter itself shows an author who lived long after the translation took place. Aristeas, 'reflects a knowledge and usage of the' Septuagint, something one would hardly expect from a new Greek translation. He also places in the mouth of the King of Egypt the obvious unhistorical saying that ascribes 'his throne to the Jewish G-d' (verse 37).21 And it seems that Aristeas' theology was a little off too. He writes in the Letter that the Jews, 'worship the same g-d as the Greeks but under a different name. Zeus is really the same as' Yahveh, the God of Israel (verse 16).22 Ladd goes on to say that the Letter is a 'piece of Hellenistic Jewish apologetic writing designed to commend the Jewish religion and the law (sic) to the Gentile world.'23 In other words, the Letter itself is a fictitious account of how the Septuagint came into being. It was designed to impress the Gentile world with God's Law.

The most important understanding for us though, is that Ladd says the 'date of the book is an almost insoluble problem. Scholars date it variously from 200 B.C. to 63 B.C.'24 - The Letter was written around 60 B.C. or later. Because Aristeas tells us that tefillin are 'old', they obviously must have been around, at least a generation before him. But we know from history, they still weren't a popular tradition among the common people. In other words, if everyone thought it was a Commandment to wear tefillin, all or most would have been doing so at this time in Jerusalem.
The irony of all this is that Aristeas, writing of the glory of the Septuagint and the 'ancient practice' of tefillin, doesn't seem to realize that the Septuagint marks the four passages out to be metaphorical. Edersheim writes about what can only be described as the beginning practice of tefillin, and what the Septuagint says about the passages:

'It is remarkable that Aristeas seems to speak only of the phylacteries on the arm, while Philo of those for the head, while the LXX' (Septuagint), 'takes the command entirely in a metaphorical sense.'25
When tefillin were first invented, it seems that only one tefillah was put on. Eventually it would grow to both. . And actually, Philo (20 B.C. to after 40 A.D.), of Alexandria, Egypt, was alive in this time and It seems that the practice hadn't really changed much since the writing of Aristeas' letter, to the time of Philo.. That's why the Letter couldn't have been written before 60 B.C. The wearing of only one tefillah seems to provide a time period that couldn't have been that great.
As for the traditional Jewish interpretation of the four passages that Orthodox Jews rely on today for tefillin (Ex. 13:9, 16; Dt. 6:8; 11:18), the Jewish translators knew nothing of this. They saw the passages in 'a metaphorical sense'. There were no tefillin when the Torah was translated into Greek.

The value of what the Septuagint says is seen from The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia which states:
'As the oldest of all ancient versions' (of the Hebrew Bible), 'the Septuagint is important for the text and interpretation of the Bible.'27
As late as 250 B.C. the Jewish people knew nothing of wearing a material object called tefillin in relation to fulfilling the four passages of Scripture. The Jewish people interpreted the texts as figurative and not literal. Tefillin didn't exist in 250 B.C. And as the Prophets and the Writings wouldn't be translated into the Septuagint till 50 to 100 years later, we also see that no revision of the Torah texts that are used to support tefillin, are ever made. In other words, if by 200 B.C. to 150 B.C., when the Prophets and the Writings were added to the Septuagint, if the Jewish people had begun wearing tefillin, the texts for the four passages in the Torah that the Rabbis claim to authorize tefillin would have been changed in the Septuagint from a 'metaphorical sense' to a literal one. But they weren't. Tefillin most likely appeared around 60 B.C.,
The Pharisees: First To Wear Tefillin

Currently, tefillin are only worn for morning prayer (Shaharit), usually around sun-up, six days a week, by all religious Jews over bar-Mitzva age (13). On the Sabbath no one wears tefillin as the Orthodox Jew considers the holiness of the Sabbath to override the need for tefillin.Where did they get this belief pattern?
Yet, the Pharisees were originally against wearing them for only prayer times.28 They wore them all day long. And there was considerable debate as to which should be worn; either the head or the arm, but not both. Philo, who lived during this time , shows us that when the Pharisees confronted Him, they most likely would have all been wearing the head tefillah as it would be the most noticeable. We don't generally tend to think this way, as to how the Pharisees looked, but this presents an accurate description of the scene. In wearing tefillah all day long. One record attests,
'the members of the Pharisaic confraternity wore them all day long. The practice itself, and the views and ordinances connected with it, are so characteristic of the party' But this is not supported by the Torah as a litteral object.29
rather it was one of the characteristics of the party to be noticed where ever they went, and it showed their authority over the common .

They wanted to be seen as very holy. That's why the Pharisees opted for the head tefillah. It seems that the Pharisees were the first group to wear tefillin. (Whis are the fore-runners of the Rabbinic today) The Illustrated Bible Dictionary tells us:
'Both the somewhat later Talmudic acknowledgment that they were not worn by the common people (am ha'aretz) and the failure of pagan writers to mention them indicate that they were still worn only by a minority of the people. We may be sure that all Pharisees wore them, not merely during morning prayer but throughout the hours of daylight. Their later restriction to the time of prayer was due to their providing an all too easy mark of recognition of the Jew in times of persecution.'30
Alfred Edersheim also affirms that why the Pharisees wore them:
'The admission that neither the officiating priests, nor the representatives of the people wore them in the Temple (Zebach. 19a,b), seems to imply that this practice was not quite universal.'31
Edersheim, in typical British understatement says, 'this practice was not universal.' If the common people, the Elders of Israel and the priests didn't wear tefillin, there isn't anyone left who could except the Pharisees.

The wearing of tefillin was one of several distinct marks of a Pharisee.- As such, no 'ordinary' Jew wore them.

Edersheim affirmed that tefillin didn't come from the days of Moses or any time near him:

'The very term used by the Rabbis for phylacteries - 'tephillin' prayer-fillets - is of comparatively modern origin, in so far as it does not occur in the Hebrew Old Testament. The Samaritans did not acknowledge them as of Mosaic obligation, any more than do the Karaite Jews'.33
With the Samaritans not wearing them, tefillin must have come upon the scene relatively late. If the Jews had been wearing them before 200 B.C., it's likely that the Samaritans would have worn them too, in imitation of the Jews.

But this is not the case. (Also, the Karaite Jews, a religious sect of Jews who don't accept the Talmud as divine, interpret the passages as figurative. They began around 700 A.D.)34

Another cite from the Talmud shows us that tefillin in 100 CE were not deemed obligatory. In other words, tefillin weren't solidly entrenched in tradition and it wasn't seen as a Commandment from G-d; every Jew didn't have to wear them. Sanhedrin 11:3 speaks of the Scribes being more authoritative than the Word of G-d. Of course that is very perverse. But our point is that the cite uses tefillin as an example that need not be practiced, for it was 'only' (supposed to be) G-d's word. As such, it shows us that tefillin could not have originated before 100 B.C. because not everyone was obligated to wear them. It states:

'It is more culpable to transgress the words of the Scribes than those of the Torah. He that says, "There are no tefillin", transgresses the word of the Torah, and is not to be regarded as a rebel (literally: is free)' [from punishment]; 'but he who says, "There are five compartments" (instead of four), to add to the words of the Scribes, he is guilty.'35

Here we see the Rabbis overstepping their authority. The scribe was held in greater esteem than G-d's Word. This is truly reprehensible but such was, and is, the case today. Many Jews run to their Rabbi to see how he might interpret a passage, even if the passage is plain to understand but goes against Jewish practice. Most Jews will stand on the side of their Rabbi, but not G-d's Word. Is it any wonder that the prophet Hosea and Jeremiah have scathing attacks on the Jewish Teachers at the end of days prophecy.

The quote about authority shows us that there was room for discussion on the subject of tefillin. In other words, it wasn't universally seen that one had to wear tefillin. This too reveals that the four passages of Scripture weren't seen as being literal or a Commandment. Tefillin were not a universal tradition in the Jewish people. But the use of it would become 'universal before the end of the 2nd century AD.'36

Tefillin were the same as the Heathen Magic Charms?

Although Rambam's concepts and meanings strike biblical cords, many common people, as well as Rabbis, appended other ideas to the wearing of tefillin. Edersheim and The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia speak of tefillin being regarded as 'magic charms' to ward off evil:

The 'Greek term 'phylacteries' for these 'tephillin,' is apt. 'It is now almost generally admitted, that the real meaning of phylacteries is equivalent to amulets or charms. And as such the Rabbinists really regarded and treated them, however much they might otherwise have disclaimed all connection with heathen views.' 'Many instances of the magical ideas attaching to these 'amulets' might be quoted; but the following will suffice.'

We 'have it expressly stated in an ancient Jewish Targum 37 (that on Cant. 8:3), that the 'tephillin' prevented all hostile demons from doing injury to any Israelite.'38

'phylacteries' The Greek word means 'safeguard,' 'means of protection,' 'amulet,' and as used in Mt. 23:5 is generally identified as the tefillin (lit. 'prayers'), small boxes containing Scripture verse'. 'Rabbinic literature indicates that the tefillin were equivalent to amulets or charms for some wearers, yet for many others they were a memorial of God's commandments'.39

GREEK PAGAN INFLUENCE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF TEFILLIN

As with most any religious object, tefillin took on superstitious qualities of its own. Yet here we see in an official Jewish work (the Targum on Cant. 8:3), that Judaism endorsed such superstition. And it's possible that tefillin began as a form of magic. There are some Jewish scholars that believe that tefillin actually 'originated as amulets.'40

The concepts behind tefillin that Rambam gave are divine. The prayers offered tell us that the wearing of them are a Commandment from God. The Septuagint told us that tefillin can't be as ancient as the Letter of Aristeas would have us to believe. And we've seen that it's creators, the Pharisees, wore them all day long, at least one tefillah, with many thinking of it as a magical charm to ward off evil. Was the Septuagint wrong for speaking of the passages in a metaphorical sense? More on this in a moment.
The reason for the institution of tefillin came from a literal rendering by the Pharisees of the four places in Scripture which speak of placing 'something' 'upon the hand and between the eyes'. Because of its importance, we've written out the Exodus passage as well as the two from Deuteronomy. This way one has 'a feel' for what Yahveh is saying to Israel and to us today:

Ex. 13:1-16: 'Then Yahveh spoke to Moses saying, 2. 'Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the Sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it belongs to Me.' 3. Moses said to the people, 'Remember this day in which you went out from Egypt, from the House of Slavery. For by a powerful Hand, Yahveh brought you out from this place. And nothing leavened shall be eaten.
4. On this day in the month of Aviv, you are about to go forth. 5. It shall be when Yahveh brings you to the Land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, which He swore to your Fathers to give you, a Land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall observe this rite in this month.
6. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a Feast to Yahveh. 7. Unleavened bread must be eaten throughout the seven days and nothing leavened shall be seen among you, nor shall any leaven be seen among you in all your borders. 8. You shall tell your son on that day, saying, 'It is because of what Yahveh did for me when I came out of Egypt.'
9. And it will be for you as a sign (oat) upon your hand, and as a reminder (zikaron) between your eyes, that the Torah of Yahveh may be in your mouth; for with a powerful Hand, Yahveh brought you out of Egypt!
10. Therefore, you shall keep this ordinance at its appointed time from year to year. 11. Now when Yahveh brings you to the Land of the Canaanite, as He swore to you and to your Fathers, and gives it to you, 12. you shall devote to Yahveh the first offspring of every womb, and the first offspring of every beast that you own; the males belong to Yahveh. 13. But every first offspring of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.
14. And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What is this?' Then you shall say to him, 'With a powerful Hand, Yahveh brought us out of Egypt, from the House of Slavery. 15. It came about, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that Yahveh killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore, I sacrifice to Yahveh the males, the first offspring of every womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.'
16. 'And it will be as a sign (oat) upon your hand and as bands (totafote) between your eyes, for with a powerful Hand Yahveh brought us out of Egypt.'

Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Deut. 6:4-7: 'Hear Oh Israel, Yahveh is our God! Yahveh is one! And you must love Yahveh your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. And these Commandments that I am giving you today must be upon your heart. And you must impress them upon your sons and talk of them when you sit in your home and when you walk on the road, and when you lie down and when you get up.'
Deut. 6:8-9: 'And you must bind them as a sign (oat) on your hand and they shall be as bands (totafote) between your eyes. And write them on the doorposts of our home and upon your gates.'
Deuteronomy 11:13-21

Deut. 11:13-17: 'It shall come to pass, if you will obey My Commandments which I am commanding you today, to love Yahveh your G-d and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul, that He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil. He will give grass in your fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied. Beware that your hearts are not deceived, and that you do not turn away and serve other g-ds and worship them or the anger of Yahveh will be kindled against you and He will shut up the Heavens so that there will be no rain and the ground will not yield its fruit; and you will perish quickly from the good land which Yahveh is giving you.'

QUESTION: "Have we been deceived to wear heathen relics?" "Have we been deceived to accept the Rabbinic in deluded faith?" Trying to change the Rabbinic back to the basics now would seem almost an impossibility. Is this what happened back in ages past when Jeremiah tried to tell the people to walk in the ways of Yahweh and drop the pagan traditions, and they threw him down a pit and told him to mind his own business. "What do you think the Rabbinic would say to you today, if all you did was to send them a copy of this document?" My guess is that you would be treated in similar manner. This pagan custom is so well entrenched with Talmadic Jews, christian, and is the same for Hindu, and  Islam -

Deut. 11:18: 'You must therefore place these words of Mine upon your heart and on your soul and you must bind them as a sign (oat) on your hand, and they shall be as bands (totafote) between your eyes.'
Deut. 11:19-21: 'You must teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up. You must write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates so that your days and the days of your sons may be multiplied on the Land which Yahveh swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the Heavens remain above the Earth.'
Yahveh 'owned' Israel by His mighty deliverance. As such, He was her King and entitled to direct the lives of His subjects whose devotion to Him meant that they would obey Him. It was the actual doing of the Feast and the redemption of the sons and animals (as well as the relating of it to the sons), that were to serve as a sign upon the hand and as a reminder and as bands between the eyes. This seems fairly evident. There is no request or commandment on Yahveh's part to make any physical object like tefillin. J. Gamberoni affirms this in the Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament:
'Literarily, the occasion or subject matter in Ex. 13:11-16 is specifically the law of the first-born; but the rhetorical situation (the child's question in Ex. 13:14; cf. v. 8) involves the exodus and the' Law 'in their entirety (cf. v. 9, the only occurrence in the Pentateuch of' the Torah of Yahveh), 'as is stated explicitly in De. 6:8; 11:18; 6:7; 11:19).41

Many people speak derogatorily about the Law of Moses as if by the mere mention of it, one could catch leprosy. But Moses didn't create the Commandments. He was 'only' a scribe for Yahveh. It's G-d's Law to His Bride, Israel. Here, in Ex. 13:9, it's called the Law of Yahveh which can also be called the Instruction or Teaching of Yahveh.
Gamberoni tells us that the celebration of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the rite of redemption for the firstborn, as well as the 'rhetorical situation' of the passing on of the faith to the sons, were to serve as the sign, reminder and band between the eyes. There is no mention of a physical object like tefillin, to be worn.
One of the most holy chapters in the Torah - In Deuteronomy six we see that all the Commandments were to be upon the heart and also passed along to the sons (vv. 6-7). The same holds true for Deuteronomy eleven. The words that Yahveh speaks (His Commandments), are to be upon the heart and to be taught to one's sons (vv. 18-19). There is no making of any tefillin. It seems quite obvious that the walking out of the Commandments are to serve as a sign upon the hand and as bands between the eyes.

Note too, that unlike the writing of His words upon the doorposts (Dt. 6:9; 11:20), there is no literal mention of any such thing for what is to go upon the hand, etc. Also, if one were to take these passages from Deuteronomy literally, then one would or should place all Yahveh's Commandments upon both the hand and between the eyes, not just a few verses from the Torah that seem to mention it.

The most questionable part of all the four passages is the word 'to tie' or 'to bind' them as a 'sign' or 'symbol' upon the hand. This is seen in both Deut. 6:8 and 11:18. (The passages in Ex. 13:9, 16 only have, 'and it will be as a sign upon your hand.) The word for bind is kashar and means, 'to bind, tie.'42 One could possibly read a material rendering into this phrase.
It's offset though, by the additional phrase, 'and they must be as bands between your eyes' in 6:8 and 11:18, which speak of the Commandments of Yahveh in a figurative way. For the phrase clearly implies 'as bands', referring to the Commandments, not any bands or tefillin.
On another note, we see that if the words of God were to be taken literally, and something placed between the eyes, it would have to sit upon the bridge of the nose, not upon the forehead by the hairline, as The Chumash states (p. 975), and as the practice is.
In Deut. 6:9; 11:20, it speaks of an actual writing of G-d's words, not in a box to be placed on the head, but on our doorposts. This, in direct contrast to the preceding verse which speaks of the sign upon our hands and the bands between our eyes. There is nothing mentioned about writing anything on our hands or between our eyes or in a box. (Hand in Hebrew also carries the understanding of arm. That's how the box can be placed by the biceps and the straps wrapped around the arm and hand.)

What is spoken of in the passages as being written are God's Words upon the doorposts and the gates (Dt. 6:9: 11:12). Nothing like this is said about the sign or the bands. With tzit-tziot (tassels), God again commands something to be made, and it's very evident from the wording (Num. 15:37-41):
Yahveh also spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the Sons of Israel and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the Commandments of Yahveh so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes after which you played the harlot, so that you may remember to do all My Commandments and be holy to your G-d. I am Yahveh your G-d who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your G-d; I am Yahveh your G-d."'

Here we see a plain set of instructions for making a religious object. The tassel is to be a sign, something that points to something else, and in this case, as was the case with the Exodus and Deuteronomy passages, it points to the remembering of Yahveh and His Commandments. Here it further states that Israel is to do the Commandments and not follow their own hearts. And the reason again is because Yahveh delivered them from Egyptian slavery to be His people. Nothing like this is seen for tefillin. There is no set of instructions on how to make them or any hint to do so. Obviously, the sign upon the hand and the bands between the eyes are meant as an admonition for us to always be reading and learning the Word of God (bands between our eyes), and doing it (as a sign upon our hands). We are to continually be aware of Yahveh,what He has done for us (salvation from Egypt and Satan), and His Commandments (to do them) as a way of walking in His will and expressing His reality to the world around us.

The Words
The four passages are almost identical in terms of the English words used to denote 'sign', 'reminder' and 'bands'. The only difference being 'reminder' in Ex. 13:9 is replaced three times by 'bands' in the other passages:
Ex. 13:9 sign (oat) reminder (zikaron)
Ex. 13:16 sign (oat) bands (totafote)
Deut. 6:8 sign (oat) bands (totafote)
Deut. 11:18 sign (oat) bands (totafote)
This helps us to further understand that the Lord never meant it to be taken literally. The passages in Exodus clearly show us that the observance of the Passover and the rite of the first born are meant to serve as a 'sign' and 'reminder'. There is nothing to substantiate tefillin here. The insertion of bands in Ex. 13:16 parallels reminder (13:9). This further reinforces that the redemption of the firstborn and the subsequent telling to the son are the sign upon the hand and the bands between the eyes. When we see the exact same words repeated in Deuteronomy, one is hard pressed to think that God wants us to make a material object such as tefillin. There are no biblical grounds for tefillin.
The Hebrew Word for Bands
The three Hebrew words used for sign, reminder and bands are oat, zikaron and totafote, respectively. The word totafote, which we have translated as bands, is always in the plural in Hebrew but sometimes, for no apparent linguistic or Scriptural reason, it's translated into English in the singular. And sometimes within the same Bible we find different words used for totafote (bands). It only appears three times in the Hebrew Bible, in our three passages (Ex. 13:16; Dt. 6:8; 11:18). An example of totafote changing in English is found in the NASB. They use phylacteries for Ex. 13:16 but change it to frontals for Dt. 6:8; 11:18. Here are a number of English translations for totafote, some Christian and some Jewish:
1. Frontlets: KJV; NKJV; Torah, Nivi'im and Kituvim: The Holy Scriptures According to the Masoretic Text; Torah, Nivi'im and Kituvim: The Holy Scriptures: A Jewish Bible According to the Masoretic Text.
2. Ornament: The Chumash (Ex. 13:16; Deut. 11:18)
3. Ornaments: The Chumash (Deut. 6:8)
4. Phylacteries: NASB (Ex. 13:16)
5. Frontals: NASB (Dt. 6:8; 11:18)
6. Symbol: NIV (Ex. 13:16); The NIV Interlinear Hebrew-English Old Testament
7. Symbols: NIV (Deut. 6:8; 11:18)
8. Bands: The NIV Interlinear Hebrew-English Old Testament (Deut. 6:8; 11:18)
The Chumash, the New International Version Bible, the New American Standard Bible and The NIV Interlinear Hebrew-English Old Testament switch from plural to singular. With the NASB, we see it deviates from calling it phylacteries in Ex. 13:16 to frontals in Dt. 6:8; 11:18, while The NIV Interlinear Hebrew-English Old Testament names it symbols in Ex. 13:16 but calls them bands in Dt. 6:8; 11:18. This only reflects the problem with trying to accurately translate totafote as no one is quite sure what it means.
For our purpose we've used bands to signify totafote. Benjamin Davidson tells us that the verb is not used and it seems to come from an Arabic word that means, 'to surround, bind round.'43 Brown, Driver and Briggs say that toe-tah-fote (totafote), is literally, 'bands, frontlet-bands, between the eyes.'44 Were there any such things in the ancient world? J. Gamberoni in the Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament tells us that there were objects placed upon the heads of pagans for religious purposes. Aside from the uraenus 45 and horns of the ancient Egyptians, there is,
'literary evidence for related ideas: 'Upon my belly, upon my back, I bear the word of the king my lord'; 'Behold, I have told you the best that is within me, let it stand as a firm rule before your eyes.' But there is no extrabiblical evidence for' totafote: bands 'itself.' 'A material or historical connection between' totafote 'and phylacteries. the Targum on 2 S. 1:10 and Middle Hebrew) is not to be assumed.'46
Gamberoni tells us that in the ancient world there were things that were placed upon the forehead but shows us that 'bands' in Exodus and Deuteronomy have no connection to these things. It can only be a figurative expression. This is also evident from the concept of the 'word' on the back, and the 'rule before' (between?), 'the eyes'. He states that the custom of wearing tefillin did not come from the Scriptures.
In Deut. 6:8 and 11:18, we read that the actual keeping of the Law was to act as a sign upon the hand and as bands between the eyes. This would go along with the figurative use of the phrases as seen above. No where does G-d speak of writing anything upon parchment, as is done with tefillin.

Francis Brown affirms Gamberoni's understanding that totafote are not to be taken literally. He writes that the concept for totafote (bands) is figurative and not physical:
figurative 'of (the) dedication of (the) firstborn', Ex. 13:16; 'of (the) commandments' of Yahveh, Dt. 11:18; 6:8. 'This injunction, orig. fig. for perpetual remembrance'. 'Now', 'taken literally by later Jews, and hence the custom of wearing phylacteries'.47
Gamberoni goes on to state that only a 'later age found in the' totafote 'the tefillin or phylacteries to be worn on the forehead'.48