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Tefillin for Non-Jew

Could a person who is in the process of conversion wear Tefilin, is it even preferable that he should, so as to get accustomed in the mitzvot? Or just the boxes without the parchments?

Answer:

The Rambam writes that a non-Jew who performs mitzvos also receives reward, and according to his reasoning, there is no apparent reason to prevent a non-Jew from wearing tefillin.

However, some authorities have written that a non-Jew should not wear tefillin, based partly on the Radvaz (Melachim 10:9). See, at great length, Ateres Paz, Vol. 2, no. 2. sec. 4.

Note that although the Maharil, as cited by the Rema (Yoreh De’ah 291:2) writes that one does not give a mezuzah to a non-Jew, his concern was apparently for the non-Jew treating the scroll with disrespect, and this will not apply to a non-Jew studying for an upcoming conversion.

Some give a non-Jew tefillin without parchments to practice on (Ateres Paz, loc. cit., objects even to this), and there is room for leniency even for actual tefillin (see Sha’arei Hora’ah, Vol. 5, p. 165, in the name of Rav Chaim Kanievsky), though this is not common custom.

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