Question:
Hi, my son's bar mitzvah is soon. I bought his tefillin a few years ago from Israel for relatively cheap. I would like to get them checked by a local sofer to be sure and because they weren't worn. Someone I know has a friend who offered to sponsor what I paid for the tefillin, and wants to know how much I spent total. Can I include the amount for checking in the amount I tell them? Thanks.
Answer:
Hello,
Tefillin need to be checked before using them, especially the way you are describing it, that you got them for a “cheap” price. Often there can be problems with the parshios, and they need to be checked, (unless you know that they were already checked), and it is part of the normal expenses of buying tefillin. Therefore, you can include it in the price.
Mazal Tov on the Bar Mitzva