Definition

Noun: 1. A small leather case containing scriptural passages: In Judaism, a phylactery is one of two small, black leather boxes containing strips of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah. They are worn during weekday morning prayers by observant Jewish men. 2. A religious amulet or charm: More broadly and historically, the term can refer to any small object worn as a protective charm against evil or harm.

Usage and Examples

• Noun (Judaism):
  • He carefully placed the phylactery on his forehead before beginning his morning prayers.
  • The rabbi explained the significance of the texts inside the phylactery.
• Noun (General/Historical):
  • The ancient traveler wore a phylactery around his neck, believing it would ward off illness.

Advanced Usage

• "To make broad one's phylactery": This is an idiomatic expression derived from a biblical reference (Matthew 23:5). It means to make a showy, ostentatious display of one's piety or religious observance.
  • His public donations felt less like charity and more like making broad his phylactery.

Variants and Related Words

• Tefillin (n): The Hebrew term for the pair of phylacteries. This is the more common and specific term used within Jewish practice.
  • He put on his tefillin every morning.
• Amulet (n): A general term for a charm worn to protect against evil, similar to the broader sense of "phylactery."

Synonyms

• Charm: An object believed to bring good luck or ward off evil.
• Talisman: An object, typically an inscribed ring or stone, thought to have magic powers and to bring good luck.
• Reliquary: A container for holy relics, though this is distinct in purpose from a phylactery.

Notes on Meaning

The primary and most precise meaning of "phylactery" is the Jewish religious object (tefillin). The broader meaning of a general protective amulet is archaic and less common in modern usage. The word often carries a historical or scholarly tone.

Noun

1. (Judaism) either of two small leather cases containing texts from the Hebrew Scriptures (known collectively as tefillin); traditionally worn (on the forehead and the left arm) by Jewish men during morning prayer