– Q. My son is about to become Iy”H Bar Mitzva three weeks after Tisha Beav. We have a minhag that our Bar Mitzva bochurim don Tefilin a month before. We were able to acquire for him an unusually excellent pair of Tefilin both by the maker and the Sofer who wrote the parshios. He is extremely happy about them. Can he recite Shecheyanu when he puts them on first time (it is durig the 9 Days)?

A. Horav Yaakov Hirschman Shlit”a mentioned that the tradition is not to recite Shecheyanu on leather goods at all, since it involves the death of a living being.

Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is that one does not recite Shecheyanu on acquiring new tefilin since after all “Mitzvos Lav Lehenos Nitnu” (Mitzvos were not given for their pleasure).

Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Yaakov Hirschman, Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller, Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu and Horav Kalman Ochs Shlit’a.