הַמִּתְפַּלְלִים בְּאַרְבָּעָה זוּגוֹת תְּפִלִּין כָּךְ נוֹהַגִים: א) מַנִיחִים תְּפִלִּין שֶׁל יַד וּתְפִלִּין שֶׁל רֹאשׁ דְרַשִׁ"י קוֹדֶם אֲמִירַת פֶּרֶק אֵיזֶהוּ, וּמִתְפַּלְלִים בָּהֶם עַד אַחֲרֵי אַךְ צַדִּיקִים גו'. ב) מְסִירִים תְּפִלִּין שֶׁל רֹאשׁ דְרַשִׁ"י, וּמַנִיחִים — בְּלֹא בְּרָכָה — תְּפִלִּין שֶׁל רֹאשׁ דְשִׁמוּשָׁא רַבָּא וְקוֹרְאִים שְׁמַע גו' עַד אֱמֶת וְאוֹמְרִים מִזְמוֹרֵי תְּהִלִּים כְּפִי שֶׁנֶּחֱלַק לִימֵי הַחֹדֶשׁ. וְהַמְהַדְרִים הָיוּ לוֹמְדִים אוֹתָם עִם פֵּרוּשׁ רַשִׁ"י וּמְצוּדוֹת. ג) אַחַר כָּךְ מַנִיחִים תְּפִלִּין דְרַבֵּנוּ תַּם — בְּלֹא בְּרָכָה — וְקוֹרְאִים שְׁמַע גו' עַד אֱמֶת, פָּרָשַׁת קַדֵּשׁ גו' וְהַזְכִירוֹת שֶׁנִּדְפְּסוּ בַּסִּדּוּר. וְלוֹמְדִים פֶּרֶק מִשְׁנָיוֹת כָּל אֶחָד לְפִי הֲבָנָתוֹ. ד) מְסִירִים תְּפִלִּין שֶׁל רֹאשׁ דְרַבֵּנוּ תַּם וּמְנִיחִים תְּפִלִּין שֶׁל רֹאשׁ דְרַאְבַ"ד — בְּלֹא בְּרָכָה — וְקוֹרְאִים שְׁמַע גו' עַד אֱמֶת וְלוֹמְדִים פָּרָשָׁה חוּמָשׁ עִם פֵּרוּשׁ רַשִׁ"י — מִפָּרָשַׁת הַשָּׁבוּעַ: יוֹם א' עַד שֵׁנִי בְּיוֹם בּ' פָּרָשָׁה בּ' וכו'.

Those who put on four pairs of tefillin1 in the course of the Morning Prayers should follow this order: (1) The arm-tefillin and head-tefillin of Rashi2 are put on before Eizehu mekoman is recited,3 and while wearing them one continues with the Morning Prayers until one has completed the verse beginning Ach tzaddikim.4 (2) The head-tefillin of Rashi are removed, and replaced — without a blessing — by those of [the author of] Shimusha Rabba.5 The Shema is recited until Emes,6 and chapters of Tehillim are recited as apportioned for the days of the month.7 Some punctilious chassidim would study the daily reading of Tehillim with the commentaries of Rashi and Metzudos. (3) One [removes these tefillin and] puts on the tefillin of Rabbeinu Tam — without a blessing — and recites the Shema until Emes,1379 the passage beginning Kadesh,8 and the Six Remembrances that appear in the Siddur.9 One then studies a chapter of Mishnayos according to his level of understanding. (4) The head-tefillin of Rabbeinu Tam are removed, and replaced — without a blessing — by those of Raavad.10 One recites the Shema until Emes,1379 and studies the part of the week’s Sidra (with the commentary of Rashi) that corresponds to the day of the week; that is, on Sunday until Sheni, on Monday until Shlishi, and so on.11

To Fill In the Background

The fact that in HaYom Yom the Rebbe included customs that had never been previously revealed is significant. On the one hand, he was not merely communicating theoretical information; he wanted his chassidim to observe them, even though some of them entail unaccustomed halachic stringencies. The Rebbe explained on occasion that though certain customs were not widely observed in previous generations, they should nevertheless be observed today, and gave two reasons for this:

(a) The arrival of Mashiach is near, and the observance of such customs endows us with sensors that enable us to enjoy a foretaste of the spiritual light that will characterize the coming era.

(b) The observance of such customs draws down spiritual influences that help to banish the last vestiges of the darkness that prevails in the present era of exile.

On the other hand, some such practices are obviously not for everyone. As the Rebbe once said: “It is common knowledge that one ought not grasp at supplementary optional observances (hiddurim) that are not in keeping with one’s own general standards. Moreover, there is sometimes a risk that one will regard the embellishment as if it were the nucleus of the mitzvah, which in turn will not be given its rightful attention.”12

A classic instance of this directive is the above-described practice of putting on four pairs of tefillin, because in order to do this, as the Rebbe explains, “one’s body has to be exceptionally pure.” The Rebbe goes on to say that with regard to duties warranted by the Torah, such as the tefillin of Rashi and Rabbeinu Tam, since “the Torah was not given to the ministering angels,”13 the Torah takes the responsibility upon itself, so to speak. By contrast, with regard to practices observed by very few people (the Torah not having obligated everyone to observe them), the individual responsibility is greater.14

In cases of doubt, one clearly needs a mashpia, a spiritual mentor whocan help him determine which optional observances are relevant to him, which of them should wait, and which really belong to someone else.