)
Women are exempt from most time-bound positive commandments (primarily, though not exclusively, those observed outside the home). For example, since a tallit is worn only during the day and tefillin are donned only on weekdays, they are considered time-bound. Nevertheless, women who wish to wear a tallit may do so. Those who follow Ashkenazic practice recite the blessing; those who follow Sephardic practice do not. However, traditionally, women have not put on a tallit (or tefillin). Therefore, to avoid flaunting, a woman who wishes to put on a tallit should do so in private.
Wearing tefillin is more of an issue. As discussed above, tefillin must be treated with the utmost respect. This is why although men would ideally wear them throughout the day, they do not do so. (They wear them only at Shaĥarit, to fulfill the obligation, and then remove them.) It follows that women, who are not obligated in tefillin at all, should not wear them at all. There are also opinions that say when a woman is in menstruation, she should not wear tefillin. A woman who wishes to increase her mitzva observance should pray more and study more Torah, which are always beneficial. Nevertheless, if putting on tefillin is very important to a woman, and she is willing to deviate from the custom, she may do so in private, as has been the practice of a few righteous women throughout the ages.
