The Beginner's Guide: Tefillin- What and Why?

1. A positive commandment from the Torah. Putting on tefillin is a positive commandment from the Torah, as it states "And it shall be for a sign upon your hand and for a memorial between your eyes, so that Hashem's law may be in your mouth, for with a strong hand Hashem brought you out of Egypt" (Exodus 13:9), and also "And it shall be a sign upon your hand and as frontlets between your eyes, for with a strong hand Hashem brought us out of Egypt" (Exodus 13:16). The mitzvah of tefillin is also repeated in Deuteronomy: "And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes" (Deuteronomy 6:8), and "And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes" (Deuteronomy 11:18).

2. Connect with Hashem. The four sections of the tefillin contain the core principles of Jewish faith: the section of 'Shema' – accepting the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven; the section of 'Vehaya im shamoa' – accepting the yoke of commandments; the section of 'Kadesh' – the miracle of the Exodus from Egypt; and the section of 'Vehaya ki yeviacha' – the miracle of the beginning of the Jewish nation at the Exodus and the proof of the divine providence of Hashem.

These foundations of Judaism are attached daily to our bodies against the brain, hand, and heart. When we place the head tefillin (against the place of thought) and the hand tefillin (against the heart - the place of emotions, and upon the hand – the source of action), we express our desire to devote our thoughts, emotions, and actions to fulfilling Hashem's will, thereby elevating and connecting with our Creator.

3. Bear witness to belief in the Creator. Tefillin is a sign of the covenant between us and Hashem. When a Jew puts on tefillin, it testifies his belief in the Creator, thereby tying himself to Hashem. Just as a Jew ties his belief in the Creator to his heart and mind as a seal, so too, does Hashem place His presence upon us, His chosen people.

As Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim Luntschitz, the author of 'Kli Yakar' on the Torah, writes: "And this is the matter of the connection of tefillin - just as we tie the uniqueness of Hashem as a seal upon our hearts and arms, Hashem places us as a seal upon His heart and arm, to make us one nation on earth. And this is the connection between us and our Creator, where both testify to each other on the matter of unity."

4. Receive divine light into the soul. Tefillin absorbs divine light and channels it into the soul residing in the brain – the place of thoughts, and into the spirit residing in the heart – the place of emotions. In this way, a Jew receives inner light, which enhances his daily functions to be more efficient and qualitative. The person also receives positive energies and joy in life.

This spiritual illumination projected into the soul when placing tefillin improves cognitive function and memory and helps maintain positive emotions throughout the day. It has even been demonstrated through aura photography that after placing tefillin, a person's aura changes to a color indicative of a higher spiritual level. Moreover, physicist Dr. Eric Nave's research has shown that tefillin energizes the human body.

5. Bestow heavenly kindnesses upon oneself. From the tefillin extend two straps – one to the right and one to the left. According to Kabbalistic teachings, the right strap symbolizes the attribute of kindness, and the left strap symbolizes the attribute of strength. The right strap is longer than the left, thus, a Jew who places tefillin increases the abundance of kindness upon himself.

6. Gain prolonged life. In the Talmud, it is stated "Reish Lakish said: Whoever places tefillin will have a long life, as it is said: 'Hashem upon them shall they live'" (Masechet Menachot, page 44), and Rashi explains: "Those who bear the name of Hashem in the tefillin shall live."

7. Remedy for depression, anxiety, and stress. Dr. Stephen Schram, an expert in acupuncture and chiropractic, published an article in the British Journal of Chinese Medicine titled "Tefillin: An Ancient Acupressure Point for Achieving Mental Clarity." He proves that the contact points of the head and hand tefillin correspond to the same acupressure points used in Chinese medicine for mental, physical, and emotional healing. According to Chinese medicine, placing tefillin creates various positive effects on the body and mind by improving thinking, contributing to mental relaxation, preventing depression, anxiety, and stress, improving concentration problems, enhancing memory, boosting the immune system, and more.

The Weekly Challenge

Start this week by placing tefillin, and to begin, place tefillin with the recitation of just the Shema, or even with just the first verse "Shema Yisrael," and in just five minutes, you will fulfill a significant mitzvah.

Note: Tefillin are placed daily except on Shabbat and the five festivals mentioned in the Torah (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Passover, and Shavuot). The reason tefillin are not placed on Shabbat is because Shabbat itself is a sign between Hashem and Israel, as it is written "Keep my Sabbaths, for it is a sign between me and you" (Exodus 31:13). If one were to place tefillin on Shabbat, also a sign, as it is written "And it shall be for a sign upon your hand" (Exodus 13:9), it would diminish the sign of the Shabbat. This is also the reason why tefillin are not placed on a festival, which is also a sign.

Want to take part in the "Vekashtem" project by Hidabroot?

You can participate in the initiative in three ways:
1. Business owner? Employee in a company? Invite a tefillin stand at no cost to your workplace. Like the successful and longstanding initiative by Chabad, you can benefit passersby, employees, and customers, gaining double - the mitzvah of connection and free love while deepening the relationship with people you meet in your work. Joy is guaranteed!

2. Have old tefillin at home? Do they belong to you or a deceased family member? At Hidabroot, we will check the tefillin and give them to Jews who will joyfully place them thanks to you. This way, you can connect Jews to the Creator and also benefit the family member to whom the tefillin belonged. Contact us today.

3. Take part in purchasing tefillin for our brothers who have yet to merit placing tefillin. Every shekel counts and contributes to all the stands spread throughout the country. Call and be partners in free love.

You can read more about the initiative here.

To participate in the initiative in any way you choose, call:073-3333-343

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Read also:

The Beginner's Guide: How to Place Tefillin?

Check Yourself: Do You Place Tefillin Properly?

According to Chinese Medicine: Tefillin – A Cure for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress

10 Especially Interesting Facts About Placing Tefillin