Tefillin: God's Wedding Ring

(4) HEAR, O ISRAEL: THE LORD IS OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE. (5) And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (6) And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart; (7) and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (8) And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes. (9) And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates.

(21) And I will betroth thee unto Me for ever; Yea, I will betroth thee unto Me in righteousness, and in justice, And in lovingkindness, and in compassion. (22) And I will betroth thee unto Me in faithfulness; And thou shalt know the LORD.

Whoever reads the Shema' without Tefillin is as though he spoke false testimony against himself[3]. ... R. Johanan also said[4]: Whoever wishes to receive upon himself the yoke of the kingdom of heaven in perfection should first use the bathroom[5], then wash his hands, lay Tefillin, read the Shema' and offer his prayers — that is receiving the kingdom of heaven in perfection. R. Hiyya b. Abba said in the name of R. Johanan :Whoever does this, the Scriptures ascribe it to him as though he had erected an altar and brought a sacrifice thereon ; as it is written,"I will wash my hands in cleanliness ; so will I compass Thine altar, O Lord" (Ps. xxvi. 6).

The phylactery of the hand is bound on the left arm over the biceps muscle which is the flesh that stands out on the upper arm that is between the shoulder blade and forearm, so that when the upper arm is held close to the ribs, the phylactery will be opposite the heart and thus the precept will be fulfilled, " And these words ... shall be upon your hear." (Deut 6:6)

(1) And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: (2) ’Sanctify unto Me all the first-born, whatsoever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast, it is Mine.’ (3) And Moses said unto the people: ‘Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place; there shall no leavened bread be eaten. (4) This day ye go forth in the month Abib. (5) And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which He swore unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month. (6) Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD. (7) Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee, in all thy borders. (8) And thou shalt tell thy son in that day, saying: It is because of that which the LORD did for me when I came forth out of Egypt. (9) And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thy hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in thy mouth; for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt. (10) Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.

(11) And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanite, as He swore unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee, (12) that thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the womb; every firstling that is a male, which thou hast coming of a beast, shall be the LORD’s. (13) And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break its neck; and all the first-born of man among thy sons shalt thou redeem. (14) And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying: What is this? that thou shalt say unto him: By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage; (15) and it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go that the LORD slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the first-born of man, and the first-born of beast; therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all that openeth the womb, being males; but all the first-born of my sons I redeem. (16) And it shall be for a sign upon thy hand, and for frontlets between your eyes; for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.’

(1) When Israel was a child, then I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son.

(4) HEAR, O ISRAEL: THE LORD IS OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE. And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. ...

(13) And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto My commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, (14) that I will give the rain of your land in its season, the former rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. (15) And I will give grass in thy fields for thy cattle, and thou shalt eat and be satisfied. (16) Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; (17) and the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and He shut up the heaven, so that there shall be no rain, and the ground shall not yield her fruit; and ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you. (18) Therefore shall ye lay up these My words in your heart and in your soul; and ye shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. (19) And ye shall teach them your children, talking of them, when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (20) And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates; (21) that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, upon the land which the LORD swore unto your fathers to give them, as the days of the heavens above the earth.