שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהֹוָ֥ה ׀ אֶחָֽד׃ וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּכׇל־לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכׇל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכׇל־מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃ וְהָי֞וּ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּךָ֛ הַיּ֖וֹם עַל־לְבָבֶֽךָ׃ וְשִׁנַּנְתָּ֣ם לְבָנֶ֔יךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֖ בָּ֑ם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֤ בְּבֵיתֶ֙ךָ֙ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ֣ בַדֶּ֔רֶךְ וּֽבְשׇׁכְבְּךָ֖ וּבְקוּמֶֽךָ׃ וּקְשַׁרְתָּ֥ם לְא֖וֹת עַל־יָדֶ֑ךָ וְהָי֥וּ לְטֹטָפֹ֖ת בֵּ֥ין עֵינֶֽיךָ׃ וּכְתַבְתָּ֛ם עַל־מְזֻז֥וֹת בֵּיתֶ֖ךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶֽיךָ׃ {ס}
Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day. Impress them upon your children. Recite them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol on your forehead; inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
וקשרתם לאות על ידך. אֵלּוּ תְּפִלִּין שֶׁבַּזְּרוֹעַ:
וקשרתם AND THOU SHALT BIND THEM [ … UPON THY HAND] — These are the Tephillin that are placed on the arm,
והיו לטטפת בין עיניך. אֵלּוּ תְּפִלִּין שֶׁבָּרֹאשׁ, וְעַל שֵׁם מִנְיַן פָּרָשִׁיּוֹתֵיהֶם נִקְרְאוּ טֹטָפוֹת, טט בְּכַתְפִּי שְׁתַּיִם פת בְּאַפְרִיקֵי שְׁתַּיִם (סנהדרין ד'):
לטטפות בין עיניך AND THEY SHALL BE FOR FRONTLETS BETWEEN THINE EYES — these are the Tephillin that are placed upon the head. It is in reference to the number of the Scriptural sections contained in them that they are termed טטפת, for טט denotes "two" in Katpi and פת in Afriki denotes "two" (Sanhedrin 4b; cf. Rashi on Exodus 13:16).
לְשֵׁם יִחוּד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּהּ בִּדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ, לְיַחֵד שֵׁם י"ה בו"ה בְּיִחוּדָא שְׁלִים בְּשֵׁם כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, הִנְנִי מְכַוֵּן בַּהֲנָחַת תְּפִלִּין לְקַיֵּם מִצְוַת בּוֹרְאִי שֶׁצִּוָּֽנוּ לְהָנִֽיחַ תְּפִלִּין כַּכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרָתוֹ וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת עַל־יָדֶֽךָ וְהָיוּ לְטֹטָפוֹת בֵּין עֵינֶֽיךָ וְהֵם אַרְבַּע פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת אֵֽלּוּ: שְׁמַע. וְהָיָה אִם־שָׁמֹֽעַ. קַדֶּשׁ־לִי. וְהָיָה כִּי־יְבִאֲךָ. שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶן יִחוּדוֹ וְאַחְדּוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ בָּעוֹלָם וְשֶׁנִּזְכֹּר נִסִּים וְנִפְלָאוֹת שֶׁעָשָׂה עִמָּֽנוּ בְּהוֹצִיאָֽנוּ מִמִּצְרָֽיִם וַאֲשֶׁר־לוֹ הַכֹּֽחַ וְהַמֶּמְשָׁלָה בָּעֶלְיוֹנִים וּבַתַּחְתּוֹנִים לַעֲשׂוֹת בָּהֶם כִּרְצוֹנוֹ. וְצִוָּֽנוּ לְהָנִֽיחַ עַל־הַיָּד לְזִכְרוֹן זְרֽוֹעַ הַנְּ֒טוּיָה וְשֶׁהִיא נֶֽגֶד הַלֵּב לְשַׁעְבֵּד בָּזֶה תַּאֲווֹת וּמַחְשְׁבוֹת לִבֵּֽנוּ לַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ. וְעַל־הָרֹאשׁ נֶֽגֶד הַמֹּֽחַ שֶׁהַנְּ֒שָׁמָה שֶׁבְּ֒מֹחִי עִם שְׁאָר חוּשַׁי וְכֹחוֹתַי כֻּלָּם יִהְיוּ מְשֻׁעְבָּדִים לַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ. וּמִשֶּֽׁפַע מִצְוַת תְּפִלִּין יִתְמַשֵּׁךְ עָלַי לִהְיוֹת לִי חַיִּים אֲרֻכִּים וְשֶֽׁפַע קֹֽדֶשׁ וּמַחֲשָׁבוֹת קְדוֹשׁוֹת בְּלִי הִרְהוּר חֵטְא וְעָוֹן כְּלָל וְשֶׁלֹּא יְפַתֵּֽנוּ וְלֹא יִתְגָּרֶה־בָֽנוּ יֵֽצֶר הָרָע וְיַנִּיחֵֽנוּ לַעֲבֹד אֶת־יְיָ כַּאֲשֶׁר עִם־לְבָבֵֽנוּ. וִיהִי רָצוֹן לְפָנֶֽיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ שֶׁתְּהֵא חֲשׁוּבָה מִצְוַת הֲנָחַת תְּפִלִּין לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כְּאִלּוּ קִיַּמְתִּֽיהָ בְּכָל־פְּרָטֶֽיהָ וְדִקְדּוּקֶֽיהָ וְכַוָּנוֹתֶֽיהָ וְתַרְיַ"ג מִצְוֹת הַתְּ֒לוּיוֹת בָּהּ אָמֵן סֶֽלָה:
For the sake of the unification of the Holy One, Blessed be He, and His Divine Presence, with fear and love and love and fear, to unify the Name of Yud Hei with Vav Hei with a complete unity, in the name of all Israel. Behold, in placing the tefillin [upon myself], I intend to fulfill the commandment of my Creator, Who commanded us to place tefillin; as it is written in His Torah (Deuteronomy 6:8), “Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol on your forehead.” And they are four sections [from the Torah]: Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-8); And it shall be if you will truly listen (Deuteronomy 11:13-21); Sanctify (Exodus 13:1-10); And it shall be when He brings you (Exodus 12:11-17) – since within them they contain His unity and oneness in the world, may His name be blessed; and [through them,] we can remember His miracles and wonders when He took us out of Egypt, and that He has the power and control over the higher beings and the lower beings to do what He wants with them. And He commanded us to place it upon the arm in memory of the ‘extended forearm’ (with which He took us out of Egypt); and that it be across from the heart in order to subjugate the desire and thoughts of our heart for His service, may His name be blessed. And upon the head across from the brain, such that the soul in my brain – along with all my other senses and powers – be subjugated to His service, may His name be blessed. And may the bounty from the commandment of tefillin flow upon me, such that I should have long life, holy bounty, holy thoughts – free from any conjectures of sin or transgression – such that the evil impulse not seduce us or disturb us, but leave us to serve the Lord, as it is in our hearts. And may it be Your will before You, Lord our God and God of our fathers that [this] commandment of tefillin be considered before the Holy One, blessed be He, as if I fulfilled it in all of its details, all of its minutiae and all of its intentions – [as well as] the 613 commandments that are dependent upon it. Amen, Selah.
אונקלוס בר קלונימוס איגייר שדר קיסר גונדא דרומאי אבתריה משכינהו בקראי איגיור הדר שדר גונדא דרומאי [אחרינא] אבתריה אמר להו לא תימרו ליה ולא מידי כי הוו שקלו ואזלו אמר להו אימא לכו מילתא בעלמא ניפיורא נקט נורא קמי פיפיורא פיפיורא לדוכסא דוכסא להגמונא הגמונא לקומא קומא מי נקט נורא מקמי אינשי אמרי ליה לא אמר להו הקב"ה נקט נורא קמי ישראל דכתיב (שמות יג, כא) וה' הולך לפניהם יומם וגו' איגיור [כולהו] הדר שדר גונדא אחרינא אבתריה אמר להו לא תשתעו מידי בהדיה כי נקטי ליה ואזלי חזא מזוזתא [דמנחא אפתחא] אותיב ידיה עלה ואמר להו מאי האי אמרו ליה אימא לן את אמר להו מנהגו של עולם מלך בשר ודם יושב מבפנים ועבדיו משמרים אותו מבחוץ ואילו הקב"ה עבדיו מבפנים והוא משמרן מבחוץ שנאמר (תהלים קכא, ח) ה' ישמר צאתך ובואך מעתה ועד עולם איגיור תו לא שדר בתריה
The Gemara mentions other Romans who converted to Judaism. It relates: Onkelos bar Kelonimos converted to Judaism. The Roman emperor sent a troop [gunda] of Roman soldiers after him to seize Onkelos and bring him to the emperor. Onkelos drew them toward him with verses that he cited and learned with them, and they converted. The emperor then sent another troop of Roman soldiers after him, and said to them: Do not say anything to him, so that he cannot convince you with his arguments. The troops followed this instruction, and took Onkelos with them. When they were walking, Onkelos said to the troop of soldiers: I will say a mere statement to you: A minor official [nifyora] holds a torch before a high official [apifyora], the high official holds a torch for a duke [dukasa], a duke for the governor, and the governor for the ruler [koma]. Does the ruler hold a torch before the common people? The soldiers said to Onkelos: No. Onkelos said to them: Yet the Holy One, Blessed be He, holds a torch before the Jewish people, as it is written: “And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light” (Exodus 13:21). They all converted. The emperor then sent another troop of soldiers after him, to bring Onkelos, and said to them: Do not converse with him at all. The troops followed this instruction, and took Onkelos with them. While they grabbed him and were walking, Onkelos saw a mezuza that was placed on the doorway. He placed his hand upon it and said to the soldiers: What is this? They said to him: You tell us. Onkelos said to them: The standard practice throughout the world is that a king of flesh and blood sits inside his palace, and his servants stand guard, protecting him outside; but with regard to the Holy One, Blessed be He, His servants, the Jewish people, sit inside their homes and He guards over them outside. As it is stated: “The Lord shall guard your going out and your coming in, from now and forever” (Psalms 121:8). Upon hearing this, those soldiers also converted to Judaism. After that, the emperor sent no more soldiers after him.
יְֽהֹוָ֗ה יִשְׁמׇר־צֵאתְךָ֥ וּבוֹאֶ֑ךָ מֵ֝עַתָּ֗ה וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם׃ {פ}
The LORD will guard your going and coming now and forever.
נתינתה בטפח החיצון: הגה י"א כשאדם יוצא מן הבית יניח ידו על המזוזה (מהרי"ל שם ומוכח בעבודת כוכבים דף י"א) ויאמר ה' ישמר צאתי וגו' (במדרש) וכן כשיכנס אדם לבית יניח ידו על המזוזה:
Its placement is in the outer tefah. Rama: There are those who say that when a person leaves his house, he puts his hand on the Mezuzah there and says “God will guard my going, etc.” And so too when one enters a house, one puts his hand on the Mezuzah.
חַיָּב אָדָם לְהִזָּהֵר בִּמְזוּזָה מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִיא חוֹבַת הַכּל תָּמִיד. וְכָל זְמַן שֶׁיִּכָּנֵס וְיֵצֵא יִפְגַּע בְּיִחוּד הַשֵּׁם שְׁמוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְיִזְכֹּר אַהֲבָתוֹ וְיֵעוֹר מִשְּׁנָתוֹ וְשִׁגְיוֹתָיו בְּהַבְלֵי הַזְּמַן. וְיֵדַע שֶׁאֵין דָּבָר הָעוֹמֵד לְעוֹלָם וּלְעוֹלְמֵי עוֹלָמִים אֶלָּא יְדִיעַת צוּר הָעוֹלָם. וּמִיָּד הוּא חוֹזֵר לְדַעְתּוֹ וְהוֹלֵךְ בְּדַרְכֵי מֵישָׁרִים. אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים כָּל מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ תְּפִלִּין בְּרֹאשׁוֹ וּבִזְרוֹעוֹ וְצִיצִית בְּבִגְדוֹ וּמְזוּזָה בְּפִתְחוֹ מֻחְזָק הוּא שֶׁלֹּא יֶחֱטָא שֶׁהֲרֵי יֵשׁ לוֹ מַזְכִּירִין רַבִּים וְהֵן הֵם הַמַּלְאָכִים שֶׁמַּצִּילִין אוֹתוֹ מִלַּחֲטֹא שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהילים לד ח) ״חֹנֶה מַלְאַךְ יְיָ׳ סָבִיב לִירֵאָיו וַיְחַלְּצֵם״:
A person should pay heed to the precept of the Mezuzah; for it is an obligation perpetually binding upon all. Whenever one enters or leaves a home with the Mezuzah on the doorpost, he will be confronted with the Declaration of God's Unity, blessed be His holy name; and will remember the love due to God, and will be aroused from his slumbers and his foolish absorption in temporal vanities. He will realize that nothing endures to all eternity save knowledge of the Ruler of the Universe. This thought will immediately restore him to his right senses and he will walk in the paths of righteousness. Our ancient teachers said: He who has phylacteries on his head and arm, fringes on his garment and a Mezuzah on his door may be presumed not to sin, for he has many monitors—angels that save him from sinning, as it is said, (Psalms 34:8) "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him and delivereth them".