(א) והיה לך לאות על ידך ולזכרון בין עיניך למען תהיה תורת יקוק בפיך
שיעורו והיה לך לאות על ידך ולזכרון בין עיניך כי ביד חזקה הוציאך יקוק ממצרים למען תהיה תורת יקוק בפיך ופי' שתכתוב על ידך ועל בין עיניך יציאת מצרים ותזכור אותה תמיד, למען שתהיה תורת יקוק בפיך לשמור מצותיו ותורותיו כי הוא אדוניך הפודך מבית עבדים:
מתני׳ (דברים כ, ח) ויספו השוטרים לדבר אל העם וגו'
ר' עקיבא אומר הירא ורך הלבב כמשמעו שאינו יכול לעמוד בקשרי המלחמה ולראות חרב שלופה
רבי יוסי הגלילי אומר הירא ורך הלבב זהו המתיירא מן העבירות שבידו לפיכך תלתה לו התורה את כל אלו שיחזור בגללן
גמ׳ כמאן אזלא הא דתניא שח בין תפילה לתפילה עבירה היא בידו וחוזר עליה מעורכי המלחמה כמאן כר"י הגלילי
(לט) וְיָדַעְתָּ֣ הַיּ֗וֹם וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ֮ אֶל־לְבָבֶךָ֒ כִּ֤י יקוק ה֣וּא הָֽאֱלֹקִ֔ים בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם מִמַּ֔עַל וְעַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ מִתָּ֑חַת אֵ֖ין עֽוֹד׃
(ב) משרשי המצוה. לפי שהאדם בהיותו בעל חמר ימשך בהכרח אחר התאוות, כי כן טבע החמר לבקש כל הנאות אליו והערב, כסוס כפרד אין הבין, אם לא שהנפש שחננו האל, תמנענו לפי כחה מן החטא, ומאשר תשכן בגבולו שהיא הארץ ורחוקה מאד מגבולה שהיא השמים, לא תוכל לו, ויגבר כחו עליה תמיד, לכן היא צריכה על כל פנים להרבה שומרים לשמרה משכנה הרע, פן יקום עליה ויהרגה, אחר היותו בגבולו ותחת ידו. ורצה המקום ברוך הוא לזכותנו אנחנו עם הקדש, וצונו להעמיד שומרים גבורים סביב לה, והם שנצטוינו לבל נפסיק מדברי תורה מפינו יומם ולילה, ושנתן ארבע ציציות בארבע כנפות כסותנו, ומזוזה בפתחנו, והתפלין בידנו ובראשנו, והכל להזכירנו למען נחדל מעשק ידינו ולא נתור אחרי עינינו ואחרי יצר מחשבות לבנו, ומפני כן אמרו זכרונם לברכה (זבחים יט, א) שהכהנים והלוים בשעת עבודה פטורין מהן. ובהיות מיסוד התפלין מה שזכרנו נצטוינו עליהם (מנחות לו, ב) לבל נסיח מהן דעתנו. ועתה, בני, ראה גם ראה כמה כח גופנו גדול על נפשנו, כי על כל אלה יעלה לפעמים ופרץ גדרנו, האל ברחמיו יהי בעזרנו, וישמרנו, אמן.
(1) The commandment of the tefillin of the arm To bind the tefillin of the arm upon the arm, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 6:8), "And you shall bind them as a sign upon your arm." And the explanation comes about this verse, that we bind four sections from the words of the Torah upon our arms. And they are called tefillin when they are bound with straps, as the tradition comes [to explain] about them. And these are these four sections: Two of them are at the end of the Order of Bo el Pharaoh and they are the sections of 'Sanctify your firstborn to me,' until 'you shall keep this statute at its set time from year to year' - which is one section in every exact book [of the Torah]. And the second section is from 'And it shall be when He will bring you,' until the end of the order which finishes [with] 'for with strong-handedness did He take us out of Egypt.' And the third section is at the end of the Order of Ve'etchanan in the Book of Elu HaDevarim (Deuteronomy) - the section of 'Hear Israel,' until 'and in your gates.' And the fourth section is at the end of the Order of Vehaya Ekev - the section of 'And it shall be if you listen,' until 'like the days of the heavens upon the earth.' These four sections are written on one parchment and we roll it like a type of Torah scroll from its end to its beginning. And we place it into a chamber of leather and we pass a strap through one end of the leather. And we bind that leather with the [Torah] sections inside it upon the left upper arm. And since they are bound upon the upper arm, they are resting across from the heart. And they are called tefillin of the arm in every place.
(2) It is from the root of the commandment [that] since people are physical, they are necessarily drawn after their desires; for the nature of all physical things is to seek all which is comfortable for it and is pleasurable - just as a horse or like a mule who understand nothing - were it not that the soul with which God has graced us prevents us, to its ability, from sin. But as it resides in [the body's territory,] which is the earth, and is far removed from its [territory], which is the heavens, it cannot [vanquish] it and [the body] always exerts its strength over it. It therefore nonetheless requires many guards to protect it from its malevolent neighbor, lest it rise up upon it and kill it; as it is in its [territory] and under its hand. And the Omnipresent, blessed be He, wanted to give us - the holy nation - merit, and [so] He commanded us to set up mighty guards around [the soul]. And they are that we were commanded not to interrupt from [speaking] words of Torah from our mouths day and night; that we place four fringes on the four corners of our garments; a mezuzah on our doorpost; and the tefillin on our arm and on our head. And all of this is to remind us to avoid the crimes of our hands and that we not stray after our eyes or after the impulse of the thoughts of our hearts. Therefore, they, may their memory be blessed, said (Zevachim 19a) that the priests and the Levites are exempt from them when they performed the [Temple] service. And as the foundation of the tefillin is as we have mentioned, we are commanded about them (Menachot 36b) that we not remove our thoughts from them. Now, my son, also see how much more power our bodies have than our souls; for despite all this, it sometimes comes up and 'breaks our fence.' May God in His mercy aid us and protect us, Amen.
(3) From the laws of the commandment is that with they, may their memory be blessed, said (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Tefillin, Mezuzah and the Torah Scroll 1:3) that there are ten things about tefillin - whether [it be] in the tefillin of the head or whether of the arm - that are 'laws to Moshe at Sinai.' And one who changes [even] one out of all of them, behold, [his] tefillin are disqualified. Two of them are in the writing and eight are in the cover and the binding of the straps. And these are the two with their writing: that they must be written with ink and that they must be written on parchment. And these are the eight in their cover (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Tefillin, Mezuzah and the Torah Scroll 3:1): 1) That they be square and their sewing be square, and their diagonals be square to the point that the four corners are all even; 2) That there be the form of a [letter,] shin from the right and the left [sides] on the leather of the head; 3) That he wraps the [Torah] sections in cloth; 4) That he wrap them with the hair of a pure beast or [wild] animal over the cloth, and afterwards, place them inside their leather boxes; 5) That he sew them with tendons; 6) That we make for them an aperture from the leather cover, that the strap may be inserted until it passes and goes though its box; 7) That the straps be black; 8) That their knots be the famous ones like the form of a [letter,] dalet.
(4) And [also] that which they said (Gittin 45b) that only an Israelite can make tefillin and their straps. And the length of the strap of the arm is enough to surround the forearm in the place that they are placed and he ties it from there with the famous knot that needs to be in the shape of a [letter,] yod, and he stretches [it] until the middle finger and he wraps three rings around it on his finger and he ties it. And if it is longer than this, is is [still] fit (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Tefillin, Mezuzah and the Torah Scroll 3:12). And upon which place in the upper arm do we tie it? Upon the biceps - and that is the protruding flesh in the [upper arm] between the shoulder joint and the elbow joint - such that it comes out that when he puts his [upper arm] next to his ribs, the tefillin will be laying across from his heart, and it comes out that he will fulfill, "And these words shall be[...] upon your heart" (Deuteronomy 6:6). And [also] that which they said (Menachot 38a) that the tefillin of the arm does not impinge upon the tefillin of the head, and [that] of the head does not impinge upon that of the arm, because they are two [separate] commandments. And he recites the blessing on that of the head, 'about the commandment of tefillin'; and on that of the arm, 'to place the tefillin.' And about what are these words speaking? When he puts on one of them. But if he put both of them on together, he only recites one blessing; and that is 'to place the tefillin.'
(5) And he first places that of the arm and afterwards that of the head; and when he removes them, he removes that of the head first. And [also] that which they said (Berakhot 9b, (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Tefillin, Mezuzah and the Torah Scroll 4:10) that the time of tefillin during the day is from when one can see his friend until the sun sets, as it is stated (Exodus 13:10), "You shall observe this statute in its proper time from day to day" - and "this statute" is the commandment of tefillin. And Shabbat and holidays - and the same is true of the intermediate festival days - are not a time for the placing of tefillin, as it is stated about them (Exodus 13:16), "And it shall be a sign." And Shabbat days and holidays are a sign themselves, and we do not need another sign.
(6) And [also] that which they said (Shabbat 49a) that tefillin requires a clean body, and they said in the Gemara, "What is a clean body? That he be careful not to pass gas with them [on]." But the matter is not to say that it requires a body clean of sins or of impurity. As every man, even one impure or a sinner is obligated about the commandment of tefillin, so long as he knows to be careful not to pass gas with them [on]. And maybe from being constant with the commandment of tefillin - as they are a great memory device for a person about his service to the Heavens - he will repent from his evil way and purify himself from all of his filth. And the Sages, may their memory be blessed, obligated us about the commandment of tefillin to educate even the small youths about it, so long as they have arrived to the category [of those] that know to guard them. And from here it can be understood that the opinion of our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, was that every man should grab onto this commandment and be accustomed to it, since it is a great fundamental, a protection from sin and a strong ladder to climb with to enter into the service of the Creator, blessed be He. And maybe the intention of those that are stringent about the holiness of the commandment, and discourage the hearts of the masses with their words from being involved with it, is good. But in truth, through this, there is the prevention of people from several commandments, and [so] it is a great evil. And [this is] even though I know that those that preach these lessons base themselves on the Talmud Yerushalmi Berakhot 2:3, "About a certain man who deposited a glass with his fellow, and afterwards demanded it [back] from him and [the other] denied [having it]." And the owner of the glass said to him, "'It is not you that I trusted, but that which is on your head that I trusted'" - and their intention is to say that there is a desecration of God's name, to be pious about some commandments and to be evil about others. But this is not my home with God (not how I understand the ways of God); as I know that 'there is no righteous man in the world who does good and never sins,' and nonetheless he is not prevented from being involved with commandments when the good spirit of God clothes him to do the good. As who knows whether maybe he will continue in his good path until the time of his death - and death will come suddenly. And they, may their memory be blessed, have already taught us (Avot 4:2) that "a commandment leads to another commandment" and "the reward for a commandment is another commandment." About all of these things and the good ethics, they, may their memory be blessed, have preceded us and taught us. And those that want to be wise and add upon their words or take away [from them] are not [involved in] wisdom.
(7) And [also] that which they said (Menachot 34b) that the order of the [Torah] sections on the parchment is thus - that we first write the section of 'Sanctify your firstborn to me,' and afterwards the section of 'And it shall be when He will bring you,' and afterwards the section of 'Hear Israel,' and afterwards the section of 'And it shall be if you listen.' And those that said that we write the 'beings' in the middle - meaning to say the section of 'And it shall be when He will bring you' and the section of 'And it shall be if you listen' in the middle, the section of 'Sanctify your firstborn to me' at the beginning and the section of 'Hear Israel' at the end - did not properly discern the matter. As behold, it is the common opinion of Rashi and Rambam, may their memory be blessed and Rabbenu Hai that we do not write the 'beings' in the middle, but rather like the order that they are written in the Torah. And the proof is from that which is found in the chapter [entitled] Hakomets in Menachot 34b concerning the order of the tefillin; as they said there that one who reads [them], reads like the order in the Torah. And this text was certainly not found in the [copies of] the books of those people whose opinion was to say that we write the 'beings' in the middle. And regardless, our teachers, may God protect them, agreed now [that it is] like we wrote, that we write them like the order of the sections that are written in the Torah.
(8) And the law of their writing; the law of the crowns in them; the law of one who writes the name [of God] between the lines, or what is the law if [only] one letter from it; the law of processing the leather; from which side of the leather are they written; the law if thy were written by a heretic or a gentile; the law that they do not need to be checked - even for a hundred years - like a mezuzah [does]; the law of one who buys tefillin from someone who is not an expert; the law of their sewing with the sinews of a pure beast or [wild] animal; the law of tefillin the sewing or the straps of which have broken; the law of someone whose tefillin are upon him but needs to eat or to enter the toilet with them, or one who forgot and entered with them; the law of one who enters the bathhouse with them and the rest of the details of the commandment are [all] elucidated in the fourth chapter of Menachot (see Tur, Orach Chaim 25).
(9) And it is practiced in every place and at all times by males, but not by females; because it is a positive commandment determined by time. And nonetheless, if they want to lay tefillin, we do not protest [against them] and there is reward for them; but not like the reward of a man - as the reward of someone who is commanded [something] and does [it] is not similar to the reward of someone who is not commanded [it] and does [it] (Kiddushin 31a). And in Tractate Eruvin 31a in the chapter [entitled] Hamotseh Tefillin, they, may their memory be blessed, said that Michal the daughter of Shaul would lay tefillin and the Sages did not protest [against her]. And there they [also] said the wife of Yonah would go up in pilgrimage and the Sages did not protest [against her]. And one who transgresses this and does not lay tefillin of the arm and of the head has nullified eight positive commandments (Menachot 44a); as behold, Scripture commanded about the tefillin of the arm and of the head in four sections.
(א) שְׁמוֹנֶה הֲלָכוֹת יֵשׁ בְּמַעֲשֵׂה הַתְּפִלִּין כֻּלָּן הֲלָכָה לְמשֶׁה מִסִּינַי. וּלְפִיכָךְ כֻּלָּן מְעַכְּבוֹת וְאִם שִׁנָּה בְּאַחַת מֵהֶן פָּסַל. וְאֵלּוּ הֵם. שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מְרֻבָּעוֹת. וְכֵן תְּפִירָתָן בְּרִבּוּעַ. וַאֲלַכְסוֹנָן בְּרִבּוּעַ עַד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לָהֶן אַרְבַּע זָוִיּוֹת שָׁווֹת. וְשֶׁיִּהְיֶה בָּעוֹר שֶׁל רֹאשׁ צוּרַת שִׁי״ן מִיָּמִין וּמִשְּׂמֹאל. וְשֶׁיִּכְרֹךְ הַפָּרָשִׁיּוֹת בְּמַטְלִית. וְשֶׁיִּכְרֹךְ אוֹתָן בְּשֵׂעָר מֵעַל הַמַּטְלִית. וְאַחַר כָּךְ מַכְנִיסָן בְּבָתֵּיהֶן. וְשֶׁיִּהְיוּ תּוֹפְרִין אוֹתָן בְּגִידִין. וְשֶׁעוֹשִׂין לָהֶן מַעְבֹּרֶת מֵעוֹר הַחִפּוּי שֶׁתִּכָּנֵס בָּהּ הָרְצוּעָה עַד שֶׁתְּהֵא עוֹבֶרֶת וְהוֹלֶכֶת בְּתוֹךְ תּוֹבָר שֶׁלָּהּ. וְשֶׁיִּהְיוּ הָרְצוּעוֹת שְׁחוֹרוֹת. וְשֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַקֶּשֶׁר שֶׁלָּהֶן קֶשֶׁר יָדוּעַ כְּצוּרַת דָּלֶ״ת:
(1) There are eight rules for the making of phylacteries; all of them are traditionally ascribed to Moses who received them on Sinai; hence the observance of all of them is indispensable. A variation from any of them renders the phylacteries unfit for use. The rules are as follows: The phylacteries (that is, the external leather containers) must be square; they are to be sewn in such a way as to retain the square shape; their diagonals must be those of a square so that all the angles shall be equal; the leather container of the phylactery for the head shall have the letter Shin embossed on the right and on the left side; each of the slips of parchment on which the sections from the Pentateuch are written is to be wrapt in a cover; this is to be tied with hair, and then the slips are placed in their respective compartments which are sewn up with sinews; a border with a fold open at both ends shall be made of the skin of the base for the strap to pass through freely; the straps shall be black, and have the special knot, that is known to all, in the shape of a Daleth.
א"ר אבין בר רב אדא א"ר יצחק מנין שהקב"ה מניח תפילין שנאמר (ישעיהו סב, ח) נשבע יקוק בימינו ובזרוע עוזו בימינו זו תורה שנאמר (דברים לג, ב) מימינו אש דת למו ובזרוע עוזו אלו תפילין שנאמר (תהלים כט, יא) יקוק עוז לעמו יתן ומנין שהתפילין עוז הם לישראל דכתי' (דברים כח, י) וראו כל עמי הארץ כי שם יקוק נקרא עליך ויראו ממך ותניא ר' אליעזר הגדול אומר אלו תפילין שבראש א"ל רב נחמן בר יצחק לרב חייא בר אבין הני תפילין דמרי עלמא מה כתיב בהו א"ל (דברי הימים א יז, כא) ומי כעמך ישראל גוי אחד בארץ ומי משתבח קוב"ה בשבחייהו דישראל אין דכתיב (דברים כו, יז) את יקוק האמרת היום (וכתיב) ויקוק האמירך היום אמר להם הקב"ה לישראל אתם עשיתוני חטיבה אחת בעולם ואני אעשה אתכם חטיבה אחת בעולם
The crowding at the kalla, the gatherings for Torah study during Elul and Adar, is from the demons;
those knees that are fatigued even though one did not exert himself is from the demons;
those clothes of the Sages that wear out, despite the fact that they do not engage in physical labor, is from friction with the demons;
those feet that are in pain is from the demons. One who seeks to know that the demons exist should place fine ashes around his bed, and in the morning the demons’ footprints appear like chickens’ footprints, in the ash. One who seeks to see them should take the afterbirth of a firstborn female black cat, born to a firstborn female black cat, burn it in the fire, grind it and place it in his eyes, and he will see them. He must then place the ashes in an iron tube sealed with an iron seal [gushpanka] lest the demons steal it from him, and then seal the opening so he will not be harmed. Rav Beivai bar Abaye performed this procedure, saw the demons, and was harmed. The Sages prayed for mercy on his behalf and he was healed. It was taught in a baraita that Abba Binyamin said: One’s prayer is only fully heard in a synagogue, as it is stated with regard to King Solomon’s prayer in the Temple: “Yet have You turned toward the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication, Lord my God, to listen to the song and the prayer which Your servant prays before You on this day” (I Kings 8:28). The following verse concludes: “To hear the prayer Your servant directs toward this place” (I Kings 8:29). We see that one’s prayer is heard specifically in the Temple, of which the synagogue is a microcosm (Rav Yoshiyahu Pinto). It may be inferred that in a place of song, a synagogue where God’s praises are sung, there prayer should be. In explaining Abba Binyamin’s statement, Ravin bar Rav Adda said that Rabbi Yitzḥak said: From where is it derived that the Holy One, Blessed be He, is located in a synagogue? As it is stated: “God stands in the congregation of God; in the midst of the judges He judges” (Psalms 82:1). The congregation of God is the place where people congregate to sing God’s praises, and God is located among His congregation. And from where is it derived that ten people who pray, the Divine Presence is with them? As it is stated: “God stands in the congregation of God,” and the minimum number of people that constitute a congregation is a quorum of ten. From where is it derived that three who sit in judgment, the Divine Presence is with them? It is derived from this same verse, as it is stated: “In the midst of the judges He judges,” and the minimum number of judges that comprises a court is three. From where is it derived that two who sit and engage in Torah study, the Divine Presence is with them? As it is stated: “Then they that feared the Lord spoke one with the other, and the Lord listened, and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him, for them that fear the Lord, and that think upon His name” (Malachi 3:16). The Divine Presence listens to any two God-fearing individuals who speak with each other. With regard to this verse, the Gemara asks: What is the meaning of the phrase, “And that think upon His name”? Rav Ashi said: If a person intended to perform a mitzva, but due to circumstances beyond his control, he did not perform it, the verse ascribes him credit as if he performed the mitzva, as he is among those that think upon His name. The Gemara returns to Ravin bar Rav Adda’s statement: And from where is it derived that when even one who sits and engages in Torah study, the Divine Presence is with him? As it is stated: “In every place where I cause My Name to be mentioned, I will come to you and bless you” (Exodus 20:21); God blesses even a single person who mentions God’s name, a reference to Torah study (Iyyun Ya’akov). The Gemara asks: Since the Divine Presence rests even upon one who engages in Torah study, was it necessary to say that the Divine Presence rests upon two who study Torah together? The Gemara answers: There is a difference between them. Two people, their words of Torah are written in the book of remembrance, as it is stated: “And a book of remembrance was written”; however a single individual’s words of Torah are not written in a book of remembrance. The Gemara continues: Since the Divine Presence rests even upon two who engage in Torah study, is it necessary to mention three? The Gemara answers: Here too, a special verse is necessary lest you say that judgment is merely to keep the peace among the citizenry, and the Divine Presence does not come and rest upon those who sit in judgment as they are not engaged in Torah study. Ravin bar Rav Adda teaches us that sitting in judgment is also Torah. The Gemara asks: Since the Divine Presence rests even upon three, is it necessary to mention ten? The Gemara answers: The Divine Presence arrives before a group of ten, as the verse: “God stands in the congregation of God,” indicates that when the ten individuals who comprise a congregation arrive, the Divine Presence is already there. For a group of three judges, however, the Divine Presence does not arrive until they sit and begin their deliberations, as in the midst of the judges He judges. God aids them in their judgment, but does not arrive before them. The Gemara cites another aggadic statement: Rabbi Avin bar Rav Adda said that Rabbi Yitzḥak said: From where is it derived that the Holy One, Blessed be He, wears phylacteries? As it is stated: “The Lord has sworn by His right hand, and by the arm of His strength” (Isaiah 62:8). Since it is customary to swear upon holy objects, it is understood that His right hand and the arm of His strength are the holy objects upon which God swore. Specifically, “His right hand” refers to the Torah, as it is stated in describing the giving of the Torah: “From His right hand, a fiery law for His people” (Deuteronomy 33:2). “The arm of His strength,” His left hand, refers to phylacteries, as it is stated: “The Lord gave strength to His nation” (Psalms 29:11), in the form of the mitzva of phylacteries. The Gemara asks: And from where is it derived that phylacteries provide strength for Israel? As it is written: “And all the nations of the land shall see that the name of the Lord is called upon you, and they will fear you” (Deuteronomy 28:10). It was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Eliezer the Great says: This is a reference to the phylacteries of the head, upon which the name of God is written in fulfillment of the verse: “That the name of the Lord is called upon you.” Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said to Rav Ḥiyya bar Avin: What is written in the phylacteries of the Master of the world? Rav Ḥiyya bar Avin replied: It is written: “Who is like Your people, Israel, one nation in the land?” (I Chronicles 17:21). God’s phylacteries serve to connect Him, in a sense, to the world, the essence of which is Israel. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak continues: Is the Holy One, Blessed be He, glorified through the glory of Israel? Rav Ḥiyya bar Avin answered: Yes, as indicated by the juxtaposition of two verses; as it is stated: “You have affirmed, this day, that the Lord is your God, and that you will walk in His ways and keep His laws and commandments, and listen to His voice.” And the subsequent verse states: “And the Lord has affirmed, this day, that you are His treasure, as He spoke to you, to keep His commandments” (Deuteronomy 26:17–18). From these two verses it is derived that the Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Israel: You have made Me a single entity [ḥativa] in the world, as you singled Me out as separate and unique. And because of this, I will make you a single entity in the world, and you will be a treasured nation, chosen by God. You have made Me a single entity in the world, as it is stated that Israel declares God’s oneness by saying: “Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One” (Deuteronomy 6:4). And because of this, I will make you a single entity in the world, unique and elevated with the utterance: “Who is like Your people, Israel, one nation in the land?” Consequently, the Holy One, Blessed be He, is glorified through the glory of Israel whose praises are written in God’s phylacteries. Rav Aḥa, son of Rava said to Rav Ashi: It works out well with regard to the contents of one of the four compartments of God’s phylacteries of the head. However, all four compartments of Israel’s phylacteries of the head contain portions of the Torah that praise God. What portions in praise of Israel are written in the rest of the compartments of God’s phylacteries of the head? Rav Ashi said to him: In those three compartments it is written: “For who is a great nation, to whom God is close, like the Lord our God whenever we call upon Him?” (Deuteronomy 4:7); “And who is a great nation, who has righteous statutes and laws, like this entire Torah which I set before you today?” (Deuteronomy 4:8); “Happy are you, Israel, who is like you? A people saved by the Lord, the shield of your help, and that is the sword of your excellence. And your enemies shall dwindle away before you, and you shall tread upon their high places” (Deuteronomy 33:29); “Or has God attempted to go and take for Himself a nation from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs and by wonders” (Deuteronomy 4:34); “And to elevate you above all nations that He has made, in praise, in name and in glory; that you may be a holy people to the Lord, your God, as He has spoken” (Deuteronomy 26:19). Rav Aḥa, son of Rava, raises an objection: If all of these verses are included in God’s phylacteries of the head, there are too many compartments as more than four verses of praise were listed. Rather, the portions in God’s phylacteries must be arranged as follows: The verses “For who is a great nation” and “And who is a great nation” are included in one compartment, as they are similar. “Happy are you, Israel” is in one compartment. “Or has God attempted” is in one compartment and “And to elevate you” is in one compartment
(שמות לג, כג)והסירתי את כפי וראית את אחרי אמר רב חנא בר ביזנא א"ר שמעון חסידא מלמד שהראה הקב"ה למשה קשר של תפילין:
God says: May it be My will that My mercy will overcome My anger towards Israel for their transgressions,
and may My mercy prevail over My other attributes through which Israel is punished,
and may I conduct myself toward My children, Israel, with the attribute of mercy,
and may I enter before them beyond the letter of the law. Similarly, it was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha, the High Priest, said: Once, on Yom Kippur, I entered the innermost sanctum, the Holy of Holies, to offer incense, and in a vision I saw Akatriel Ya, the Lord of Hosts, one of the names of God expressing His ultimate authority, seated upon a high and exalted throne (see Isaiah 6).
And He said to me: Yishmael, My son, bless Me.
I said to Him the prayer that God prays: “May it be Your will that Your mercy overcome Your anger,
and may Your mercy prevail over Your other attributes,
and may You act toward Your children with the attribute of mercy,
and may You enter before them beyond the letter of the law.”
The Holy One, Blessed be He, nodded His head and accepted the blessing. This event teaches us that you should not take the blessing of an ordinary person lightly. If God asked for and accepted a man’s blessing, all the more so that a man must value the blessing of another man. And Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Yosei: From where is it derived that one must not placate a person while he is in the throes of his anger, rather he should mollify him after he has calmed down? As it is written, when following the sin of the Golden Calf, Moses requested that the Divine Presence rest upon Israel as it had previously, God said to him: “My face will go, and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:14). Rabbi Yoḥanan explained: The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Moses: Wait until My face of wrath will pass and I will grant your request. One must wait for a person’s anger to pass as well. The Gemara asks: And is there anger before the Holy One, Blessed be He? Can we speak of God using terms like anger? The Gemara answers: Yes, as it was taught in a baraita, God becomes angry, as it is stated: “God vindicates the righteous, God is furious every day” (Psalms 7:12). How much time does His anger last? God’s anger lasts a moment. And how long is a moment? One fifty-eight thousand, eight hundred and eighty-eighth of an hour, that is a moment. The Gemara adds: And no creature can precisely determine that moment when God becomes angry, except for Balaam the wicked, about whom it is written: “He who knows the knowledge of the Most High” (Numbers 24:16). This should not be understood to mean that Balaam was a full-fledged prophet. Now, clearly, Balaam did not know the mind of his animal; and he did know the mind of the Most High? If he could not understand the rebuke of his donkey, he was certainly unable to understand the mind of the Most High. Rather, this verse from Numbers teaches that Balaam was able to precisely determine the hour that the Holy One, Blessed be He, is angry. At that moment, Balaam would utter his curse and, through God’s anger, it would be fulfilled. And that is what the prophet said to Israel: “My nation, remember what Balak king of Moab advised, and how Balaam, son of Beor, responded; from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord” (Micah 6:5). What is meant by the statement: “So that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord”? Rabbi Elazar said that the Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Israel: Know how many acts of kindness I performed on your behalf, that I did not become angry during the days of Balaam the wicked, for had I become angry, there would have been no remnant or survivor remaining among the enemies of Israel, a euphemism for Israel itself. Instead, God restrained His anger and Balaam’s curse went unfulfilled. And that is what Balaam said to Balak: “How can I curse whom God has not cursed? And how can I condemn whom God has not condemned?” (Numbers 23:8). This verse teaches that all those days, God was not angry. And how long does His anger last? God’s anger lasts a moment. And how long is a moment? Rabbi Avin, and some say Rabbi Avina, said: A moment lasts as long as it takes to say it [rega]. From where do we derive that God is only angry for a moment? As it is stated: “His anger is but for a moment, His favor, for a lifetime” (Psalms 30:6). And if you wish, say instead, from here, as it is stated: “Hide yourself for a brief moment, until the anger passes” (Isaiah 26:20), meaning that God’s anger passes in a mere moment. The Gemara asks: When is the Holy One, Blessed be He, angry? Abaye said: God’s anger is revealed through animals. During the first three hours of the day, when the sun whitens the crest of the rooster and it stands on one leg. When it appears that its life has left him and he suddenly turns white, that is when God is angry. The Gemara asks: The rooster also stands that way every hour. What kind of sign is this? The Gemara answers: The difference is that every other hour when the rooster stands in that way, there are red streaks in his crest. But when God is angry, there are no red streaks in his crest. The Gemara relates: A certain heretic who was in Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi’s neighborhood would upset him by incessantly challenging the legitimacy of verses. One day, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi took a rooster and placed it between the legs of the bed upon which he sat and looked at it. He thought: When the moment of God’s anger arrives, I will curse him and be rid of him. When the moment of God’s anger arrived, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi slept. When he woke up, he said to himself: Conclude from the fact that I nodded off that it is not proper conduct to do so, to curse people, even if they are wicked. “His mercy is over all His creations” (Psalms 145:9) is written even with regard to sinners. Moreover, it is inappropriate to cause the punishment of another, as it is written: “Punishment, even for the righteous, is not good” (Proverbs 17:26), even for a righteous person, it is improper to punish another. Explaining the cause of God’s anger, it is taught in the name of Rabbi Meir: When the sun rises and the kings of the East and the West place their crowns on their heads and bow down to the sun, the Holy One, Blessed be He, immediately grows angry. Since this occurs in the early hours every day, God becomes angry at His world at that moment every day. And Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Yosei: A single regret or pang of guilt in one’s heart is preferable to many lashes administered by others that cause only physical pain, as it is stated: “And she chases her lovers, but she does not overtake them; she seeks them, but she will not find them; and she will say ‘I will go and return to my first husband; for it was better for me then than now’” (Hosea 2:9). Remorse is more effective than any externally imposed punishment listed in the verses that follow (Hosea 2:11–19). And Reish Lakish said that in the Bible, it seems that such remorse is preferable to one hundred lashes, as it is stated: “A rebuke enters deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred lashes to a fool” (Proverbs 17:10). And Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Yosei regarding Moses’ request that the Divine Presence rest upon Israel as it once had: Moses requested three things from the Holy One, Blessed be He, at that time, all of which were granted him. He requested that the Divine Presence rest upon Israel and not leave, and He granted it to him, as it is stated: “For how can it be known that I have found grace in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not in that You go with us, so that we are distinguished, I and Your people, from all the people that are on the face of the earth?” (Exodus 33:16). The request: Is it not in that You go with us, refers to the resting of the Divine Presence upon Israel. Moses requested that the Divine Presence not rest upon the nations of the world, and He granted it to him, as it is stated: “So that we are distinguished, I and Your people, from all the people on the face of the earth” (Exodus 33:16). Lastly, Moses requested that the ways in which God conducts the world be revealed to him, and He granted it to him, as it is stated: “Show me Your ways and I will know You” (Exodus 33:13).
Moses said before God: Master of the Universe. Why is it that the righteous prosper, the righteous suffer, the wicked prosper, the wicked suffer?
God said to him: Moses, the righteous person who prospers is a righteous person, the son of a righteous person, who is rewarded for the actions of his ancestors. The righteous person who suffers is a righteous person, the son of a wicked person, who is punished for the transgressions of his ancestors. The wicked person who prospers is a wicked person, the son of a righteous person, who is rewarded for the actions of his ancestors. The wicked person who suffers is a wicked person, the son of a wicked person, who is punished for the transgressions of his ancestors. The Gemara expands upon these righteous and wicked individuals: The Master said: The righteous person who prospers is a righteous person, the son of a righteous person. The righteous person who suffers is a righteous person, the son of a wicked person. The Gemara asks: Is it so that one is always punished for his ancestors’ transgressions? Isn’t it written: “He visits iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and fourth generations” (Exodus 34:7). And it is written elsewhere: “Fathers shall not die for their children, and children shall not be put to death for the fathers; every man shall die for his own transgression” (Deuteronomy 24:16). And the Gemara raises a contradiction between the two verses. The Gemara resolves the contradiction: This is not difficult. This verse from Exodus, which states that God punishes descendants for the transgressions of their ancestors, refers to a case where they adopt the actions of their ancestors as their own. While this verse from Deuteronomy, which states that descendants are not punished for the actions of their ancestors, refers to a case where they do not adopt the actions of their ancestors as their own, as it is stated: “I visit iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the third and fourth generations of my enemies” (Exodus 20:5). A righteous person is clearly not punished for the transgressions of his ancestors. Rather, it must be that God said to Moses as follows:
The righteous person who prospers is a completely righteous person whose actions are entirely good and whose reward is entirely good both in this world and in the World-to-Come.
The righteous person who suffers is one who is not a completely righteous person. Because he does have some transgressions, he is punished in this world so that he will receive a complete reward in the World-to-Come.
The wicked person who prospers is one who is not a completely wicked person. God rewards him in this world for the good deeds that he performed, so that he will receive a complete punishment in the World-to-Come.
Finally, the wicked person who suffers is a completely wicked person. Since he performed absolutely no mitzvot and deserves no reward, he receives only punishment both in this world and in the World-to-Come (Maharsha). Rabbi Yoḥanan’s opinion, that God granted Moses all three of his requests, disagrees with that of Rabbi Meir, as Rabbi Meir said: Two of Moses’ requests were granted to him, and one was not granted to him. God granted him that the Divine Presence would rest upon Israel and not leave, and that the Divine Presence would not rest upon the nations of the world, but God did not reveal to Moses the ways in which He conducts the world. As it is said: “And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious” (Exodus 33:19); in His mercy, God bestows His grace upon every person, even though he is not worthy. Similarly, God says: “And I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy,” even though he is not worthy. According to Rabbi Meir, the way in which God conducts the world and bestows grace and mercy was not revealed even to Moses. The Gemara continues to cite the Sages’ explanation of verses that require clarification on the same topic. With regard to God’s statement to Moses, “And He said: ‘You cannot see My face, for man shall not see Me and live’” (Exodus 33:20), it was taught in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa that the Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Moses as follows: When I wanted to show you My glory at the burning bush, you did not want to see it, as it is stated: “And Moses concealed his face, fearing to gaze upon God” (Exodus 3:6). But now that you want to see My glory, as you said: “Show me Your glory,” I do not want to show it to you. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa interprets Moses’ initial refusal to look upon God’s glory negatively, as he rebuffed God’s desire to be close to him. This disagrees with that which Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said that Rabbi Yonatan said, as Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said that Rabbi Yonatan said: Specifically as a reward for three acts of humility in averting his glance at the burning bush, Moses was privileged to experience three great revelations: Because “Moses concealed his face, fearing to gaze upon God” (Exodus 3:6), he was privileged to have his countenance [kelaster] glow.
Because he “feared,” he was privileged that “they feared to approach him” (Exodus 34:30).
Because he did not “gaze,” he was privileged to “behold the likeness of the Lord” (Numbers 12:8). What did Moses see? It is said: “And I will remove My hand, and you will see My back, but My face you will not see” (Exodus 33:23). Rav Ḥana bar Bizna said in the name of Rabbi Shimon Ḥasida, the expression: “And you will see My back,” should be understood as follows: This teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, Who, as mentioned above, wears phylacteries, showed him the knot of the phylacteries of His head, which is worn on the back of the head. On this subject, Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Yosei: Every statement to a person or to a nation that emerged from the mouth of the Holy One, Blessed be He, with a promise of good, even if it was conditional, He did not renege on it. Ultimately, every promise made by God will be fulfilled. From where do we derive that all of God’s promises are fulfilled? We know this from Moses our teacher, as God promised and said: “Leave Me alone; I will destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven; and I will make from you a nation mightier and greater than they” (Deuteronomy 9:14). Even though Moses prayed to have the decree repealed, and it was nullified, the promise was fulfilled and Moses’ descendants became a nation mightier and greater than the 600,000 Israelites in the desert. As it is stated with regard to the Levites: “The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer…and the sons of Eliezer were Reḥaviya the chief. And Eliezer had no other sons; and the sons of Reḥaviya were very many” (I Chronicles 23:15–17). And Rav Yosef taught in a baraita: “Many” means more than 600,000. This is learned through a verbal analogy between the words many and many. It is written here with regard to Reḥaviya’s sons: “Were very many.” And it is written there with regard to the Israelites in Egypt: “And the children of Israel became numerous and multiplied and were very many, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them” (Exodus 1:7). Just as when the children of Israel were in Egypt, very many meant that there were 600,000 of them, so too the descendants of Reḥaviya were 600,000.
(כא) וְאֵרַשְׂתִּ֥יךְ לִ֖י לְעוֹלָ֑ם וְאֵרַשְׂתִּ֥יךְ לִי֙ בְּצֶ֣דֶק וּבְמִשְׁפָּ֔ט וּבְחֶ֖סֶד וּֽבְרַחֲמִֽים׃ (כב) וְאֵרַשְׂתִּ֥יךְ לִ֖י בֶּאֱמוּנָ֑ה וְיָדַ֖עַתְּ אֶת־יקוק (ס)
א"ר ינאי תפילין צריכין גוף נקי כאלישע בעל כנפים מאי היא אביי אמר שלא יפיח בהן רבא אמר שלא יישן בהן ואמאי קרי ליה בעל כנפים שפעם אחת גזרה מלכות רומי הרשעה גזירה על ישראל שכל המניח תפילין ינקרו את מוחו והיה אלישע מניחם ויוצא לשוק ראהו קסדור אחד רץ מפניו ורץ אחריו וכיון שהגיע אצלו נטלן מראשו ואחזן בידו אמר לו מה זה בידך אמר לו כנפי יונה פשט את ידו ונמצאו כנפי יונה לפיכך קורין אותו אלישע בעל כנפים ומאי שנא כנפי יונה משאר עופות משום דאמתיל כנסת ישראל ליונה שנאמר (תהלים סח, יד) כנפי יונה נחפה בכסף וגו' מה יונה כנפיה מגינות עליה אף ישראל מצות מגינות עליהן
אמר רב חסדא סח בין תפילה לתפילה חוזר ומברך סח אין לא סח לא והא שלח רב חייא בריה דרב הונא משמיה דר' יוחנן על תפילה של יד אומר ברוך אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו להניח תפילין על תפילין של ראש אומר ברוך אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו על מצות תפילין אביי ורבא דאמרי תרוייהו לא סח מברך אחת סח מברך שתים
כי מנח תפילין אדרעיה לימא ברוך אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו להניח תפילין ארישיה לימא ברוך אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו על מצות תפילין
Upon donning his phylacteries on his arm, one should recite: Blessed…Who has made us holy through His commandments and has commanded us to don phylacteries.
Upon donning phylacteries on his head one should recite: Blessed…Who has made us holy through His commandments and has commanded us with regard to the mitzva of phylacteries.
(טו) הָעוֹר שֶׁמְּחַפִּין בּוֹ הַתְּפִלִּין וְשֶׁעוֹשִׂין מִמֶּנּוּ הָרְצוּעוֹת הוּא עוֹר שֶׁל בְּהֵמָה אוֹ חַיָּה אוֹ עוֹף הַטְּהוֹרִים וַאֲפִלּוּ נְבֵלוֹת וּטְרֵפוֹת שֶׁלָּהֶן. וְאִם עָשָׂה מֵעוֹר טְמֵאִים אוֹ שֶׁחִפָּה תְּפִלִּין בְּזָהָב פְּסוּלוֹת.
(15) The leather which forms the receptacles of the phylacteries and its thongs is to be made from the hide of a domestic or wild quadruped or skin of a fowl that belongs to the clean species, and may even be taken from those of these species that are Nevelah and Terefah. If they were made of the skin or hide of unclean species, or if the phylacteries were covered with gold, the phylacteries are unfit for use. The leather for the thongs must be expressly tanned for their intended purpose to be thongs of phylacteries. The leather which forms the receptacles for the phylacteries need not be tanned. Even if it consists of raw hide it is fit for use. Many places have the custom to make them of raw hide.
(כה) קְדֻשַּׁת תְּפִלִּין קְדֻשָּׁתָן גְּדוֹלָה הִיא. שֶׁכָּל זְמַן שֶׁהַתְּפִלִּין בְּרֹאשׁוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם וְעַל זְרוֹעוֹ הוּא עָנָו וִירֵא שָׁמַיִם וְאֵינוֹ נִמְשָׁךְ בִּשְׂחוֹק וּבְשִׂיחָה בְּטֵלָה וְאֵינוֹ מְהַרְהֵר מַחֲשָׁבוֹת רָעוֹת אֶלָּא מְפַנֶּה לִבּוֹ בְּדִבְרֵי הָאֱמֶת וְהַצֶּדֶק. לְפִיכָךְ צָרִיךְ אָדָם לְהִשְׁתַּדֵּל לִהְיוֹתָן עָלָיו כָּל הַיּוֹם שֶׁמִּצְוָתָן כָּךְ הִיא. אָמְרוּ עָלָיו עַל רַב תַּלְמִידוֹ שֶׁל רַבֵּנוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ שֶׁכָּל יָמָיו לֹא רָאוּהוּ שֶׁהָלַךְ אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת בְּלֹא תּוֹרָה אוֹ בְּלֹא צִיצִית אוֹ בְּלֹא תְּפִלִּין:
(25) The sanctity of phylacteries is a high degree of sanctity. As long as phylacteries are on a man's head and arm, he is humble and God-fearing, is not drawn into frivolity and idle talk, does not dwell on evil thoughts but occupies his mind with thoughts of truth and righteousness. A man should therefore endeavour to wear phylacteries the whole day, this being the right way of fulfilling the precept. It is said of Rav, the disciple of our Sainted Teacher (R. Judah, the Prince), that throughout his life no one saw him, without Torah, Tzitzis (fringes on his garments) or phylacteries.
(י) ובדבר הברכות הוה פלוגתא דרבוותא. דיש מרבותינו שפסקו לברך ברכה אחת על שתיהן. ויש שפסקו שתי ברכות: על של יד "להניח תפילין" ועל של ראש "על מצות תפילין".
והאשכנזים נהגו כדעה זו, והספרדים מברכים ברכה אחת כדעה ראשונה. ופשטא דגמרא דמנחות (לו א) דאמר: לא סח בין תפילה של יד לתפילה של ראש – מברך אחת. סח – מברך שתים. משמע דברכה אחת לשתיהן, וכן פירש רש"י. אמנם פשטא דגמרא דברכות (ס ב) שאומר: כי מנח תפילין אדרעיה לימא "ברוך... להניח...", כי מנח ארישיה לימא "ברוך... על מצות..." – מבואר שצריך שני ברכות. וכן פסק רבינו תם, ומפרש הא דמנחות ד"סח – מברך שתים" על של ראש לבדו. ורש"י יפרש הך דברכות בסח.
והרי"ף והרמב"ם והרשב"א פסקו כרש"י. והרא"ש והטור פסקו כרבינו תם.
ואינו מובן לרבינו תם, דב"סח – מברך שתים" על של ראש, ואיך אפשר לברך שני ברכות על מצוה אחת?
וכבר נתעורר בזה המהר"ל מפראג הביאו הב"ח, וכתב דימשמש בשל יד, וקאי אחת אשל יד. ולפי זה באין לו רק של ראש – לא יברך רק ברכה אחת, עיין שם. ולא משמע כן מתוספות ורא"ש, וכן משמע ממגן אברהם סעיף קטן ט"ו. וגם מצאתי באור זרוע הגדול סימן תקפ"ב בשם הגאונים דמעיקר הדין היתה כל תפילה צריכה שתי ברכות: "להניח" ו"על מצות", עיין שם.
ונראה לי ד"להניח" היא ברכת המצוה, ו"על מצות" היא ברכת תודה שזכנו יקוק לעשות אות בינו ובינינו. וזה שייך לשל ראש כמו שדרשו (מנחות לה) על קרא ד"וראו כל... כי שם יקוק נקרא עליך ויראו ממך" – אלו תפילין שבראש. ולפי זה אתי שפיר.
(ה) יכוין בהנחתם שצונו הקב"ה להניח ארבע פרשיות אלו שיש בהם יחוד שמו ויציאת מצרים על הזרוע כנגד הלב ועל הראש כנגד המוח כדי שנזכור ניסים ונפלאות שעש' עמנו שהם מורים על יחודו ואשר לו הכח והממשלה בעליונים ובתחתונים לעשות בהם כרצונו וישעבד להקב"ה הנשמה שהיא במוח וגם הלב שהוא עיקר התאות והמחשבות ובזה יזכור הבור' וימעיט הנאותיו ויניח של יד תחלה ויברך להניח תפילין ואח"כ יניח של ראש ולא יברך כי אם ברכה אחת לשתיהם: הגה וי"א לברך על של ראש על מצות תפילין אפי' לא הפסיק בנתים [הרא"ש הל' תפילין] [וכן פשט המנהג בבני אשכנז שמברכין ב' ברכות] וטוב לומר תמיד אחר הברכה השניה ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד [מהר"י בן חביב אגור סי' ל"ח]:
(5) When putting them on, have in mind that God commanded us to "put these four passages which contain [the principle of] monotheism and the Exodus on the arm opposite the heart and the head opposite the brain so that we may remember the miracles and wonders that He did for us which indicate His Unity and that He is omnipotent in heaven and on earth." And to submit to God his soul, which resides in the brain as well as his heart which represents physical desire. Through this he will remember the Creator and moderate is pleasure[-seeking]. He should put on the arm-tefillin first and say the blessing "... to place the tefillin" and afterwards put on the head tefillin without a second blessing. Note: Some say to make a second blessing on the head tefillin "...on the mitzvah of teffillin" and this is the Ashkenazic custom.
(ח) וְהִגַּדְתָּ֣ לְבִנְךָ֔ בַּיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא לֵאמֹ֑ר בַּעֲב֣וּר זֶ֗ה עָשָׂ֤ה יקוק לִ֔י בְּצֵאתִ֖י מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃ (ט) וְהָיָה֩ לְךָ֨ לְא֜וֹת עַל־יָדְךָ֗ וּלְזִכָּרוֹן֙ בֵּ֣ין עֵינֶ֔יךָ לְמַ֗עַן תִּהְיֶ֛ה תּוֹרַ֥ת יקוק בְּפִ֑יךָ כִּ֚י בְּיָ֣ד חֲזָקָ֔ה הוֹצִֽאֲךָ֥ יקוק מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃
(יד) וְהָיָ֞ה כִּֽי־יִשְׁאָלְךָ֥ בִנְךָ֛ מָחָ֖ר לֵאמֹ֣ר מַה־זֹּ֑את וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֵלָ֔יו בְּחֹ֣זֶק יָ֗ד הוֹצִיאָ֧נוּ יקוק מִמִּצְרַ֖יִם מִבֵּ֥ית עֲבָדִֽים׃ (טו) וַיְהִ֗י כִּֽי־הִקְשָׁ֣ה פַרְעֹה֮ לְשַׁלְּחֵנוּ֒ וַיַּהֲרֹ֨ג יקוק כָּל־בְּכוֹר֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם מִבְּכֹ֥ר אָדָ֖ם וְעַד־בְּכ֣וֹר בְּהֵמָ֑ה עַל־כֵּן֩ אֲנִ֨י זֹבֵ֜חַ לַֽיקוק כָּל־פֶּ֤טֶר רֶ֙חֶם֙ הַזְּכָרִ֔ים וְכָל־בְּכ֥וֹר בָּנַ֖י אֶפְדֶּֽה׃ (טז) וְהָיָ֤ה לְאוֹת֙ עַל־יָ֣דְכָ֔ה וּלְטוֹטָפֹ֖ת בֵּ֣ין עֵינֶ֑יךָ כִּ֚י בְּחֹ֣זֶק יָ֔ד הוֹצִיאָ֥נוּ יקוק מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃
(ד) שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יקוק אֱלֹקֵ֖ינוּ יקוק ׀ אֶחָֽד׃ (ה) וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יקוק אֱלֹקֶ֑יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכָל־מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃ (ו) וְהָי֞וּ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּךָ֛ הַיּ֖וֹם עַל־לְבָבֶֽךָ׃ (ז) וְשִׁנַּנְתָּ֣ם לְבָנֶ֔יךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֖ בָּ֑ם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֤ בְּבֵיתֶ֙ךָ֙ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ֣ בַדֶּ֔רֶךְ וּֽבְשָׁכְבְּךָ֖ וּבְקוּמֶֽךָ׃ (ח) וּקְשַׁרְתָּ֥ם לְא֖וֹת עַל־יָדֶ֑ךָ וְהָי֥וּ לְטֹטָפֹ֖ת בֵּ֥ין עֵינֶֽיךָ׃
(יג) וְהָיָ֗ה אִם־שָׁמֹ֤עַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל־מִצְוֺתַ֔י אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם לְאַהֲבָ֞ה אֶת־יקוק אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֙ וּלְעָבְד֔וֹ בְּכָל־לְבַבְכֶ֖ם וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁכֶֽם׃ (יד) וְנָתַתִּ֧י מְטַֽר־אַרְצְכֶ֛ם בְּעִתּ֖וֹ יוֹרֶ֣ה וּמַלְק֑וֹשׁ וְאָסַפְתָּ֣ דְגָנֶ֔ךָ וְתִֽירֹשְׁךָ֖ וְיִצְהָרֶֽךָ׃ (טו) וְנָתַתִּ֛י עֵ֥שֶׂב בְּשָׂדְךָ֖ לִבְהֶמְתֶּ֑ךָ וְאָכַלְתָּ֖ וְשָׂבָֽעְתָּ׃ (טז) הִשָּֽׁמְר֣וּ לָכֶ֔ם פֶּ֥ן יִפְתֶּ֖ה לְבַבְכֶ֑ם וְסַרְתֶּ֗ם וַעֲבַדְתֶּם֙ אֱלֹקִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶ֖ם לָהֶֽם׃ (יז) וְחָרָ֨ה אַף־יקוק בָּכֶ֗ם וְעָצַ֤ר אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְלֹֽא־יִהְיֶ֣ה מָטָ֔ר וְהָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה לֹ֥א תִתֵּ֖ן אֶת־יְבוּלָ֑הּ וַאֲבַדְתֶּ֣ם מְהֵרָ֗ה מֵעַל֙ הָאָ֣רֶץ הַטֹּבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר יקוק נֹתֵ֥ן לָכֶֽם׃ (יח) וְשַׂמְתֶּם֙ אֶת־דְּבָרַ֣י אֵ֔לֶּה עַל־לְבַבְכֶ֖ם וְעַֽל־נַפְשְׁכֶ֑ם וּקְשַׁרְתֶּ֨ם אֹתָ֤ם לְאוֹת֙ עַל־יֶדְכֶ֔ם וְהָי֥וּ לְטוֹטָפֹ֖ת בֵּ֥ין עֵינֵיכֶֽם׃ (יט) וְלִמַּדְתֶּ֥ם אֹתָ֛ם אֶת־בְּנֵיכֶ֖ם לְדַבֵּ֣ר בָּ֑ם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֤ בְּבֵיתֶ֙ךָ֙ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ֣ בַדֶּ֔רֶךְ וּֽבְשָׁכְבְּךָ֖ וּבְקוּמֶֽךָ׃ (כ) וּכְתַבְתָּ֛ם עַל־מְזוּז֥וֹת בֵּיתֶ֖ךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶֽיךָ׃ (כא) לְמַ֨עַן יִרְבּ֤וּ יְמֵיכֶם֙ וִימֵ֣י בְנֵיכֶ֔ם עַ֚ל הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֧ע יקוק לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶ֖ם לָתֵ֣ת לָהֶ֑ם כִּימֵ֥י הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
(א) הִנְנִי מְכַוֵּן בַּהֲנָחַת תְּפִלִּין לְקַיֵּם מִצְוַת בּורְאִי. שֶׁצִּוָּנוּ לְהָנִיחַ תְּפִלִּין. כַּכָּתוּב בְּתורָתו וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאות עַל יָדֶךָ. וְהָיוּ לְטטָפת בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ. וְהֵם אַרְבַּע פַּרְשִׁיּות אֵלּוּ. שְׁמַע. וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמעַ. קַדֶּשׁ. וְהָיָה כִּי יְבִיאֲךָ. שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם יִחוּדו וְאַחְדוּתו יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמו בָּעולָם. וְשֶׁנִּזְכּר נִסִּים וְנִפְלָאות. שֶׁעָשה עִמָּנוּ בְּהוצִיאָנוּ מִמִּצְרָיִם. וַאֲשֶׁר לו הַכּחַ וְהַמֶּמְשָׁלָה בָּעֶלְיונִים וּבַתַּחְתּונִים לַעֲשות בָּהֶם כִּרְצונו:
(1) By putting on tefillin, I intend to fulfill the command of my Creator, who has commanded us to wear tefillin, as it is written in the Torah: You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. The tefillin contain four sections of the Torah which proclaim the absolute unity of God, blessed be His name, and remind us of the miracles and wonders which he did for us when he brought us out from Egypt, he who has the power and the dominion over the heavenly and earthly creatures to deal with them as he pleases.
(ב) וְצִוָּנוּ לְהָנִיחַ עַל הַיָּד לְזִכְרון זְרועַ הַנְּטוּיָה. וְשֶׁהִיא נֶגֶד הַלֵּב לְשַׁעְבֵּד בָּזֶה תַּאֲוַת וּמַחְשְׁבות לִבֵּנוּ לַעֲבודָתו יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמו. וְעַל הָראשׁ נֶגֶד הַמּחַ. שֶׁהַנְּשָׁמָה שֶׁבְּמחִי עִם שְׁאָר חוּשַׁי וְכחותַי כֻּלָּם יִהְיוּ מְשֻׁעְבָּדִים לַעֲבודָתו יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמו:
(2) He has commanded us to wear tefillin on the arm in memory of His outstretched arm; opposite the heart, to intimate that we ought to subject our heart's desires and designs to the service of God, blessed be He; and on the head opposite the brain, to intimate that the mind which is in the brain, and all senses and faculties, ought to be subjected to His service, blessed be He.
(ג) וּמִשֶּׁפַע מִצְוַת תְּפִלִּין יִתְמַשֵּׁךְ עָלַי לִהְיות לִי חַיִּים אֲרֻכִים וְשֶׁפַע קדֶשׁ וּמַחֲשָׁבות קְדושׁות. בְּלִי הִרְהוּר חֵטְא וְעָון כְּלָל. וְשֶׁלּא יְפַתֵּנוּ וְלא יִתְגָּרֶה בָּנוּ יֵצֶר הָרָע. וְיַנִיחֵנוּ לַעֲבד אֶת יקוק כַּאֲשֶׁר עִם לְבָבֵנוּ. וִיהִי רָצון מִלְּפָנֶיךָ. יקוק אֱלקֵינוּ וֵאלקֵי אֲבותֵינוּ. שֶׁתְּהֵא חֲשׁוּבָה מִצְוַת הֲנָחַת תְּפִלִּין לִפְנֵי הַקָּדושׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. כְּאִלּוּ קִיַּמְתִּיהָ בְּכָל פְּרָטֶיהָ וְדִקְדּוּקֶיהָ וְכַוָּנותֶיהָ וְתַרְיַ"ג מִצְות הַתְּלוּיִם בָּהּ. אָמֵן סֶלָה:
(3) May my observance of the tefillin precept bring me long life, holy inspiration and sacred thoughts, and free me from any sinful reflection whatever. May the evil impulse never tempt us, but leave us to serve the Lord as our heart desires. ...