Inside Tefillin – A Land Flowing With Milk and Honey
Tefillin are a set of small black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah. They are worn by Jews during weekday morning prayers; Some wear them all day long while working or studying Torah.
The tefillin are to serve as a reminder of God’s intervention at the time of the Exodus from Egypt.Maimonides details of the sanctity of tefillin and writes that “as long as the tefillin are on the head and on the arm of a man, he is modest and God-fearing and will not be attracted by hilarity or idle talk; he will have no evil thoughts, but will devote all his thoughts to truth and righteousness” The Sefer ha-Chinuch (14th century) adds that the purpose of tefillin is to help subjugate a person’s worldly desires and encourage spiritual development.Joseph Caro (16th century) explains that tefillin are placed on the arm adjacent to the heart and on the head above the brain to demonstrate that these two major organs are willing to perform the service of God.
Tefillin on the head is close to the Frontal Cortex where higher thoughts are processed
What’s in the Tefillin Boxes?
The Torah mentions the mitzvah of tefillin four separate times. Each of these texts is inscribed on parchment and placed into the tefillin. These passages discuss the unity of G‑d. They describe the miracles G‑d performed for us when He took us out of Egypt, and how G‑d alone has the power and dominion to do whatever He wants in the physical and spiritual worlds. In other words, these verses cover the fundamentals of our faith.
These texts are:
1–2. Kadesh (Exodus 13:1–10) and Vehayah ki yeviacha (Exodus 13:11–16): These describe the duty of the Jewish people to always remember the redemption from Egyptian bondage, and the obligation of every Jew to educate his children about this and about G‑d’s commandments. It includes the promise to bring the Jewish people to a land flowing with milk and honey. 3. Shema (Deut. 6:4–9): Pronounces the unity of the one G‑d, and commands us to love and fear Him. 4. Vehayah (Deut. 11:13–21): Focuses on G‑d’s assurance to us of reward that will follow our observance of the Torah’s mitzvahs.
Tefillin worn on the head, One side has a Shin with 4 heads, it usually has three
In the perashiot inside the Tefillin the statement that Israel is a land flowing with milk and Honey is written.
Tefillin has the verse telling the Jews that the land of Israel flows with milk and honey
Both words milk and honey instill positive connotations to virtually every human being. Their presence in the land demonstrates a good economy. This goes so far that honey is actually the word used to describe any “sweet” concept. Milk and milk products are universally rich and fatty substances.
Bees Honey Comb
Riesh Lakish was an Emora during the Talmudic period. He says that he saw a lamb grazing under a fig tree dripping with honey. The lamb itself was dripping its milk onto the honey. He said that this represented the land flowing with milk and honey. (Ketubot 111b)In the Torah honey generally refers to date honey. However, several uses of the word honey refer to bee’s honey as well as others that refer to any honey like substance that easily exudes from fruit.
Our Rabbis of Blessed Memory have additionally said that the fruit of Israel are fatty like milk and sweet like honey. (Ketubot 112a)
Tefillin Shel Yad worn on the arm with the 7 lines of the Shma Yisrael prayer.
It seems that the term honey is in reality a difficult word to specifically understand. Above we saw that Reish Lakish leaves the term honey open ended by referring to fig “honey” while discussing the phrase, “A land flowing with milk and honey.” However, what the words milk and honey include seems to be a disagreement of Tanaim of the Mishnaic period.
According to Rabi Eliezer milk in “Milk and Honey” means that the milk of the fruits is very rich and that the honey refers only to Date Honey. However, Rabi Akiva disagrees and says that milk refers to real milk and that honey refers to “Yearot Dvash” “Yearot Honey .“ (Mechilta Derashb”i)
Sugar Cane Juice Sold in Israel
There is further disagreement between Rashi and his school of thought and Radak as to what “Yearot Dvash” means. According to Rashi it means canes with honey in them that grow in Israel. It seems possible that Rashi refers to cane sugar or perhaps another sweet cane. However, Rada”k questions Rashi’s source material and then says that “Yearot Dvash” refers to ordinary bee’s honey combs. (Shmuel 1 14 25)
Stubborn People need a land with great natural resources
In Parashat Ki Tisa The Holy one Blessed be He stated that he would not himself lead the people of Israel into the Holy land instead an Angel will do this. “A land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go in your midst, since you are a stiff-necked people, lest I destroy you on the way.” (Shemot 33 3)
On this Pasuk Seforno points out that the Jewish people need a land that is naturally rich. They are a stiff-necked people. Do to this they will not be successful living in a place like the desert where they need constant miracles to survive.
Dairy products are central to many Jewish customs. On Shavuot we eat dairy. Many say that this is because the Jewish people did not have time to learn the laws of Shchita (ritual slaughtering) and Kashrut laws. Therefore, they ate dairy.
Honey has left a great impact on the Jewish people. Although a tiny portion of the worlds population is Jewish we consume 20% of the world’s honey. This was pointed out to me by the people buy honey sellers who thought that as a Jewish website milknhoney.co.il must want to market their honey. The most famous of these sweet customs is on Rosh Hashana when almost every Jew in the world dips an apple in honey.
Rabbi Steve Bar Yakov Gindi writing Tefillin parchments
‘So many miracles happen to us all the time but we are numb to it like dead flesh on a person’s body.’ This is the reason given in the Gemarah for not celebrating every miracle which G-d does for us. Very often G-d overlooks our iniquities and miraculously intervenes on our behalf even though we have not done anything especially good. That is to say there is escape without change Such is the discussion in the special Haftarah for Chanuka.
The Prophet Zecharia Painted by Michelangelo
Yehoshua the High Priest Gets New Clothes
In a famous prophecy before the building of the second Beit Hamikdash Zecharia the prophet sees Yehoshua the High Priest. Standing to his right is the prosecutor (called Satan) waiting to prosecute him [for some unknown iniquity.] G-d hindered the prosecutor saying This is a coal left from the fire. Zecharia saw in his prophecy that Yehoshua was wearing dirty clothing. The dirty clothing represented the unknown iniquity. It was then commanded to remove the dirty clothing and to give Yehoshua clean clothing and to put a pure scarf on his head. The angel who was speaking to Zecharia said to Yehoshua:
This is what G-d, the Lord of Hosts says, If you will follow my ways and if you will watch my guard and will judge my house and guard my court yard, then I will let you walk with these who stand.
The commentaries have explained that Yehoshua was raised to a high level even though he had not yet repented from his sins. This was because he was either the sole survivor of his family or that he was the best of the other unqualified candidates. His position would be guaranteed if he would raise himself up and follow the ways of justice which are learnt from the Torah.
The prophecy continues saying that at the same time the iniquity of the land will be removed. People will be able to relax and invite their friends to sit under the vines and fig trees.
Unfortunately, there are many people who go through life naive. At eighty they are no wiser than when they were fifteen. The majority of people learn about life and its confusing ways. By the time they are elderly most have learned a lot.
Others have a natural understanding and at a very young age are wiser than average. These are the child prodigies. The prodigies we are used to hearing about play the piano at age three, go to Harvard when they are fourteen and then work in scientific think tanks.
Some children have natural insight. You could sometimes call this Ruach Hakodesh. When children know something that they should not we tend to get upset. Sometimes the insight of these young people can help us get a new perspective. Every one who has had children has been taught something. As the phrase says “From the mouths of babes.”
This is similar to the story of Yosef. We are told that he was a “Ben Zekunim.” Some translate that as he was smart. A Zaken being a smart elder. Yaacov loved him because of his great intelligence.
The brothers despised him because he was younger but more talented than them.
After they sold him Potifar saw that Yosef, although young, was very smart. In the jail he was put in charge of the prisoners for the same reason.
When he was brought in front of Paroh he insulted Paroh by saying that this strange G-d is going to cause havoc on world economy. Paroh overlooked the obvious insult that he was not a god and decided to use Yosef’s blessing to make some money. He also put Yosef in charge.
Joseph’s Wisdom brought him very far, even though he was young
I hope that we have the strength to accept the truth from anyone even if he is seventeen like Yosef was.
Vayishlach – Is it Right to Murder The Guy Who Raped Your Sister?
Rape of Dina
One day Yaacov’s daughter Dinah went out for a walk to see the ladies of the land. The prince Shechem son of Chamor saw her. He took Dinah then raped and tormented her. (Bereshit 34.)
Shechem was a member of the Chivite Majestic family. He lived in a tribal society where the customs and laws of one society could not be enforced in another. Even if laws were enforceable everyone knows that majesty is, you know, different.
After forcibly having his way with Dinah he decided that he actually loved her and would love to marry her. For this purpose he dispatched his dad Chamor.
In the mean time Yaacov learned that his precious daughter had been defiled. He waited for his sons to come from their work in the field. Needless to say that they were all very angry
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
וכל פטר חמר תפדה בשה ואם לא תפדה וערפתו
Tefillin has redeeming the first born donkey
The Torah commands us, in the Perashiot that we don in our Tefillin every day, to redeem all of the Jewish firstborn boys. These are written in the Second Perasha of the Tefillin. At the same time we are commanded to give all kosher first-born animals as a sacrifice to G-d. Most un-kosher animals are exempt from being given to G-d. However, A firstborn donkey must be exchanged for a lamb that is given to the Kohen. The lamb does not need to be sacrificed. The firstborn donkey’s neck is cracked, if for some reason the donkey is not exchanged for a lamb. (Shemot 13)
Redeem the Donkey in Tefillin
Many people daily ponder this concept, which they tie upon themselves daily. However, many do not. The stated reason in the Torah regarding the firstborn is to remember slavery and exodus from Egypt. The greatest plague that G-d brought on Egypt was the death of firstborn Egyptians. This is a central episode in the story of the Jews leaving Egypt. The story of leaving Egypt itself is central to Judaism.
When we daily put on Tefillin we also remember leaving Egypt. This is part of “Kabalat ol Malchut Shamayim – Accepting the yoke of Heaven”
Firstborn male children who are to be redeemed need to be firstborn from their mother. A father needs to redeem every firstborn that different women might bear with five silver coins.
The firstborn Jews were supposed to have been holy to G-d like the Kohanim. The reason for this is due to the killing of the Egyptian firstborn. However, the firstborn were exchanged for the Kohanim. This was done one for one. There were exactly 22000 Kohanim and 22273 firstborn. The extra firstborn needed to exchange themselves with 5 silver coins, as we are commanded to do with each firstborn. (Bamidbar 3)
Another reason that is discussed about laws of sacrificing firstborn kosher animals and redeeming people and donkeys is related to the Bikurim – First fruits. Each individual also brings these to the Bet Hamikdash in a fancy ceremony.
It has been discussed by Our Rabbis of Blessed Memory as to why the donkey is singled out, over all other un-kosher animals, to need redemption. Rashi states these opinions, first, that The Egyptian firstborn were compared to donkeys. The second reason is because every Jew who left Egypt took lots of donkeys that carried tons of cash and gold that was taken from the Egyptians.
