Inside Tefilin

A Homily About Bar Mitzvah and Tefilin

Parents teach their children central concepts of Judaism on Passover during the Seder as well as every other day of the year. These concepts include the exodus from Egypt, that The Holy One Blessed Be He has the power and governance above and below to do as he pleases, the Unity of G-d and reward and punishment and more. After many years of Jewish Education when a lad reaches the age to follow Mitzvot the father symbolically ties these concepts on the child’s arm so that the concepts go into his heart and on his head so that these concepts permeate into his mind.

1.In the Mechilta what Pasuk teaches us that a father should get Tefillin for a son who knows how to care for them?
Mechilta – “You will keep this decree at its set time” why is this stated? Since it says “You will have a frontlet on your forehead” I would think that even children need to be included in the mitzvah to don Tefillin. Additionally, Mezuzah is a positive commandment just like Tefillin is a positive commandment. Children as well as adults perform the mitzvah of Mezuzah, therefore, one would think that Tefillin also needs to be donned by children just like adults. That is why the pasuk states “You will keep this decree” it only refers to a person who is responsible enough to keep Tefillin. From this they have stated, a child who is responsible enough to keep Tefillin should have a pair of Tefillin made for him.

2.According to Rashi, why does the pasuk state both with all your soul בכל נפשך and with all your might בכל מאדך ?

3.According to Ibn Shu’ib how do we follow the commandment of serving G-d with all of our might?

Rashi Devarim 6 – 5 -With all your heart, with you two inclinations, Yetzer Hatov and Yetzer Harah. Another explanation of “With all your heart,” that your heart should not be at variance with G-d. “With all your soul,” even if he takes your life. “With all your might,” with all of your property. There are people whose property is dearer than their lives therefore the pasuk states with all your might to include your property….
Ibn Shu’ib – This is paragraph [of Shma Yisrael] needs to be written and posted to the doorposts of ones home . This is because the home represents a persons property. Through posting the Mezuzah one follows the command to love G-d with all of his might. R. Joshua ibn Shu’ib was a student of R. Shlomo ibn Aderet (Rashba), a colleague of R. Yom Tov ibn Abraham Ishbili (Ritva), and the teacher of R. Menachem ben Zerach. R. Joshua lived in Spain ca. 1280-1340. His homilies (Derashot) were arranged according to the weekly Torah portions and the Torah readings for the Jewish holidays.

4.According to Shulcha Aruch what does one need to think about when accepting the yoke of heaven when donning Tefilin or saying Shema Yisrael? How does this reduce his pleasures?

Shulchan Aruch 25 – When donning Tefillin one should contemplate on the four paragraphs in the Tefillin that discuss 1 the unity of the Name of G-d 2 the Exodus from Egypt tied to the arm facing the heart and on the head near the brain so that we will 3 remember miracles and great events that He did for us that demonstrate his Unity, 4 That He has the power of strength and rule in the heavens above and below to totally do as he pleases. 5 He should dedicate all of the capabilities of his soul, which is in the brain and facing the heart, which contains the desires and thoughts. Through this he will remember his creator and reduce his pleasures (Rabienu Yona on Brachot 14 “Harotzeh Lekabel Alav”(

5.What kind of pen is used to write Sifrey Torah, Tefillin and Mezuzot? What moral lesson do we learn from this?

Kalah rabati 7 –1 also Taanit 19 . Always be dignified on entering and leaving. Be submissive to the members of your household; engage but little in worldly affairs and occupy yourself with the study of the Torah. It is reported’ of R. Shimon ben Eleazar that once, on returning from the house of his teacher in Migdal Gedor,’ he was riding on an ass along the sea-shore when he met an ugly man. He said to him, `How ugly you are! Maybe all your fellow-citizens are as ugly as you are’. Whereupon the man replied, `Go [and tell this] to the Craftsman Who made me’. When R. Shimon realized that he had done wrong, he got off of his ass and prostrated himself before him saying, `I beg your pardon, forgive me’. `By the Temple Service,” the man replied, `I will not forgive you until you go and tell the Crafts­man Who made me, “How ugly is the vessel which You have made!”‘ R. Shimon followed him for three mil; his fellow townsmen met him, having gone out to meet him, and exclaimed, `Peace be upon you, master’. The man turned back to them and asked, `Who is he [whom you call] Rabbi?’ They replied, `He who is following behind you’. Whereupon he remarked, `If he is a Rabbi, may there be no more like him in Israel’. His disciples by whom he was beloved rebuked the man and asked him, `What has he done to you?’ He replied, `Thus has he done to me’. They said to him, `Nevertheless forgive him’. That day R. Shimon ben Eleazar sat in his big study hall and discussed: Be tender like the reed and do not be hard like the cedar. When the four winds of heaven blow, the reed bends with them, and when they subside, the reed remains standing in its place. Therefore the reed merited that Kulmus Pens should be made with them in order to write words of Torah. Not so the cedar: when the South / North wind blows, it overturns and uproots it. And what is the end of the cedar? Woodcutters come and cut it tile houses with it, and its cuttings they burn in the fire.

Inside Tefilin – Shema Yisrael Loving G-d From The Bottom Of Your Heart

The Shema Yisrael prayer is very central in Judaism. We say it several times a day, don it in Tefilin and place it on our doors in Mezuzas. Its second pasuk tells us that we need to love G-d With your whole heart Bechol Levavecha,

With your whole heart Bechol Levavecha, a popular explanation for this statement is that a whole heart includes both the yetzer hatov – good inclination and the yetzer hara – bad inclination.

It has been stated that a child has no good inclination; instead all of their activities are either instinct or selfishness. The mind develops at the same time that the child’s body matures. This final burst of physical and mental growth brings the good inclination with it.

What do we mean by good inclination? Teenagers who were asked about this issue concentrated on the major physical and hormonal changes that they feel are very intense. However, they also said that as mature “men” they now understand the inherent value of doing good, the ability to serve G-d correctly, and to don Tefilin. This good inclination is at best a hazy concept to a small child.

During early adolescence children become more social beings. This helps to decrease selfishness and increase a desire to do what is right and assist others. However, this is still very immature. Our Rabbis of Blessed Memory have stated that there are several levels of service to G-d. The highest level of service is serving G-d through love. However, most religious people can only do this in a very limited way. The lowest level of service, which is still very good, is serving G-d through fear.

The source of the discussion that says that a child receives a good inclination Yetzer Hatov is in Avot Derebbe Natan (16 2).
It has been said that the evil inclination is senior to the good inclination by thirteen years, for it grows with and accompanies the child from the moment it comes forth from the mothers womb. If he wants to profane Shabat it does not deter him. If he wants to murder it does not deter him. If he wants to commit a (sexually) immoral act it does not deter him. After thirteen years, However, the good inclination is born in him. (Now) when he wants to profane Shabat the good inclination tells him, (the Pasuk) One who profanes it shall surely die. If he wants to murder, it tells him Whoever sheds a mans blood shall have his blood shed. If he wants to commit a (sexually) immoral act it tells him, Both the adulterer and the adulteress will surely be put to death.

The reasoning abilities that the new good inclination exhibits is the result of education that parents have struggled to teach the child. Hopefully the reasoning will work in preventing the child, whose body is much larger and competent in sinning, from performing the sin.

The method of this nascent good inclination follows the simplest form of religious service; that of serving G-d through fear. The battle against the inclination to do evil leans against the inclination to do good. The body likes the short-term pleasure that the evil inclination brings. This new social reasoning is still budding. Through further development good children can grow to levels of Love of G-d.

Inside Tefilin – Shema Yisrael Unity and Education

Shema Yisrael A-donai E-loheynu A-donai Echad.

The prayer of Shema Yisrael is a universal declaration of the Unity of
G-d. Each Jewish person declares to his friend that G-d is One. This is
like saying, Hey! Jewish people, The G-d, who created the universe is
our G-d and He is One. The concept of universally declaring this
concept demonstrates the centrality of education. We need to teach it
to our children and regularly ponder it ourselves.

The prayer of Shema Yisrael is written in the Torah in the book of
Devarim, Ch. 6 4. There is an oft-quoted Midrash from the Sifri on
this. The Sifri mostly contains halachic discussions, however, on this
pasuk the discussion is very Aggadic. In other words it tells us a story
about the prayer of Shema Yisrael.

Rabbi Akiva says that the prayer of Shema Yisrael refers to Yisrael,
Yisrael being another name for Yaakov Avinu, and not to Avaraham or
Yitzhak. The reason is that Avraham and Yitzhak had children who
were waste products. Avraham had Yishmael; Yitzhak Esav. Rabbi
Shimon Bar Yohai totally disagrees with this interpretation.

The Midrash further states that Yaakov constantly worried that one of
his children will be a waste, like some of his fathers€ children. He
constantly prayed and educated his twelve boys in the ways of G-d. He
was especially concerned when he learned that his son Reuven had
slept with his concubine / maid Bilhah. He then learned that Reuven
had repented through fasting and prayers.

Yaakov Avinu was on his deathbed in Egypt. He called in his sons one
by one and rebuked them. After this he called them all in together and
asked them, Do you have any issues with the One whose statement
created the universe? They answered, Listen Yisrael our father, just
as you do not have anything against G-d neither do we have such an
issue, rather G-d is our L-ord and he is One. Yaakov was very thankful
at this unified statement by his sons, including Reuven, as to the
absolute Unity of G-d.

One cannot determine whether this Midrash has any historical value.
However, it seems to make clear statements regarding the
interconnection between the unity of the Jewish people in their total
acceptance that G-d is One. As a side note it points out that even if
people are not perfect they can always repent. Since G-d is One there
is no bureaucracy in heaven in accepting anyone€s repentance.
Yaakov€s constant effort, worry and prayers helped to educate and
unify his children in their acceptance that G-d is One.

The Pasuk of Shema Yisrael is followed by several Pesukim that tell us
that we need to internalize the Unity of G-d and to teach it to our
children and constantly ponder Him.