Reb Shlomo Freifeld, zt”l, the beloved rosh yeshiva and founder of yeshiva “Shor Yashuv,” was a unique talmid chacham, legendary educator and larger-than-life Torah personality who enjoyed particularly close, honest and personal relationships with his students. One morning at Shacharis, a close talmid of Reb Shlomo observed him laying tefillin. After wrapping the tefillin shel yad around his arm, Reb Shlomo stopped—and with his eyes closed—was seemingly lost in thought. Only after a few lengthy moments of reflection, did the rosh yeshiva continue wrapping his tefillin shel rosh.
After davening, the student approached his rebbi and asked why he had delayed placing the tefillin on his head, inquiring if the pause did not possibly constitute a hefsek—an interruption in the mitzvah. Reb Shlomo smiled and related a story from the Gemara (Brachos, 30b): “One day, Rabbi Yirmiya was ‘excessively’ joyful. When Rabbi Zeira inquired as to why, Rebbe Yirmiya replied with wonder: “Ana tefillin manachna—I am putting on tefillin!””
“The act of wrapping tefillin ought to fill the heart with joy,” explained Reb Shlomo, zt”l. “Today, I just didn’t feel it, so I paused to reflect upon what was holding me back from feeling happy. Only once I felt simcha shel mitzvah, did I continue laying my tefillin shel rosh.”
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Our sedra this week culminates with the mitzvah of tefillin:
וְהָיָה לְאוֹת עַל־יָדְכָה וּלְטוֹטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ כִּי בְּחֹזֶק יָד הוֹצִיאָנוּ ה׳ מִמִּצְרָיִם:
“… And it shall be a sign upon your arm, and for ‘totafos’ between your eyes, for with a strong hand Hashem removed us from Egypt.” (13:16)
From this pasuk, the midrash (Mechilta) extrapolates an important halacha regarding the sequence of laying tefillin on our arm and head: Once we have tefillin shel yad on our arm, tefillin shel rosh must be placed on our head. Thus, first we put on the tefillin shel yad, and then we put on the tefillin shel rosh. When removing our tefillin, first we take the tefillin off of our head and then the tefillin off of our arm. The sages of the midrash draw this teaching from the defining moment in history when we stood at Har Sinai and declared, “Naaseh v’nishma—We will do and we will understand.” “We will do,” refers to tefillin of the arm—symbolizing action—while, “We will understand,” refers to tefillin of the head, placed above the brain. The covenantal relationship with Hashem that we forged at Matan Torah is based on our acceptance of the commandments, and our commitment to actively fulfil them—whether or not we understand them intellectually.
Yiddishkeit is based on first doing and then seeking premise, purpose or reasoning. Actions precede questions that deepen our intellectual understanding. The foundation of “naaseh” must be firmly in place, before we can build upon it a tower of authentic “nishma.”
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Few mitzvos represent our tradition and activate our Jewish identity and pride as does laying tefillin. This tactile experience of fusing head and heart, intellect, emotion and action—literally binding our body and mind with physical “signs” expresses our deep faith in Hashem’s love, support and strength.
We wear tefillin which house the parshiyos of the Shema, proclaim our praises of Hashem for His kesher, His intimate connection with us (“Elokeinu—Our God”) and His Unity (Echad). Rabbi Chiya bar Avin (Brachos, 6a) says that the tefillin “worn” by HaKadosh Baruch Hu proclaim His praises for our kesher with Him (“Amcha—Your people”), and our unity: מי כעמך ישראל גוי אחד,בארץ—“Who is like Your people, Israel, a nation ‘of oneness’ (echad) upon the earth!” Tefillin are called “pe’er—splendor” and pride, as they reveal the glorious beauty of Am Yisrael: ישראל אשר בך אתפאר—“Yisrael, in whom I shall take pride.” In short, tefillin nonverbally express the mutual love, connection and pride between the Master of the World and His beloved nation.
Indeed, in the wake of October 7th/Simchas Torah and Charvot Barzel—both in Eretz Yisrael and around the world—public demonstrations of national oneness, of pride, identity, faith and connection with Our God, created a powerful loop of protective connectivity and strength. Untold numbers of Jews put on tefillin for the first time—or for the first time in years—celebrated with authentic simcha shel mitzvah. While we strive for more, the Torah’s vision has become more and more tangibly revealed and fulfilled: וראו כל,עמי הארץ כי שם ה׳ נקרא עליך ויראו ממך—“And all the nations of the earth shall see that the name of God is called upon you, and they shall fear you,” (Devarim, 28:10). This pasuk is a reference to the tefillin shel rosh (Menachos, 35b). When the nations intuitively “see” the name of the Creator inscribed upon our head tefillin—and our indelible covenant and bond—they will be instinctually struck with awe, fear and respect.
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One morning, Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, zt”l, saw a Yid accidentally drop his tefillin while wrapping them up at the end of davening. The fellow quickly bent down, picked up the black box that had fallen, brushed off the bayis, gathered up the straps, held the tefillin tenderly against his heart and kissed it over and over. The moment moved Reb Levi Yitzchak deeply and the tzaddik lifted his tear-filled eyes to heaven, crying out, “Ribbono Shel Olam! Master of the World! Look at Your children! When a Yid’s tefillin falls to the floor, he immediately picks them up, embraces and kisses them. Are we, Knesses Yisrael, not Your beloved tefillin? We have fallen; we too, are on the floor! The time has come to pick us up, to restore the kavod of Your tefillin—the Jewish nation—to brush us off, hold us tight and give us the ‘kisses’ we are so desperately waiting for!”
May we renew and support our personal practice and national experience of donning tefillin with simcha shel mitzvah, great joy and wholehearted unity, and in this merit, may we awaken the full divine compassion and favor—bringing eternal victory, glory and elevation to all of klal Yisrael!
Rabbi Judah Mischel is executive director of Camp HASC, the Hebrew Academy for Special Children. He is the mashpiah of OU-NCSY, founder of Tzama Nafshi and the author of “Baderech: Along the Path of Teshuva.” Rabbi Judah lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh with his wife Ora and their family.
