Tefillin Tour Guides- Parshat Bo 5780/ 2020

Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land

from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

January 31^st  2020 -Volume 10 Issue 15 5^th Shvat 5780

Parshat Bo

Tefillin Tour Guides

I'm not a Chabad guy. My parents sent me to a month long Gan Israel sleepaway camp when I was 6 years old (that was only because they wouldn't take me when I was 5!) and that pretty much ruined me for decades. I hated camp. I hated my counselours. I hated that they woke us up to listen to live broadcasts of the Rebb's Farbrengenen in Yiddish which we didn't understand. And I hated that they had a picture of the Rebbi in every room and told us that he was watching us with his funny eyes that followed you across the room. I was not a Chabad fan, and my parents sent me there for 5 years (I guess until the age when normal camps take you in).

When I went to yeshiva and the whole messianic thing started I was even less of a fan. It was an excuse to take my latent Chabad un-fandom and make it religious zealotry. I was not polite about my feelings or jokes. It took decades until I chilled out a bit. Perhaps it was living all over the States and seeing and appreciating the great work and dedication that they do. It really wasn't though until I moved to Israel that I got an appreciation of the Torah of the Rebbi though. It was a funny a story.

There was someone that lived in my house when we were in Seattle who was a former Chabad guy. He had to leave suddenly and gifted me over a hundred of his Chabad sefarim that he wasn't planning on taking with him. They ranged from the early Rebbes stuff to Chabad halacha sefarim, storybooks and even music books, as well of course of all of the sefarim of the Rebbi's sichos weekly lectures. I wasn't really interested in them, but I'm kind of a bibliophile and I brought them with me when I moved to Israel. They sat in about 20 boxes on my roof for about 5 years until one day it all changed.

See, I had started going to a lecture of a Rabbi here that I enjoyed. That's really a rare thing because being a bit of a speaker-snob there's not too many people I can stand to listen to for more than a few minutes. The ones that I can though, I can listen for hours to. This particular Rabbi would quote a lot from the Rebbi and I really began to enjoy his Torah for the first time. It was different, brilliant, insightful and he took apart a Rashi like the greatest yeshivish Torah I've ever heard. There was one particular week that he quoted something that seemed so amazing I decided that I needed to see the text inside myself. I made my way up to the roof and looked at those boxes. Where to start, how was I to find it that particular dvar torah. There were so many boxes so many volumes and so many torah thoughts in each volume. Well, I figured I'll give it a shot. I opened up the first box, pulled out the first sefer that came to hand and opened up the first book. Whadaya know? It was right there in front of me…. Exactly the piece I was looking for. The ex anti-chabad yeshiva guy was finally converted. It took about 40 years or so. I'm still not a Chabad guy, but I definitely have learned through much of the Rebbi's amazing Torah and you won't hear me say anything about up these boys ever again.

Perhaps one of the most visceral things about Chabad Chasidim that is radically different and almost their calling card is their teffilin stands around the country. This mass teffilin campaign began before the 6 Day war where the Rebbi gave out a call that all of his chasidim should go out and put teffilin on as many Jews as possible. Israel was in danger the 19-year-old dream of our return to Israel was looking very bleak as the nations around us were clamoring for Jewish blood and how rivers of blood would flow through the streets as they pushed us into the Sea. The Rebbi's call for teffilin was based on that idea the Talmud shares with us that teffilin puts the awe and fear of the nation of Hashem that wear this "crown" upon the other nations. Wearing teffilin is a segula for long life and thus it is important to insure that every Jew at least once should wear this special sign upon them. After the miraculous victory when in fact the Arabs fled from the Jews in that awe, it was heralded as the secret success of our victory. The campaign continued by the Rebbi's ruling though as Israel always needs protection and there is an opportunity with this mitzva to connect Jews and awaken their souls. And there have been countless stories of that in fact being the case.

 There were certainly Rabbis, great Rabbi's that were against the campaign and who's students still are today. Not only for philosophical reasons but for halachic ones as well. It's why it's pretty much only Chabad that does that. But there are always Rabbis- great Rabbis that disagree with every idea. It just makes the others one stronger and more resolute and also keeps them in shape. Personally I'm not a street corner teffilin putter-onner type of guy. I do my kiruv by inviting them over for my wife's chulent. I know that works. But hey, to each his own.

This week the Torah introduces us to this essential mitzva. It was one of the three "signs" the Torah tells us that show our special connection and bond with Hashem. It's right up there with Shabbos and Circumcision and it’s the only one that we can do each day. At the same time though it's probably one of the only ones that we take the most for granted. Strap-on Strap-off. Daven to Hashem and roll 'em up and head out to work. But remember that first time we wore them though… Wasn't that so amazing… So inspiring. How it transformed our prayers our thoughts and how that first day or month or week we felt so special all day that we were finally adults that got to put on teffilin. That's what Chabad guys get when they experience placing them on people. Their kind of like tour guides in that way. Teffilin tour guides. Showing and seeing the wonder and sharing their enthusiasm of this mitzva. Of the Rebbi of theirs campaign with someone who has never performed that mitzva or experienced it. I can relate to that joy. It's total awesome.

Well in honor of that idea I figured I'd share with you readers a truly amazing idea about the teffilin that perhaps you can taste a bit of that inspiration the next time you put them on. (The women could just skip to the jokes from this point J). As you know there are four parshas of teffilin two of them in this week's parsha of Kadesh - the holiness of the first-borns, V'ahaya Ki yiviacha of the mitzva of passing down to our children the story of Egypt when we come to the land of Israel and two in Devarim of Shema of our love of Hashem and V'haya the obligation to fulfill the commandments. These four parshas are in our teffilin but there is a difference. In the head they are written on four different parchments and put into separate section. In the hand one it was one klaf and one box. The early commentaries suggest that the idea behind this is that the portions correspond to the 5 senses of a man. There are four of them in the head. The sense of sight- the eyes, sound- the ears, smell- the nose and taste or speech- through the mouth. The fifth sense is the sense of touch which is in the hands. Thus the placing of the teffilin upon one's head subjugates all four of the head senses to Hashem whereas the hand teffilin has one portion that is for the sense of touch. Cool… but we're just touching the surface.

The Shvilei Pinchas brings down a fascinating idea from a few sources that the function of the creation of the world is to utilize these five senses to elevate the world. The Rozhiner Rebbe suggests that the Torah tells us

Eileh Toldos Shamayim V'artetz BiHibaram- these are the products of the world when they were created.

However, it is written with a small Hei and Rashi tells us that they were created with the letter Hei- the Rebbi suggests that it is to fix the world with our five senses. When Adam sinned with those five senses by eating from the tree (smelling, tasting speaking about it…) Hashem says Eich-ah or how does this happen with the letter Hei- with the five senses I gave you. Avram and Sarai's name were changed and a Hei added to them  making them into Avraham and Sarah, because they ruled over all their senses. The letter Hei representing the repair of the sin of the Garden that ultimately we receive when we put on our teffilin and leave Egypt with that mission.

But perhaps the most amazing of the ideas of these five senses is what he mentions as the fixing of the sin of the Garden in the repair of the letters of the Torah. See the Torah tells us that the world was created with 22 letters of the aleph beis. There are five final letters though that were only added to creation after the sin of the Tree. Those letters are called MeNaTzPaCh- Mem, Nun, Tzadik, Peh and Chaf. What's fascinating the Megaleh Amukos notes is that each one of these letters corresponds to one of the five senses. See take a look at them. The Mem looks like the profile of a face. The opening is the nose on that profile is open on the bottom. We are meant to inhale kedusha and only holy smells. It is where Hashem blew the spirit of life into us from But once we sinned the nose is closed. We can't receive that kedusha and spirit of life anymore. That is the final mem. The Nun is shaped like the ears of a person. We are told that the bottom of the ear is too plug it up so one doesn't hear lashon hara. The final  Nun, post-sin, nun though has dropped that plug all the way down it can no longer plug up the ear. Similarly, the Tzadik has two lines coming up from the base which are like the eyes of a man. They are meant to be closed with eyelids. After the sin though the bottom drops down and they can no longer close as well. The Peh looks like it's Hebrew name. It is the mouth. It is meant to have a small opening to eat with and to speak words of Torah. Yet it should be closed to things that are prohibited and words of gossip and mockery. After the sin the bottom lip falls down. It's like when you're in the dentist chair after anesthesia and you are just flubbing around. Those are the letters and consequences of that sin.

Our teffilin fixes all of that. We unify our 5 senses with the placing of Hashem, His love for us and ours for Him. We recognize that as His First-Borns it is we that are chosen to fix creation. Every Jew.  We are His nation. Those little square boxes that have the name of Hashem Sha-Dai upon them are our daily call to bring us back to the garden.

Not all of us can stand on street corners and make sure that every Jew has that opportunity to fulfill this great mitzva. But we all can recognize our special chosen role in this world. To restore it to its former glory. Last week 42 nations and leaders of State came to the Land of Israel to express their determination to eradicate the hatred that our nation has always suffered for this role. This past week, the United States recognized that Yerushalayim and most of the rest of the country belongs eternally to our people. They haven't recognized it all yet. And not all have yet recognized it. But we're getting closer and closer. It is now up to us to let the world know that it only belongs to us because it belongs to Hashem. It's why the world was created. It's the first Rashi in the Torah that has brought us to the first mitzva in the Torah with our exodus from Egypt of teffilin. Of our special role. May we finally be bold enough as a chabadtzke to feel and share that message with the world.

Have a mystical and glorious Shabbos

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

*************************************

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

“Di tefileh gait aroif un di brocheh gait arop.."– The prayer ascends and the blessing descends.

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S COOL VIDEO  OF THE WEEK

https://youtu.be/vkInPUky6-w     – New! Vzakeini-Levine and Benny Friedman beautiful Bonei Olam song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwLh3N_4BJI    Don't get the wrong idea here… I'm not going Vegan but Mrs. Goldfarbs Unreal Pastrami looks interesting…

https://youtu.be/Vy48jfWoN28 - Cool video Reb Mendel Roth- "Mincha" song

https://youtu.be/vykZx0mGINE     - Just got this Disc Eitan Katz live in Jerusalem 2.. Its awesome

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE EXAM QUESTION OF THE WEEK

answer below at end of Email

12) A remnant from the Biblical period was found in excavations in:

A.    Nebi Samuel

2. Magdala
3. Tel Beer Sheva National Park
4. Hippos (Sussita)

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S PARSHA/MITZVA CONNECTION OF THE WEEK

Teffilin– Phylacteries – I don't know which one of those preceding words require more translation, but the truth is that the Torah's word for those Jewish black boxes we wear on our arms and head "totafot" is not really a word according to Rashi that originates in Hebrew but might have African roots. Even the details of this mitzva which the Torah goes out of its way numerous times to mention to us seem to be secret. What are teffilin? What does it say in them? Where exactly should I wear them? What do they look like what are they made out of?

So the majority of the details of tefillin were passed down from Moshe to us on Sinai. It's part of the oral tradition that we have, the Torah She baal Peh. In fact this is one of the basic proofs that there must have been an oral tradition that explained the written Torah. How else would we know what this was. So what is the mitzva of Tefillin or in fact how many mitzvos are there with tefillin?

So like all Jewish things its never simple. The Rambam and Chinuch seem to learn that its two separate mitzvos one for the head and one for the arm teffilin, while the Yereim and BaHa"G seem to suggest that it is one mitzva. Interestingly enough we make two blessings on the tefillin one on each one according to the Rambam that is only when one interrupts in between the two acts. Normally however one would only recite one bracha, despite that its two mitzvos. The reason is because they are the same concept. As well like the Rambam if one only has one of the teffilin he could and should just put that one on as each mitzva is not dependent on the other.

The mitzva of teffilin is a daily mitzva 6 days a week. The Talmud tells us that we derive this from the following verse in this week's parsha that we should observe this law (of Pesach) Miyamim yamima- each day. As well it is not taken on Shabbos or Yom Tov as we are told that teffilin is meant to be a "sign" and since Shabbos and Yom Tov are already considered signs we do not wear them. As a result of these laws the obligation of Tefillin falls under the category of mitzvos that are dependent and limited by time constraints as a result of that women are not obligated to wear tefillin, as they are exempt from all mitzvos in this category. It's not to say they can't…but the custom for the most part is for women not to wear them.

For men wearing teffilin the demand is that they be worn on a guf naki- a body that is clean and thus they are pretty much worn only during morning services as the rest of the day it is difficult to be careful about that. Although there are certainly great Rabbis and some in Jerusalem today that wear Teffilin all day.

The teffilin themselves contain the four portions that mention the Mitzva two from this week's Parsha of Kadesh and V'Haya Ki Yiviacha and the first two chapters of Shema. The arm teffilin contain all four written on one parchment whereas the head has four different scrolls placed separately in its own container. There is a dispute as to the order they are placed and therefore some have a custom to put on two pairs of teffilin to fulfil both opinions. The boxes themselves are made out of leather as well and are painted black. The head box has the letter Shin on both sides of it (one has three arms and one has four) The hand box doesn't have anything on it. The Shin is there to connect to the shape of the daled that the head knot forms and the yud shape on the hand straps to write the ShaDai, one of Hashem's names. Tefillin are like the crown of Hashem and it is a fulfillment of the concept of the Name of Hashem being called upon us.

Finally the placement of the teffilin is very specific. In ancient times there were Karaite Jews that would wear the head teffilin between their eyes on top of their nose and the arm ones in their hands. They were literalists and they didn't have our rabbinic tradition from Sinai. We know better. Which is why we are still around and they aren't. head teffilin are worn on the head above and between the eyes about the soft point on a baby's head. Whereas the hand teffilin are worn on arm or muscle above the elbow directed inwards to heart. They are also worn on the weaker hand, so lefties put them on the right and righties on the left. There are different customs on how to strap them on but most customs include 7 rings above hand and then a formation on the hand that spells Sha-dai as well.

Teffilin is a mitzva that is essential. We are told that it is as great as all of the other mitzvos in the Torah. It is one of the few that are considered as a sign between our special relationship and Hashem. As well we are told that it is a protection against the nations that wish to destroy us. Hashem we are told has His own pair of teffilin which describes His love for us. When we wear ours we complete this beautiful relationship that we have. It is like being bound eternally in marriage. It is thus that we received this mitzva as we became betrothed to Hashem upon our Exodus from Egypt.

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ERA’S AND THEIR PLACES AND PEOPLE IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK

Shimshon- Rambo 959 BC- One of the things unique about Shimshon is that unlike all of the other judges of Israel who had armies. Shimshon was a one man fighting machine. In fact quite the opposite of the other judges the Jews themselves handed him over to the Plishtim. But he handles himself just fine.

Right after Shimshon wreaks havoc on their fields with his flaming foxes and then slaughtered some more of them fleeing after they burnt his Philistine wife and father-in-law, the Plishtim decided to put the onus of arresting him on the Jews. They came up with a huge army to Yehuda and basically threatened that unless they hand him over they will all be killed. This story is not a new one amongst our people and there are specific halachic guidelines. If the enemy demands that the Jews select a person of their own choice they all have to allow themselves to die rather than hand over an innocent man that they select. If they demand that the Jews specifically kill an individual as well the Jews are not permitted to do that. Here they just demanded that they hand over Shimshon specifically. They would deal with killing him. In that case it is technically permitted to hand him over. Although when the case was Shimshon it seems that they should have had more faith.

So 3000 men from the tribe of Yehudah came down to the Rock of Eitam where he was hiding. Its not clear exactly where this is located, some suggested it is near Breichot Shlomo by Beth Lechem, others connect it with Tel Eiton near the moshav Shekef, while others place it near Tzora where he lived. Regardless Shimshon agreed to be tied up and handed over to the Philistines. He was brought to a place called Lechi-which means jawbone. That name pretty much describes what took place there. The most radical of Israel's fighting groups led by Yair Stern was called the Le"ChI however that name is just an acronym of Lochamei Cherut Yisrael- Freedom Fighters of Israel but I'm sure they wanted to conjure up that image of Shimshon in that name as well.

The Philistines upon seeing Shimshon engaged in that ancient and modern Philistine/ Palestinian party of yelling and rejoicing probably even passing out candies as well at the capture of their enemy. But unlike in today's time The Jewish people didn't get on the radio and condemn it and say we will not tolerate this….and then do nothing. Shimshon picked up a donkeys jaw bone and slew 1000 of them. Boom. Don't mess. He roared about his victory over their corpses…yet it seems he forgot about Hashem in his song of praise. Not a good a thing. Hashem made him become fiercely thirsty. He cried out and attributed his victory to Hashem and water poured out of the jawbone. Cool! We can make water out of air here today, but a Jawbone would be even cooler… This took place by a place called Ein Koreh. Interestingly enough there is a spring called Ein kara near Rishon LiTzion that Shimshon then led the nation for 20 years. It seems his message worked.

The exact location of this battle is not sure, yet there is a great hike called Mearat Shimshon not far from Nachal Sorek by the stalactite caves where this story is shared with tourists. This story is always a great topic to talk about as it addresses the Philistine response of rejoicing on our falling as opposed to the Jewish response. It teaches about sacrificing the one for the many and the halachot related to that and of course the idea of attributing all our victories to Hashem. Touring Israel with Tanach is not just a history lesson. We learn our ethics from the Tanach and it is what should reflect the morality in our warfare today.

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S ESPECIALLY TERRIBLE CHABAD JOKES  OF THE WEEK

So the Chabad Guy stops the secular Israeli soldier to ask if he has perhaps three minutes to put on Teffilin. The Solider said yes, if you have three years to serve in the Army!

So the Chabad Guy stops a yeshiva bachur and asks him if he made a blessing on a lulav and Etrog yet on Sukkot. The bachur who was quite offended at even being approached told the shaliach that he had not. The Chabad guy handed him the Lulav and Etrog and the Yeshiva bachur closed his eyes and made the blessin Baruch Atah Hashem Elokeinu Melech Haolam Borei Pri Ha'Eitz and took a big bite out of the Etrog. Ouch!

Every day the Chabad guy came into the hospital and put teffilin on the two Jews in the hospital room. There was a gentile that was moved into their room and just so he wouldn't feel left out the Chabad guy put in on him as well. Finally Shabbos came and the Chabad guy didn't show up. By the afternoon the gentil turned to the other Jewish patients and asked them.

 "What is it there's no one coming to check our blood pressure today!"

A chasid one time came to the Rebbe and complained that he was hungry and doesn't have money for food or his basic needs for his family. The Rebbe told him that he should be happy and if he is happy that will bring him parnassa. But how can I be happy the chasid asked when I don't have anything to put on my plate. Oy… the Rebbe said… "What a person doesn't have to do for parnassa!" ( I think a lot of breslavers feel the same way!)

The Litvak walked into the Chabad Shul and was frowning at everyone there. The Gabbai decided to put him in his place and called him up for the second Aliya Yaamod Harav Ha'Gaon  Yankel ben Berel Halevi… Yankel turned to the Gabbai and said "I'm[es1]  not a Levi."

"Don't worry the Gabbai said neither are you a Rav or Gaon"…!

The Breslaver and Chabad chasid both died in an accident and found themselves in Gehenom. Oy Vay they cried let's daven to our Rebbe's to save us and take us out of here. The Breslaver was answered first as soon as he said his Na Nach Nachman's he wasn't so nervous he had gone to Uman for Rosh Hashana and sure enough Rebbi Nachman himself comes to take him out. The Chabd guy finds himself davening and davening until the Rebbi comes down and orders him to open up a Chabad house there…

The chasid came to the Rebbi to tell him that he has a weakness for sports. His favorite football team was playing and the world cup fell out on Yom Kippur right on Kol Nidrei night. Was there anyway that he could watch the game? The Rebbi told him there is no way he can miss Yom Kippur the service for the game, it was much too important, but if he wants he will permit him to record it on Yom Kippur. The chasid was very grateful. After Yom Kippur the Rebbi asked the Cahsid where he was for services. The Chasid answered "Rebbi, don't worry I recorded the whole Kol Nidrei services and watched them afterwards…."

***********************************

Answer is C–  This one seemed fairly easy and I got it correct I assume as Beer Sheva is really the only biblical city and the city dates back to the period of Shoftim. Which I'm assuming is Biblical. Sussita and Mgadla are second temple and after cities. Nebi Samuel- the grave of Shmuel Hanavi that looks over Jerusalem is mostly a crusader built and perhaps even created site when they first came to Israel as the burial ground of Shmuel, although shhhh most likely it is not there...  However, there have been some finds there from the end of the first temple including Ha'Melech handles from some jugs from the first Temple period which is also Biblical, which would also make it a biblical remnant, although the construction there is not Biblical, but who knows it may be arguable. So the score is Schwartz 7 and 5 for MOT (Ministry of Tourism) on this exam.