Tefilin and Eretz Yisrael

by HaRav Mordechai Greenberg
Nasi HaYeshiva, Kerem B'Yavneh

Parshat Bo concludes with the mitzvah of tefilin (Shemot 13:11,16):

When Hashem will bring you to the land of the Canaanites ... It shall be a sign upon your arm, and an ornament between your eyes, for with a strong hand Hashem took us out of Egypt.

The Gemara in Kiddushin 37a asks, "Why does the Torah mention 'bringing [to the Land]' in regards to tefilin?" It answers, "This is needed as taught in the academy of R. Yishmael: Do this mitzvah so that in its merit you will enter the Land." What is the connection between the mitzvah of tefilin and entering the Land?

Normally, the more that a person invests himself in worldly matters, the more he distances from spiritual pursuits, as the author of the Chovot Halevavot writes, "The more the yishuv (physical world) is developed, the more the sechel (spirit) is destroyed."

However, the Torah does not reject the physical life of the body. It just desires that the physical realm should not become the dominant side of life, but rather it should take its proper place, and should be ruled by the spirit. Through this, the matters of the body will be turned to good, so that, just the opposite, the more the body becomes stronger and bolder, the spirit will also become more holy and elevated.

Tefilin express this idea. Tefilin of the hand corresponds to physical activity, and are next to the heart, which is the source of desire, and which is to be ruled by the brain, which is expressed by the tefilin of the head. Tefilin of the head indicate not only the intellectual aspect of man, but also the Divine spirit in him, as Chazal say, "Then all the people of the earth will see that the Name of Hashem is proclaimed over you, and they will revere you. (Devarim 28:10) – These are the tefilin of the head." ["Shem YKVK Nikra" form the acronym, shin, which is the shin in the tefilin of the head.]

Thus, we say in the prayer before placing tefilin:

He commanded us to place on the hand ... which corresponds to the heart, to thereby subjugate the desires and thoughts of our heart to His service. And on the head, corresponding to the brain, since the soul is in my brain with all my other senses and faculties; they should all be subjugated to His service, may He be blessed. From the shefa (Divine influence) of the mitzvah of tefilin, may the shefa of holy thoughts be drawn upon me, etc.

Eretz Yisrael is a land "flowing with milk and honey," so that there is danger that in it the physical body will be strengthened, and thereby the spiritual faculties of man and of the nation will be weakened. Therefore, the mitzvah of tefilin was given to us as a preparation for entering the Land, so that the spiritual forces will be strengthened, and there will be no concern of the destruction of the sechel through the development of the yishuv.

This was the great concern of the spies, as explained by the ancient Seforim. They were afraid to confront this problem, and preferred to remain in the desert, where one can only be involved with the spiritual realm. However, this is not the goal of the Torah, but rather to prove that it is possible to be involved in worldly matters and to remain connected to heaven. To build the body, but to strengthen the spiritual faculty; to be people, but to behave as angels: "People of holiness you shall be to me." (Shemot 22:30)

The Chatam Sofer writes about this (as has been mentioned before), that R. Yishmael's statement that a person should involve himself in worldly pursuits together with his learning is said only in Eretz Yisrael, where labor itself is a mitzvah of yishuv Eretz Yisrael, and of bringing forth its holy fruits. About this the Torah commands, 'Gather your grain.' However, when we are scattered amongst the nations, and the more the world is developed, the service of G-d is destroyed, R. Yishmael concedes to R. Shimon b. Yochai.

Therefore, the Torah says about the mitzvah of tefilin, "Do this mitzvah so that in its merit you will enter the Land," and there will be no danger of spiritual damage due to material involvement.

Rav Kook zt"l writes that this, apparently, is the reason that the satanic forces are striving that this mitzvah should be observed weakly nowadays, in order to hold back the redemption. Thus, it is important to strengthen and put on tefilin mehudarot, written properly and worn in the proper place. (See Chavosh Pe'er Drush #1)