Nachal novea; makor chochma -
A flowing river; the source of wisdom (Mish. 18:4)

Parshas Eikev 5755

(Deuteronomy 7:12 - 11:25)

"You shall place these words of mine [G-d] upon your heart and upon your soul; you shall bind them for a sign upon your arm and let them be an ornament between your eyes." (Deut. 11:18)

***

The order of placement [of the parshios of the tefillin] in their housings according to Rashi and the Rambam: ..."Hear O Israel...' in the third compartment, "And it will be if you will listen...' in the fourth compartment...

And according to Rabbenu Tam "And it will be if you will listen...' [goes into I the third compartment, and in the fourth compartment..."Hear O Israel...' And the prevailing custom is according to Rashi and The Rainbam...

A G-d fearing person should try to fulfill both of them and make two pairs of tefillin and wear them..." [Shulchan Aruch, Orech Chaim 34:1-2]

WHY DO SOME PEOPLE WEAR
RABBENU TAM'S TEFILLIN?

The Shulchan Aruch brings us two opinions about the order in which the parshios should be housed in the tefillin, and then goes on to tell us that, although we have established the law according to Rashi and Rambam, still "... a G-d fearing person should try to fulfill both of them..." by wearing both "Rashi Tefillin" and 'Rabbenu Tam Tefillin." But why? If we fulfill the law with "Rashi Tefillin" what purpose is there in wearing "Rabbenu Tam's Tefillin" too?

Rav Noson of Breslov, following the teachings of Rabbi Nachman offers a deep and revealing explanation.

FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE

"I [G-dl have created the Evil Urge, and I have created the Torah as its spice." (Talmud: Kiddushin 30a)

The Mezricher Magid points out that The Talmud's analogy doesn't seem to make sense! The Talmud compares the Torah to a spice, implying that the Torah is secondary to the evil inclination, just as a spice is of secondary importance to food! How can this be?

The Magid explains, really, the Evil Inclination is primary. To serve Hashem we need the kind of unbridled energy and vitality that comes from our most primary urges, ie. from the Evil Inclination. What the Torah teaches us is how to utilize these urges to serve HaShem. (2 Torat HaMagid: p. 139)

But there is a danger here! To serve HaShem we must actually harness the energy and power of our evil inclination, powers that are connected to negative spiritual energies of harshness. How can we take the reins and control these powerful urges in order to use them? By "fighting fire with fire," ie. by using the positive spiritual energies of harshness, din, as the verse says, "Everything that comes into the fire, you shall pass through the fire (in order to purify it)". (Numbers 31:23) In order to harness our most primordial urges to serve HaShem we must go back to the primordial system of the Creation: strict justice, severity, din.

THE ORIGINAL IDEA

"In the beginning of Elokim's [G-d's name denoting strict justice, din] creating the heavens and the earth..." (Genesis 1:1)

"'Elokim's [G-d's] creating': It didn't say 'HaShem's [ie. G-d's name denoting kindness and mercy] creating" because originally He intended to create [the universe] through strict judgment [din]... And he saw that the universe couldn't survive that way..." - Rashi, Commentary to Genesis 1:1

Hashem originally created the world to operate through strict judgment, din. However, since Hashem knew that the world could not endure under such conditions, He eventually decided to create it incorporating the spiritual energies of compassion, too, as the verse says, "These are the products of the heaven and earth when they were created in the day that Hashem [ie. G-d's name denoting kindness and mercy] G-d [ie. G-d's name denoting strict justice, din] made earth and heaven." (Genesis 2:4) According to the original plan of Creation a person would be judged strictly on his own merits. There would be no bending of the rules, no concept of leniency, no looking the other way or giving another chance. Strict justice would dictate that a person rise or fall on his own merits, exactly according to what he's done, even if it meant severe punishment for even the "slightest" infraction of Hashem's will.

But there was also an advantage to this system: It made the powerful spiritual energies of harshness and din available in everyday life, enabling one to destroy the Evil Inclination unassisted, without any need for Hashem's help!

What a trade-off! A system that invites us to stand on our own two feet, with no help from HaShem to stand against evil. If we win in this one-on-one battle against evil, we have done so ourselves without any special help from HaShem... But the minute we even try to enter into enter such solo combat against the forces of evil we find ourselves open to their massive and unyielding assaults! The forces of evil attack to counter any attempt to access the positive spiritual energies that would enable us to defeat them, and HaShem offers no special favors to help us! Who can live like that? Very, very few.

THE ALTERNATE SYSTEM

So Hashem created an alternate system: the system of din, strict justice combined with chesed, kindness and mercy. In this system He assists us by giving us the help we need to overcome the forces of evil. As the Talmud teaches:

"The Evil Urge assaults a person daily. If it wasn't for Hashem's assistance, one would fall into his [the Evil inclination's] hand." (Talmud: Kedushin 30a)

Through this system the average person is able to come close to Hashem. Yes, the average person still must try his very best to stand up to evil and adhere to Hashem's will; But now, his inevitable lapses are looked on by Hashem through His compassion, His love for us and His consequent desire to overlook our short-comings.

So now, with support and help from HaShem we are able to continue our attempts to overcome evil and serve Hashem. And in doing this we activate the positive spiritual energies of strictness which neutralize the negative energies of associated with the Evil Urge. These negative energies are turned to holy and positive energies and we are better able to come close to Hashem -- all through the Alternate System of din tempered with chesed.

THE ORIGINAL SYSTEM IS STILL AVAILABLE

But although Hashem created this alternate system of severity tempered with compassion, the original system is still available -- for those rare and powerful individuals who are able to confront the Evil Urge without needing Hashem's help.

These are people who are able to adhere to Hashem's will despite the unrelenting trials, afflictions, and massive assaults hurled at them from the forces of evil. And this is the path that leads to spiritual greatness. The patriarchs were such individuals, they followed this path, unassisted by Hashem, as the verse says, "He [Jacob] said, 'O G-d [the name of Hashem containing the spiritual energies of harshness] before Whom my forefathers Abraham and Isaac walked ... [the patriarchs were able to walk before G-d's strictness, meaning they were able to successfully serve Him, unassisted, while living under the realm of severity, enabling them to reach awesome spiritual heights]." (Genesis 48:15)

This path of unassisted greatness, Rabbi Nachman explains, meant that whatever these spiritual giants obtained or accomplished, they did so only through their prayers. If they didn't pray for their needs, Hashem didn't provide them. (Compare this to our situation in which Hashem provides the average person with much of his basic needs even without prayer, as a free gift. This assistance, or free gift, however is based on our living on a a much lower level: because distance is created between Hashem and man according to the degree to which one doesn't see the hand of Hashem in one's affairs. One can only come close to Hashem when one realizes, through prayer, that it is Hashem Who provides one with his every need.

THE ORIGINAL WAY IS THE HIGHER WAY

So Hashem's initial thought in the planning stages prior to the creation of the universe is associated with the highest of spiritual levels. Understanding this, the great Tzaddikim throughout history clearly realized that all afflictions and suffering are very beneficial, enhancing one's eternal spiritual standing and closeness to Hashem:

"Whomever Hashem loves he chastens [to let him know how to straighten his way. (Mezudat David)]." (Proverbs 3:12) [One is chastened by Hashem so that no trace of sin should remain lest it lessen Hashem's love for that person, and it also increases one's humility, lest tranquility decrease one's fear of Him. (Rabbenu Yona)].

Consider the brutal execution by the Romans of the spiritual giant Rebbe Akiva for his dissemination of the Torah. Moshe saw [through prophecy] the Romans shredding Rebbe Akiva's flesh with iron combs and exclaimed to Hashem, "This is the Torah, and this its reward!" Is this the reward for the holy Rebbe Akiva who sacrificed everything for Hashem and the Torah, that he was executed in such a horrible fashion and his flesh sold in the market for dog food?! Hashem answered, "Silence! For this came up upon my thoughts."

The answer seems strange at first, but is understood through our teaching: Rebbe Akiva was a spiritual giant. He was able to successfully serve Hashem, unassisted, withstanding afflictions, tests, and obstacles. He was able to break the forces of evil without Hashem's help. It was only through performing Hashem's will, despite his immense suffering, that Rebbe Akiva was able to attain the highest spiritual level, the level of Hashem's first thought, to conduct the world through harshness. Through the system of severity, Rebbe Akiva was able to unify his soul with Hashem's first thought. Therefore Hashem's statement could be understood as: "'Silence' which is the level of thought, for thoughts are silent, Rebbe Akiva reached the lofty spiritual area of Hashem's thought. "For this came up upon My thought," My first thought, to create the world through harshness, so those people who are able to come close to Me without My assistance and mercy could reach that highest level - since the need for My unearned assistance creates a certain lack of awareness of Me, causing distance.

ACCESSING GREATNESS

Now, there is a rule that any act performed in this world produces spiritual energies that are stored in the upper worlds and last for all time. These stored spiritual energies can be accessed even centuries after the act was performed. And, like a spiritual "radio receiver," Tefillin work to help us access such spiritual energies to nourish our souls, helping us to come closer to Hashem.

The spiritual energies accessed by wearing Rabbenu Tam's tefillin draw the spiritual energies associated with giants such as the patriarchs and Rebbe Akiva, spiritual giants who were able to serve Hashem despite their living under the realm of severity. So, Rabbenu Tam's tefillin are much holier than Rashi's tefillin and can access the spiritual energies to nourish the soul from the highest world, the world of Hashem's first thought, the world of din.

The sequence of the paragraphs in Rabbnu Tam's tefillin has the paragraph "And if you listen ..." (Deut. 11:13:21), which warns of the consequences of violating Hashem's will, din, harshness, proceeding the paragraph of "Hear O Israel ..." (Deut. 6:4-8), which declares each Jew's belief in Hashem -- something that applies even to the sinners of Israel implying the aspect of mercy. So in Rabbenu Tam's tefillin, the aspect of harshness, precedes that of mercy -- as in Hashem's original intention to run the world through harshness, din.

In the sequence of the paragraphs of Rashi's tefillin, the paragraph of compassion precedes the paragraph of harshness. This is associated with the way Hashem presently runs the world, and the way He deals with most people, with compassion. Since most people are dependent upon Hashem's mercy for their existence, the law follows Rashi's view --and so the essential obligation to wear tefillin is fulfilled through the wearing of Rashi's tefillin.

BREAKING EVIL AT ITS SOURCE

Whoever wears Rabbenu Tam's Tefillin (along with Rashi's tefillin) draws the awesome spiritual energies from the spiritual giants of the past, heroes who were actually able to neutralize all afflictions, barriers, and harshness at their root, unassisted. That is why Rabbi Nachman urged whoever wanted to sincerely come close to Hashem to wear Rabbenu Tam's tefillin. Rabbi Nachman said that since the power of the evil inclination and the forces of evil are derived from the negative spiritual energies of din and severity, one must access the potent positive spiritual energies of severity from the spiritual giants of the past to break the forces of evil and the evil inclination at its root. Once the forces of evil are broken in this way afflictions, barriers, and -- spiritual estrangement are dissipated on the spiritual level. And, this effect caused by wearing Rabbenu Tam's tefillin is so powerful that it fortifies even those Jews who are far from Hashem and brings them to close to Him.

Rav Noson adds that because the power of evil in our time, before the advent of the Messiah, is so great, we lack sufficient power to stand against the tidal wave of evil. So, Rav Noson said, it is imperative in our time, to enlist the aid of the spiritual giants of the past, accessed by wearing Rabbenu tam's tefillin. Therefore, Rav Noson said that Rabbnu tam's tefillin greatly expands the intelligence, enabling one to break evil at its source, and it enables one to stand up against the forces of evil. Therefore, he exhorts, in the turbulent era of the coming of the Messiah, all those who are serious about wanting to find Hashem, wearing Rabbenu Tam's tefillin is very important. (Lekutei Halachoth: Orach Chaim: Hilchoth Tefillin 5:27-29)

RAV NOSON OFFERS AN ADDITIONAL REASON WHY
RABBENU TAM'S TEFILLIN SHOULD BE WORN:

"Yehuda Ben Tema said, 'Be bold as a leopard. .. to carry out the will of your Father in Heaven" (Mishnah: Avoth 5:23)

"An abomination to Hashem is every one that is proud of heart." (Proverbs 16:5)

There seems to be a contradiction: This teaching of the Mishnah says that Hashem desires boldness. But, the verse from Mishlei (Proverbs) implies that Hashem detests this sort of bold behavior!

But, Rav Noson explains, there is no contradiction. contrary to popular opinion, true humility does not mean yielding in every situation, acting "like a doormat.' True humility is found in the ability to respond appropriately to each situation, as the situation dictates. There are situations where the proper response is to be bold, courageous, and unyielding. And, there are situations where the proper response is to be yielding, gentle, and meek.

Now, it is impossible for a human being to always know what the proper response should be in every situation. So we have to live with doubt. And this dealing with doubt is reflected in the fact of Rabbenu Tam's tefillin which are worn in addition to Rashi's tefillin due to a doubt. So the positive spiritual energies they access to counter this doubt, rectify and cover all situations of doubt that a person may encounter. As mentioned above, Rashi's tefillin contain the spiritual energies of compassion and Rabbenu Tam's the spiritual energies of harshness. So one who wears both types of tefillin spiritually nourishes his mind with both the energies of compassion and holy harshness. These two energies (when combined with the spiritual energies that cover all doubt mentioned above) enable one to intuitively determine how to respond appropriately in every situation, whether to be tough or gentle. Therefore, this is an added reason why R is so important in our time to wear both these holy items. (Lekutei Halachoth: Orach Chaim: Hilchoth Tefillin 6:16)

STORY

We mentioned that affliction; and the spiritual nourishment that the wearing of tefillin provides enables a person to reach spiritual heights. In the following true story we find a case of where affliction and tefillin helped someone reach spiritual heights but in an indirect way.

The holy Rebbe Yechiel Michel of Ziotshov (1721-1786), a student of the holy Baal Shem Tov, was so poor that often his family went hungry. His wife would plead with him to sell his holy fathees tefillin, who was Rebbe Yftzchak of Drohbftch. She argued that he wouldnl miss his father's pair of tefillin, having another pair of his own, the high price R would bring, would be enough to support and feed the family. Rav Michel responded that he could never sell his father's treasured tefillin.

The holiday of Sukkos was fast approaching and Rav Michel was unable to obtain a esrog (citron fruit. In compliance with the commandment to shake the four species - a date palm branch bound with three myrtle branches and two willows branches held together with a citron. If any one spices is missing one's obligation cannot be fulfilled. See Lev. 23:40) On Sukkos eve Rav Michel found someone who had an esrog for sale. The color was good, it had the right shape, there were no blemishes, and ft fulfilled all the requirements of the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law). It was a perfect Esrog! The seller demanded fifty coins, the exact worth of his fathees tefillin. He immediately sold his father's tefillin and with the money bought the esrog. He gazed at the flawless esrog and rejoiced that he would now be able to fulfill the commandment of the four species properly.

When his wife found out what he did she became furious. "You sold your father's valuable tefillin to fulfill a once a year commandment, instead of buying food for your hungry children," she screamed. She then grabbed the esrog and in her rage bit off the stem with her teeth, making the esrog invalid. What a bitter blow for Rav Michel! Now he had neither his precious tefillin nor an esrog for the holiday. 'if this Hashem's will, I accept it. I will not get angry at my wife. It would be very wrong to violate the commandment of maintaining peace.' He did not utter one word of rebuke to her.

That night Rav Michel's father appeared to him in a dream. "My son, you showed such great self-sacrifice by selling the tefillin for a commandment that you would use only for seven days, which was a very great deed. But by not getting angry at your wife, in the eyes of heaven you fulfilled an even far greater deed. In heaven the angels rejoiced when you restrained yourself and kept the peace. (Chassidic Tales)

HITHBODEDUTH (secluding oneself)

Rabbi Nachman taught that along with reciting the mandatory daily prayers contained in the prayerbook, we should also speak to Hashem, just as we would confide in our best friend. in seclusion, in the language and style with which we feel most comfortable. This is based on the advice of our sages: 'Rebbe Yitzchak said. 'Why were our forefathers barren? Because Hashem desires the prayers of the righteous." (Talmud. Yevamoth 64a) "Hashem seeks nothing other than to hear the prayers of Israel.' (Medrash Tehillim 116:1) The following is an example of such a session:

"Help me merit to wear the tefillin of both Rashi and Rabbenu Tam daily. Help me merit to position them on the proper spot on the head and arm. Help fulfill this commandment with great joy so I could access the awesome holiness of the tefillin. Through wearing the tefillin help me cleave to Hashem with sincerity. Prevent me from distracting my attention from them the entire time I am wearing them. Prevent me from conducting any mundane [or idle] conversation while I am crowned with the tefillin, the crown of the Heavenly King [which profanes their awesome sanctity]. Help me complete the fulfillment of this major commandment so I can cleave to You always." --(1 Lekutei Tefilos 38)

HALACHA

Based on the advice of our sages (Talmud: Megilah 28b), Rabbi Nachman stressed that everyone should study at least one law from the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) [or its equivalent, other books which are based on the Shulchan Aruch] everyday without fail. (Sichoth HaRan 29)

Rav Yosef Caro, writes in the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) that the accepted view is that of Rashi [and by law one is only obligated to wear one pair of tefillin, with the paragraphs arranged according to Rashi's view]. However, Rav Caro adds, a G-d fearing man should wear two pairs of tefillin, one arranged according to Rashi's view and a second pair that conforms to Rabbanu Tam's. Rav Caro explains how one is to proceed: Both pairs, Rashi's and Rabbanu Tam's tefillin, should be worn simultaneously, however if this is not possible, Rashi's tefillin should be worn first, accompanied with the appropriate blessings, at the beginning of the morning prayers. Rashi's tefillin should be removed at the conclusion of the morning prayers, but not before the prayer of "A redeemer shall come to Zion,' Then those who desire, may put on the second pair of tefillin, arranged according to Rabbanu Tam's view, without a blessing. When wearing Rabbanu Tam's tefillin, one must recite the first two paragraphs of the Shema (Biblical verses that declare Hashem's unity and our faith in Him), then they may be removed. The Mishna Berurah adds that those people who remove Rashi's tefillin immediately upon the conclusion of the kedusha prayer, during the repetition of the Shemona Esrei (main body of prayer consisting of nineteen blessings) clearly act against the law, as stated in the Shulchan Aruch: Orach Chaim: 25:13. Additionally, the removal of Rashi's tefillin at this time, would prevent one from devoting the proper attention to the repetition of the Shemona Esrai. (Shuichan Aruch: Orach Chaim: 34:1-3)

Volume 3, Issue 43