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]
Rav Noson of Breslov, following the teachings of Rabbi Nachman offers a
deep and revealing explanation.
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.
"'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 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.
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.
"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.
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.
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)
"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)
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)
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?
RABBENU TAM'S TEFILLIN?
"I [G-dl have created the Evil Urge, and I have created the Torah as
its spice." (Talmud: Kiddushin 30a)
"In the beginning of Elokim's [G-d's name denoting strict justice, din]
creating the heavens and the earth..." (Genesis 1:1)
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:
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.
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:
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.
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.
"Yehuda Ben Tema said, 'Be bold as a leopard. .. to carry out the will
of your Father in Heaven" (Mishnah: Avoth 5:23)
RABBENU TAM'S TEFILLIN SHOULD BE WORN:
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.