21 December 2011 · A sentence from the teachings of Rav Kook

„Tefillin are strength for Israel; they sanctify even the fleshly phys…”

„Tefillin are strength for Israel; they sanctify even the fleshly physicality, the opposite of the trait of the transgressors of Israel in their bodies, 'the skull that does not put on tefillin.' Through them they erase the sorrowful foundation, and the exalted joy prevails through them. He saw that [Rabbah] was exceedingly merry; he said to him, 'It is written, In all sorrow there shall be advantage.' He said to him, 'I am wearing tefillin.'”From Kovetz VII, 19

The Rav saw immense importance in tefillin and even dedicated an entire book to this, called "Chavash Pe'er." Tefillin are like a crown upon the head of the Jew, and they symbolize the bond between him and the Holy One. The Gemara in tractate Berachot says that in the tefillin of the Holy One there are verses about the uniqueness of the people of Israel, and in our tefillin there are verses about the unity of God in the world. In addition, the Rav saw tefillin as charging a person with spiritual energy and giving strength to face the material daily life.

Tefillin are strength for Israel, in contrast to the transgressors of Israel who are distant from anything holy and detached from the spiritual world; a person who puts on tefillin, by the very act of putting them on, shows that he is connected, that he wishes to be connected.

The Rav brings a Gemara that says that tefillin guard us and give us the possibility of true joy; a person who puts on tefillin can allow himself to laugh, to live, to be part of this world.

It may be that our prayer is not always successful, it may be that we are not always focused, and perhaps we even fall from time to time. By the very act of putting on tefillin, we say to the Holy One, to our surroundings, and above all to ourselves: we are connected, we love God!

A good evening to all!

Happy Chanukah!