Sicha, Lag B’a’Omer 5727,
Sicha, Shabbos Parshas Bamidbar 5727,
Sicha, second day of Shovuos 5727,
Sicha, Shabbos Parshas Bamidbar 5736,
And Sicha, Purim 5731.
Wrap Tefillin to Win the War!
Before the Six Day War, the Rebbe declared that the Jewish nation was about to experience an overwhelming victory. The Rebbe instructed his followers to help others, especially soldiers, wrap tefillin, because this mitzvah instills fear into the enemies of the Jews and protects the lives of the soldiers.
A Mitzvah for an Ulterior Motive?
Some asked: Shouldn’t mitzvot be observed because so has G-d commanded; not for other associated positive effects?
The Rebbe answered that firstly, our sages say that “we should always engage in Torah and mitzvot, even if we are not doing so for their own sake, because through the performance of mitzvot not for their own sake, we will come to perform them for their own sake.” Maimonides explains that a child is enticed to study Torah with the promise of a candy or some other reward, and only afterward can they eventually begin to study Torah out of love (Source 2).
Secondly: When wrapping tefillin with another Jew, we tell him to repeat the blessing “ …Who has sanctified us with His commandments … .” This means he is declaring that he is doing so for G-d’s sake. When a person does a mitzvah because G-d commanded it, and also because of the benefits it brings, that is completely fine. As Rashi writes in tractate Pesachim, when a person gives a coin to charity so that their child should live— motivated both by the mitzvah itself as well as the reward—they are considered fully righteous (Source 3).
Why Not Tzitzit?
Others asked: Why tefillin? Why not tzitzit?
Tzitzit is a very holy mitzvah and represents all 613 mitzvot (Source 4). However, sometimes a specific effect is needed, and a specific mitzvah is necessary for this purpose. For example, charity is associated with healing, and tefillin is associated with instilling fear in the enemy.
The Theme of Tefillin
The head and arm tefillin bind the heart and mind (Source 5). The straps hanging from the head tefillin extend down below the navel, symbolizing the flow from the intellect to the rest of the body. This negates the idea that man is comprised of a lower and upper body, with no connection between them (Source 6).
Still, how do we fend off our negative inclination? The straps of the arm tefillin, wrapped on the left hand (for right handed people) are like a rope to restrain the negative inclination with.
