All of Torah is wrapped up in these leather straps and boxes with their finely written parchment scrolls.
Because this is the essence of every mitzvah:
To bind your heart, your mind and your action together into a single wholeness, wrapped up inextricably with the One who spoke and the world came into being.
B"H
Poetic.
Thank you Rabbi Tzvi Freeman for sharing the wisdom of the Rebbe of righteous memory with us.
Thank you Chabad.org. .
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Shalom. I like the expression to bind our heart, mind and action into a single wholeness. ( to G-d the Creator). Reply
Dear Rabbi Freeman,
This is Naomi Garbo. I purchased your book awhile ago. (Bringing Heaven Down To Earth). I also appreciate all your internet daily devotions. I am a woman living alone. Are women in my situation, expected to learn "Tefillin "? My father, husband, and all the men in my circle, have passed onto ??
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Naomi, there's so much a Jew can do.
Like making sure you have proper mezuzahs on all your doorways. The scroll inside has to be written by a proficient scribe on authentic parchment.
Or giving a little tzedakah each day. You can keep a tzedakah box in your home and put any loose coins in every morning.
Or learning your way through the Siddur (the Jewish prayerbook) and saying those prayers with real focus of the heart and mind each day.
Or studying Torah each morning and night. Keeping kosher. Visiting the lonely people at a retirement home. Listening to those who need an open ear.
So many mitzvahs all waiting for your soul. But tefillin is not something expected of you right now.
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Toda Rabbi Freeman. I already do everything on your list. There is only one thing lacking, that being my mezuzah. Mine is old and in need of new scroll. I will try contacting the new rabbi in my community to ........maybe buy a new one or use my old one until ready.
Shalom and thanks again
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No requirement to DO teffilin. But fer sure, learn. Knowledge Is power Reply
'Requirement'? No 'requirement' to do any mitzvah. No 'requirement' to learn either. "Learning" without "do-ing" is pointless. We learn that Jews do mitzvahs. So we do them. Why? G-d asks us to. It is part of being in a relationship. The other asks and we do. Otherwise we are showing that we do not care. We can "say" that we "love" though we do not. Actions do speak louder than words. Our choice to shoit which way. We care. We do not.
'Knowledge' is "power-less" unless it is used. Appropriately.
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It'd be nice if those who are left-handed had equal opportunity, but they don't because of the Tefillin Shel Rosh - both the scrolls inside and the Shins on the outside.
No one seems to even be willing to make such a case - and yet, none will cite the actual, specific source of the halachah that they rely on to not make such a case.