Decoding Judaism’s “Black Boxes”
Analysis of Rashi’s (seemingly superfluous) elucidation of the verse on Tefillin, quickly leads into broader exploration presenting a profound understanding of this foundational mitzvah. Discover defining differences between the hand and head set; and a fascinating duality of dimensions encoded into it. Revealing eye-opening legal, philosophical and mystical insights, this rumination will forever change the way you view the mitzvah of Tefillin!
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Rabbi Mendel Kaplan is the Spiritual Leader and Executive Director of Chabad Flamingo in Thornhill, Ontario, serving one of Canada’s most dynamic Jewish communities. He also serves as Chaplain of the York Regional Police Service. He is an active member of Toronto’s Vaad HaRabbanim (Council of Orthodox Rabbis), and a voting member of the COR Kashruth Council of Canada’s executive rabbinical board. Rabbi Kaplan is featured regularly on many local television and radio shows. He is a sought after speaker, with hundreds of lectures on Chabad.org. He and his wife, Faygie, are blessed with eight children. Artistically endowed, the rabbi enjoys drawing, sketching and creating charcoal portraits.
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Awesome lecture Rabbi Kaplan. But I am still confused as to whether head and hand are two mitzvot or just one? There is no separate blessing for the head tfillin but is it it a separate mitzvah that simply needs to be there? So if you do one without the other is it simply half a mitzvah you have done or you have fulfilled one mitzvah and not the second? Many thanks in advance! Zai Gezundt.
TY for your kind words. The Rambam clearly states that they are two unique and separate Mitzvot