The Jewish Wrap Star (teffilin)

Today my brother and I worked on his Hebrew reading lesson. We are working through the first and basic morning blessings you make upon rising. In addition to that, after we have spent about 30-40 minutes on the reading lesson we move on to the Mishna lessons of the day. We just started this the day before yesterday, and it is going pretty well. We are starting at the very beginning of the entire Mishna. So currently we are in Sepher Zaraim, Tracttate Berachoth (Blessings), Second Chapter, Second Mishna teaching. I started here because on the first day I had him wrap tefillin, and say the Shema. It was his first time wrapping in about 12 years or so, so this was a very special thing. Lo and Behold! Our first Mishna teachings are dedicated to the Shema. So why do we wear tefillin? It is very simple:

Deuteronomy 6:5-9 "Love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart, all your being, and all your might. These words that I am commanding you today must always be on your minds. Recite them to your children. Talk about them when you are sitting around your house and when you are out and about, when you are lying down and when you are getting up. Tie them on your hand as a sign. They should be on your forehead as a symbol. Write them on your house's door frame and on your city's gates."

             This I feel is a very special commandment. G-d provides us with an abundance of physical time oriented symbols that in this great diaspora, with the Heavens being silent until the messianic times, is very useful and personal to us. When we wrap ourselves in a Tallit Godol, wear our tzistzis (Tallit Katan), and wrap tefillin, we basically close parts of ourselves off from the rest of the world and have a quiet place to concentrate on praying to HaShem. The Tallit envelopes us and we find ourselves in a special place for just Him and me. The tzistzis that adorns our torso under our shirts allows us to really personalize and internalize our commitment to G-d's laws, and we remember them each time we see or touch a fringe. Knowing that, we are less prone to go after our hearts and eyes. When we wrap tefillin we tightly wrap and ensconce our laws and eternal covenant we have with G-d close to our hearts, and minds. I think this is a truly special thing.

           Well, that is my teaching for today. I have to run off to work or I'll be late. I'll probably post again tonight after work. At stationary posts I always find myself meditating on Torah, even when listening to Pimsleurs Hebrew lessons for teaching myself conversational Hebrew. It is going very well by the way! Afterwards I will be learning Arabic with the same program, and with help from my Muslim friends. Why? Because if we do not know, we do not understand. You always fear what you do not know. I am a polyglot, and languages are what I do very well. HaShem gave me the gift of gab...or the curse of never knowing when to shut up. But one thing is for sure, I enjoy communication with all peoples. Establishing dialogue is oh so very important.

           Be well,