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Hadrash Ve-Haiyun
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Hadrash Ve-Haiyun
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It shall be a sign on your hand and for totafos between your eyes, for with a strong hand Hashem brought us out of Egypt (Shemos 13:16)
In this week’s parsha we learn about the mitzvah oftefillin.
Chazal tell us that there is place on the head for one to bind two teffilin (Eruvin 95). According to one opinion in the Talmud this is true with regard to the arm as well. The simple meaning of this statement is that that there is enough physical space on the head and arm to accommodate two pairs of teffilin at the same time. This certainly does not mean we are allowed to wear two pairs of teffilin simultaneously, this is forbidden due to of the prohibition of not adding to the mitzvos of the Torah. The point of this teaching is that we do not have to be exact as to where the tefillin rest on head because there is enough room for more then one pair, leaving us a safe margin of error. The Talmud in Mesechta Eruvin relates additional practical applications of this teaching in regard to what one should do if he finds teffilin in a public domain on Shabbos. Parenthetically, it should be mentioned that in modern times due to technological advances in the making of tefillin where the average size of our teffilin is significantly larger then the size of teffilin of earlier times, this rule may no longer be true in practice. Furthermore, there is also a discussion among the commentators if this teaching refers to the physical space of the head in width or length.
The words of Chazal may be interpreted on many different levels. In addition to its simple meaning let us suggest a homiletic interpretation.
At the end of the parsha the Torah repeats the mitzvah of tefillin twice within a few posukim (13:9, 13:16). Why did the Torah repeat the same mitzvah twice so close together?
The Rashbam in his commentary on the Torah appears to address this difficulty. He explains that the second mention of teffilin is not a repetition of the commandment to bind the teffilin upon one’s arm and head but rather part of the reply that a father is instructed to give his son. The Torah says, “When your son will ask you at a later time, ‘what is this’ you should say to him ‘with a strong hand Hashem brought us out of Egypt from the house of slavery.’” The Torah continues to instruct the father to tell his son how Hashem killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt and that is why we sacrifice every firstborn animal and redeem every firstborn child. Finally the Torah instructs the father to tell his son to bind a pair of teffilin upon is arm and head. The Rashbam proves that this is the correct interpretation because the posuk concludes in the plural form, “for with a strong hand Hashem brought us out of Egypt. If this posuk is part of the father’s reply to his son it is understandable why it is written in plural. However, if this is a commandment of Hashem it should have said “Hashem broughtyou out of Egypt.”
Thus we see that the Torah has commanded us to wear teffilin twice within a few posukim. However, the first commandment is direct from Hashem. The second is through the instruction of our parents.
The mitzvah of teffilin represents the concept of binding oneself to Hashem. There are two ways in which we are commanded to connect to Hashem. The first is through our parents, Our understanding of Hashem and our relationship to Him is based on the teachings and heritage of our parents and forefathers. However, one is also obligated to build upon this foundation by contributing his own unique service to Hashem. These are the two commandments of teffilin, to connect to Hashem through one’s parents and independently.
We many now understand the homiletic meaning of the words of Chazal. There is place on the head (and arm) to bind two sets of teffilin. When we bind ourselves to Hashem it must be both with the heritage of our forefathers and with our own unique contribution.
