Bostoner Torah Insights: Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in Hebrew and English: Parshas Shemos – 25 Tevet 5784
Bostoner Torah Insights - Yerushalayim
Bostoner Torah Insights
Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in English
Parshas Shemos – 25 Tevet 5784
Bostoner Rebbe shlit”a – Yerushalayim
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‘"Moshe said to Hashem, ''When I come to Bnei Yisroel and say to them, 'The Elokim of your forefathers has sent me to you' and they say to me, 'What is His Name?', what shall I say to them". Hashem said to Moshe, "I Shall Be As I Shall Be א-היה אשר א-היה", and he continued, "So shall you say to Bnei Yisroel, 'I Shall Be אהיה has sent me to you'." Hashem said further to Moshe, "So shall you say to Bnei Yisroel, 'Hashem the Elokim of your forefathers, the Elokim of Avraham, the Elokim of Yitzchak and the Elokim of Yaakov has sent me to you. This is My Name forever and this is My remembrance from generation to generation'." "' (Shemos 3:13-15)
The Meshech Chachma comments that the numerical Gematriya value of "I Shall Be" אהיה is 21, and this corresponds to the 21 times the name of Hashem is written in the Parshiyos of Tefillin. We know from the Talmud (Brachos 6a) that Hashem wears Tefillin. The Gemara explains that the Pasuk, "All the people of the Earth will see that the Name of Hashem is proclaimed upon you, and they will revere you" (Devarim 28:10) represents the Tefillin Shel Rosh. The implication is that the people of the world will have reverence for religious Jews who wear Tefillin Shel Rosh as a 'sign' or 'testimony' that one openly and boldly aligns one's thoughts, and is committed to, the concepts and principles of Hashem inscribed in the Parshiyos of Tefillin. Thus, our practice is to wear the Tefillin Shel Rosh openly so that others can visibly see it atop our heads, whereas the Tefillin Shel Yad has an additional covering on the square Bayis housing the Parshiyos and is further covered underneath our sleeve. This latter practice is derived from the words, "It shall be a sign for you on your arm" (Shemos 13:9). The Gemara (Menachos 37a) expounds that the Tefillin Shel Yad shall only be a sign 'for you' and not for others.
Based on this, the Meshech Chachma explains that the first name given to Moshe, which contains "I Shall Be" twice, represents Hashem wearing both Tefillin Shel Yad and Tefillin Shel Rosh and revealing His Glory publicly with open miracles, like we find during Yetziyas Mitzrayim. The second time Hashem refers to His Name using "I Shall Be" only once, representing when Hashem only wears the Tefillin Shel Yad, which is a period of Hester Panim like today, when Hashem's greatness and divine providence is hidden. This is what the Navi refers to when he says, "by the shade of my arm I cover you" (Yeshaya 51:16), alluding to the fact that Hashem is still wearing the Tefillin Shel Yad and providing hidden protection for Klal Yisroel in a veiled manner.
The same Gemara (Brachos 6a) discussing Hashem wearing Tefillin goes on to explain that just as Bnei Yisroel have four Parshiyos of the Torah in their Tefillin, Hashem has four sets of corresponding Pesukim in his Tefillin. Our Tefillin contains Parshiyos that praise Hashem, while His Tefillin contain Parshiyos that praise Klal Yisroel. The implication of the Gemara is that Hashem wears Tefillin as a reflection of Klal Yisroel performing the Mitzvah. This idea was expressed by the Baal Shem Tov on the Pasuk, “Hashem is your shade” (Tehillim 125:5), that Hashem ‘shadows’ or mirrors Yisroel, acting toward us in the same manner that we act towards Him.
Later in Mesechet Brachos (14a) the Gemara says about Tefillin, “Anyone who reads the Shema without donning Tefillin is as if he is giving false testimony against himself” (Brachos 14a). Rashi explains that 'against himself' is a euphemism and really it means 'against Hashem'. The Maharsha explains further that there are three Mitzvos that are called אות or 'a sign'. The Mitzvos of Milah and Tefillin are 'witnesses' that testify to our commitment and unique relationship with Hashem. On Shabbos, the Shabbos replaces the Tefillin as the second 'witness'. By not wearing Tefillin during the week, we have only one witness and our 'testimony' becomes Pasul or 'false'.
However, with the understanding that Hashem puts on Tefillin corresponding to the Tefillin of Klal Yisroel, we may suggest an alternative explanation to this idea of ‘testifying falsely' against Hashem. One who does not wear Tefillin, causes Hashem vis-à-vis that person to take off His Tefillin, leading to a lack of Divine protection for that individual. This will cause all the 'testimony' recited by this individual during Kriyas Shema which attests to our unique relationship with Hashem to seem 'false' when unfortunate things occur due to the lack of Divine protection.
As the Meshech Chachma concludes, Hashem said to Shlomo HaMelech, "I have sanctified this House that you have built, to place My Name there forever, and My eyes and My heart shall be there all the days". (Melachim I 9:3). When Hashem protects his people with open miracles, such as existed during the Bayis Rishon period, His Name "I Shall Be As I Shall Be" shall be manifested again. Hashem will wear both the Tefillin Shel Rosh, corresponding to 'My eyes', as the Pasuk says, "between the eyes" (Shemos 13:9) and the Tefillin Shel Yad, corresponding to 'My heart', as they are worn on the arm so that they are aligned with the heart. May we experience this glorious era speedily in our days, with the coming of the Go'el Tzedek and the rebuilding of the Third Beis HaMikdash
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