B"H
Wednesday, Menachem Av 19, 5781 / July 28, 2021
Amongst the mitzvot found in last week’s Parsha, Va’etchana, and again in this week’s Parsha, Aikev, are the mitzvot of Tefillin and Mezuzah.
The Torah says, "And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand and they shall be for Totafot (Tefillin) between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the posts of your house and your gates."
The mitzvah of Tefillin consists of two parts. One is put on the arm and the other on the head. This mitzvah is performed only on weekdays, not on Shabbat and Biblical holidays, like Pesach, Shavuot, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur & Sukkot.
Inside each box of Tefillin are four passages of the Torah. In the hand Tefillin all four passages are written on one parchment and placed into one box. In the head Tefillin, which consists of four compartments, the four portions are written on four pieces of parchment and each is placed in a different compartment.
The Mezuzah is placed on each doorpost of the Jewish home, except for the bathroom. It is not dignified for the mezuzah which has G-d’s name on it to be in the proximity of these premises.
The Mezuzah consists of only two passages of the Torah written on one piece of parchment.
The parchment, upon which the Tefillin and Mezuzah are written, must be made by a Jew and must conform to the very specific stipulations of the Code of Jewish Law. The same applies to the writing of the Tefillin and Mezuzot. Every letter must be hand written, just like a Torah scroll.
Torah scrolls, Tefillin and mezuzot cannot be mass produced. Each pair of Tefillin and Mezuzot is a meticulous writing process. They cannot be made in China, which is why they cannot be bought in the dollar store.. Although, Tefillin and mezuzot are not cheap, yet the mitzvah is so big and the protection they offer is so great, that they are worth their price.
Q. Why is the letter "Shin" written on the outside of the Mezuzah?
A. The "Shin" is the first letter of one of G-d's names, Shadeye, which is spelled; Shin, daled, yud. These three letters serve as an acronym for the words, "Shomer Daltei Yisrael" - "G-d watches over the doors of Israel."
The Talmud tells the following wonderful story: A special friendship existed between King Antoninus and the leader of the Jewish people, Rabbi Yehudah Hanasi. Once, King Antoninus sent Rabbi Yehudah Hanasi a precious stone as a gift. In return, Rabbi Yehudah sent him back a Mezuzah. Antoninus was puzzled: "I sent you such an expensive gift and you sent me a piece of parchment?"
Rabbi Yehudah Hanasi replied, "Your gift I will have to guard to make sure that no one steals it. However, my gift to you, the Mezuzah, will guard you and protect you at all times!"
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY & SUCCESSFUL DAY