Tefillin of Hand and Head as a Sign of the Exodus

Mekhilta DeRabbi Shimon Ben Yochai 13:15

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

"And it shall be for a sign upon your hand" (Exodus 13:16). From here they said: the tefillin of the hand and of the head do not hold each other back; if a person has only one of them, he puts it on. And from where do we learn that when one puts on the tefillin, he puts on only that of the hand first? Scripture says, "And it shall be for a sign upon your hand" [first]. And from where do we learn that when one removes them, he removes only that of the head first? Scripture says, "and for frontlets between your eyes": as long as they are between your eyes, let there be two of them. "For by strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt": this teaches that the tefillin were stated as a remembrance of the going out from Egypt.

Themes

CommandmentsPrayerRedemption

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