Some hold that “one who violates Israel with his body” refers only to someone who did not put on tefillin all his days (Rif, Rambam, Ramban, and others), while others say that even if he did not put on tefillin for one day, he is considered “one who violates Israel with his body,” provided that he was able to put them on and chose not to do so out of disgust and contempt for the mitzvah (Rabbeinu Tam, Yere’im, Manhig, Rashba, Ritva, Ran, and others). And the measure of goodness is greater than the measure of punishment, and the mitzvah has the power to tilt them to the side of merit, and grant them eternal life in the Garden of Eden. Through the mitzvah of tefillin, we can connect to the foundation of faith, and through this, the name of God will be called upon us, and our enemies will fear us, as it is said: “And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of the Lord is called upon you, and they shall be afraid of you” (Deuteronomy 28:10).
Author: Rabbi Eliezer Melamed
Published at: 2025-12-07 20:46:12
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