Tefillin - The Essence of Judaism
The Talmud states that the mitzvah of Tefillin is so central that it is equated to the entire Torah.
The verse states with regard to Tefilin: "And it shall be a sign for you on your arm and for a memorial between your eyes, that the Torah of the Lord may be in your mouth" (Exodus 13:9). In this manner, the entire Torah is juxtaposed to Tefilin.
The Tefillin are equated to the entire Torah, not only because they contain parchment inscribed with the Shema, the declaration of the unity of G-d which is the essence of Judaism, but because Tefillin represent the goal of Judaism. Inscribing the words of the Torah on parchment transforms the parchment from its material state into a holy object. This captures the essence of Judaism, not merely to inspire and direct people on how to move closer to the spiritual, but rather to sanctify the physical matter of the world.
Seen through this lens, the commandment of Tefillin as it appears in this week's portion, in what we call the second paragraph of the Shema, is superior to the commandment of the Tefillin as it appears in last week's portion, in what we refer to as the first paragraph of the Shema.
The first paragraph of the Shema describes a Jew who is in a heightened level of spiritual awareness. It describes the Jew as a person commanded to love G-d not only "with all your heart and with all your soul", but also with “all your might". In the first paragraph of the Shema, the Jew is motivated exclusively by love of G-d. In the second paragraph of the Shema, by contrast, we read about reward and punishment. If we obeys the commandment, G-d promises: "I will give rain for your land at the proper time… and you will gather in your grain, your wine and your oil”. There is also a warning, lest one turns away from G-d, in that case: "He will close the heavens so that there will be no rain… and you will swiftly perish from the good land which the L-rd gives you".
While the first paragraph of the Shema describes a Jew whose connection to G-d fills all of his essence, it is specifically the second paragraph of the Shema where the purpose of Judaism is played out. For only in the second paragraph do we address a Jew while he is grappling with the challenges of earning a living; gathering his grain, wine, and oil. In the second paragraph, a Jew is involved in the material world that is important to him, he is motivated by a physical reward, yet even while he is in this state he is called upon to bring the awareness of G-d within that very space. The tefillin, as described in the second paragraph, represent imbuing the oneness of G-d within the world, transforming the physical from mundane to sacred object which expresses the Divine presence.
Adapted from the teachings of the Rebbe, Eikev 5729