The Torah portion of Bo includes the mitzvah of Tefillin. As it says “And it shall be to you as a sign upon your hand and as a remembrance between your eyes, in order that the law of the Lord shall be in your mouth...”[1]
Putting on Tefillin is a segulah for many things. Here are some of them:
1) Long life. As it says in the Talmud[2] Anyone who dons Tefillin will live a long life, as it says: “The L-rd is upon them, they will live, and first He will grant me the life of my spirit and have me recover, and make me live”.[3]
a. Rashi explains that whoever has the name of G-d on them by wearing Tefillin (the Shin on the head Tefillin refers to G-d) is promised a long life.
b. The Maharsha says that “The L-rd is upon them” refers to the head Tefillin which has the Shin of G-d’s name on it. While “the life of my spirit” is referring to the arm tefillin which are placed opposite the heart where the life of the person is most evident.
c. The Maharal adds that since the Tefillin are placed opposite the brain and heart, they add health to these limbs. When important limbs are healthy, one will live long.
d. The Ben Ish Chai points out that the Torah is called “טוב (good)”[4] which has the gematriyah 0f 17. Every parsha of the Torah is good. Since the Tefillin contain four sections, that is 4 x 17 = 68. This is same gematiryah as the word חיים - life.
2) Healing. The above verse from Isaiah also mentions recovery. Which indicates that one who wears Tefillin will recover from their illnesses.[5]
3) World to Come. The Tur[6] quotes Rava that one who wears Tefillin and Tzitzit, reads the Shema and prays, is guaranteed a portion in the World to Come.
4) No Gehinom. Abaye adds[7] that the fire of Gehinom will not rule over him.
5) Protected from Sin. Rav Papa says[8] that he will be protected from sin.
6) His wife will bear sons. Rabbi Nachman of Breslav wrote[9] that through having joy on Yom Tov and putting on Tefillin, one’s wife will bear sons. This may be because the Tefillin have the name Shakai (ש-ד-י) on them. This name is associated with having children. As the verse says “And G-d said to him (Yakov) ‘I am Keil Shakai, be fertile and increase…’”[10] The Ba’al Haturim explains that the Gematriyah of the letters that are not pronounced in ש-ד-י (i.e., the ין of שין, the לת of דלת and the וד of יוד) is 500. This is the same number as the limbs of a man and a woman. (A man has 248 and a woman has 252.)
7) Entry into the land of Israel. As the Talmud[11] says, “Do this mitzvah in whose merit you will enter the land.”
Women are Exempt
Women are exempt from putting on Tefillin as it is a time bound positive mitzvah.[12] Some say that the mitzvah of Tefillin is the source from which we derive the rule that women are exempt from time bound mitzvot. The exemption for women is based on the juxtaposition of Tefillin and Torah study. (See Deut. 6:7-8.) Since women are exempt from Torah study, they are also exempt from Tefillin. We then apply this exemption to all time bound positive mitzvot since the entire Torah is compared to Tefillin.[13]
The commentaries explain that the Torah exempts women from time bound positive mitzvot so that they can focus on their main mitzvah – that of raising a family.[14]
What about the Segulot for Women?
Since putting on Tefillin brings so many blessings (as explained above), one might wonder why women do not have the opportunity to put on Tefillin and get these blessings. The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains[15] that women have the spiritual accomplishments of all of the mitzvot just as the men do. This is similar to the teaching in the Talmud[16] that women are considered to be circumcised. In terms of the physical action of the mitzvot, this is fulfilled when their husbands (or future husbands) fulfill the time bound mitzvot as the two are considered two halves of one soul.[17]
My Head Hurts, My Arm Hurts
The Talmud says[18] that when a Jewish person is in pain, the Shechina (Divine Presence) exclaims, “My head hurts, my arm hurts!” The commentaries explain that the reason G-d says that His head and arm hurt (so to speak) is that this is where G-d puts on His Tefillin.[19] The Talmud says[20] that G-d’s Tefillin proclaim the uniqueness of the Jewish people. As such, when the Jewish people are in pain and their uniqueness is not apparent, G-d feels this pain in the place of His Tefillin.
Based on the fact that the Talmud which speaks of G-d feeling the pain of the Jewish people in the place of His Tefillin is referring to both Jewish men and women, we can derive that women too are part of G-d’s Tefillin. This is because, spiritually, they are included in all of the accomplishments of Tefillin.[21]
Michal the daughter of King Saul
The Talmud says[22] that Michal the daughter of King Saul would put on Tefillin and the sages did not protest this behavior. Although women are exempt from this mitzvah, she did it as an extra credit mitzvah just as women hear the Shofar, shake the Lulav etc.
Why Michal?
The Chatam Sofer[23] explains that Michal had a logical argument as to why women should wear Tefillin. The reason men do not wear Tefillin on Shabbat is because Shabbat is a sign (to remember G-d) so they don’t need the sign of Tefillin.[24] Since women do not have the sign of the brit milah, they certainly need the sign of the Tefillin to remind them of G-d. In truth our sages derived the exemption of women from various verses (see above) regardless of this argument. But in this respect Michal followed her father’s ways. As the Talmud says[25] that King Saul used a logical argument to conclude that he should not destroy Amalek despite the tradition of our sages obligating him to do so.
In Practice
Tosfot writes[26] that, according to the Pesikta[27] the sages protested and did not agree to Michal’s wearing tefillin. The reason for this is that one who is not obligated to put on Tefillin should not wear them, in case they are not able to keep a pure body and have pure thoughts. This is the ruling of the Rama in Shulchan Aruch – that women should not wear Tefillin even if doing so for “extra credit.”[28]
A Man’s Garment
The Targum Yonatan ben Uziel writes[29] that a woman may not wear Tefillin or Tzitzit as these are considered male garments. It is difficult to understand (according to the Targum Yonatan) how Michal’s wearing Tefillin was not a transgression of the law against wearing a man’s garment.
The commentaries offer various explanations.
1) As mentioned above, according to the Pesikta, the sages did protest and asked Michal to stop laying Tefillin. This may have been one of their reasons.
2) Some say that the prohibition of a woman wearing men’s clothing only applies in the presence of men (as this can lead to improper mingling).[30] As such, it is possible that Michal only wore Tefillin in private.
3) Some say the prohibition against a woman wearing a man’s clothing did not apply to Michal because as a princess (and queen) she would always be recognized and would never be able to mingle among men.[31]
4) Some say that the prohibition against a woman wearing a man’s clothing only applies when one is wearing the garment in order to beautify oneself. If, however one is wearing it for the sake of a mitzvah, it is not forbidden.[32]
Putting Tefillin on a Man
A woman may put Tefillin on a man who is paralyzed and needs assistance in putting on his Tefillin. This should be done by a close relative such as a daughter or wife. (If the wife is a Niddah and there is no one else who can assist him, she may do so while wearing gloves.) The reason this is allowed is that the main mitzvah is to wear the Tefillin which the man is doing even though the tying and wrapping are being done by a person who is not obligated in this Mitzvah.[33]
May Hashem bless us with all of the segulot associated with this important mitzvah!
[13] Kiddushin 34b and Shulchan Aruch HaRav 17:1 See Hagada Shel Pesach im Likutei Ta’amim UMinhagim, page 620 where the Lubavitcher Rebbe notes the apparent contradiction in the Shulchan Aruch HaRav.
[14] Sources quoted in Torat Menachem vol. 33 page 58
[15] Torat Menachem vol. 51 pg. 84
[17] The Arizal in Likutei Torah, Parshat Bereishit in Taamei HaMitzvah, cited in Haggadah shel Pesach Im Likutei Ta’amim UMinhagim, ibid.
[20] Ibid
[21] Torah Menachem ibid see here
[23] On ibid. See there for several other explanations of Michal’s reasoning.
[30] Panim Yafot on Parshat Ki Teitze
[31] Levush on Siman 17
[32] See Responsa Seridei Esh vol. 2 Y.D. 41:13 see also Maharam Shik Y.D. 173.
[33] Piskei Teshuvot 27:3 and note 16 and the sources quoted there. See Divre Eliyahu by Rabbi Eliyahu Abrizel that women are also connected to the mitzvah of Tefillin
Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom UMvorach!
