Mivtza Tefillin
The Tefillin Campaign was the first of the ten Mivtzoyim (campaigns) that the Rebbe initiated in 5727 (1967).
The Rebbe called upon Chabad chassidim to merit every Jew with the mitzvah of putting on tefillin every weekday.
Establishment of the Campaign[edit | edit source]
On Shabbos Parshas Bamidbar, which was also Shabbos Mevorchim Chodesh Sivan 5727 (1967), just days before the outbreak of the Six Day War when the Jewish people were under great tension and in a somber mood - the Rebbe spoke during the farbrengen on Shabbos afternoon. He made an emotional appeal to chassidim to go out to the "city streets" and merit Jews with putting on tefillin, which is the special mitzvah that is equivalent to the entire Torah, and has a special segulah for victory of the Jewish people in war.
Regarding the mitzvah of tefillin, the Rebbe quoted from the Gemara that "whoever puts on tefillin will merit long life." It is also brought in Chazal that the posuk "And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of Hashem is called upon you, and they shall fear you" - refers to the tefillin shel rosh. Therefore, putting on tefillin has a segulah for long life and victory in war by instilling fear in the enemies, and because of this the obligation of the hour is to merit every Jew with this important mitzvah, especially the soldiers going out to battle.
In those days leading up to the war, these words of the Rebbe served as encouragement to the entire Jewish people, saying that when Hakadosh Baruch Hu conducts a war - the enemy is completely nullified, and then the posuk "not one of us was missing" is fulfilled - all of the Jewish people remain complete.
As a result, immediately after Shabbos the sicha was publicized in Eretz Hakodesh and worldwide, and the very next day began the great campaign that encompassed all of the Jewish people, from bar mitzvah age until old age.
Continuation of the Campaign[edit | edit source]
After the great victory in the war and the great miracles that occurred, Chabad Lubavitch chassidim worldwide continued with the Tefillin Campaign, with the Rebbe's encouragement.
Some asked the Rebbe why the campaign continues when the war ended with a great victory? To this the Rebbe responded on 15 Teves 5728 (1967) that while it's true the war ended with a great victory, the enemy armies stand ready on Israel's borders from all directions, to destroy the Jews chas v'shalom, and only their fear holds them back. And this suffices for those who understand. Additionally, there is another great danger that "from the north shall break forth" etc. (referring to the great danger from the northern border) Hashem should protect, and this danger has grown much greater since the victory, but it is not the Rebbe's way to frighten the Jewish people - rather to awaken and encourage them that everything depends on teshuvah and good deeds that each person can do, particularly a mitzvah that instills fear in the enemies like the mitzvah of tefillin.
Continuation of Campaign Support[edit | edit source]
To encourage the continuation of the campaign - gedolei Yisroel from all segments of Charedi Judaism joined, including Admorim, Rabbonim and Roshei Yeshivos. The great Admorim and Rabbonim signed a proclamation calling on all who are charedi to Hashem's word to mobilize for action and join the continued campaign.
Three years after the campaign began, on Lag B'Omer 5730 (1970), the traditional festive parade took place in front of 770. The Rebbe gave a sicha before thousands of children and adults present at the parade, saying: Since we have seen that from Lag B'Omer three years ago, when we also spoke about Hakadosh Baruch Hu's promise in His Torah "And I will give peace in the land", "And you shall dwell securely in your land", and announced about increasing in the mitzvah of putting on tefillin, this saved thousands and tens of thousands of Jews who are alive and well until today, and may they merit long days and years.
Expressions and Instructions[edit | edit source]
In several places, the Rebbe connected the 'Tefillin Campaign' with what is brought in the name of the Baal Shem Tov on the Gemara's words that in Hakadosh Baruch Hu's tefillin it is written "Who is like Your people Israel, one nation in the land", that in tefillin there are two types - tefillin shel yad and tefillin shel rosh. The tefillin shel rosh symbolize the Jews who engage in Torah study with understanding and depth, while the tefillin shel yad symbolize the simple Jews whose main avodas Hashem is expressed specifically through simple actions, and according to halacha one puts on tefillin shel yad first, since the main nachas ruach Above comes from the avodas Hashem of simple Jews specifically.
The Rebbe expressed about himself: "Koch ich zich in mivtza tefillin" (I am passionately involved in the tefillin campaign).
Regarding the reason why specifically the mitzvah of tefillin was chosen to be a "campaign", the Rebbe himself explained that this is because it is a "general mitzvah", as Chazal say that "the entire Torah is compared to tefillin", and tefillin is also one of the first mitzvos that our forefathers accepted upon themselves in Mitzrayim.
The Rebbe expressed shock and pain upon hearing of a case where a Jew agreed to put on tefillin in exchange for receiving some reward. The Rebbe stated that hearing such a case causes distress, and he could not remain silent about it. He sent a letter to the person reporting the incident, in which the Rebbe elaborated on the virtue of fulfilling mitzvos and specifically the mitzvah of tefillin in that they serve as a preserving factor constituting the secret of survival and main support for the Jewish people. The Rebbe also noted that putting on tefillin appears in the Torah and has existed since Matan Torah, as has been proven archaeologically.
Instructions[edit | edit source]
(Partial list)
- The Rebbe instructed that yeshiva students should only go on mivtza tefillin during their free time and not during seder hours. Moreover, the Rebbe stated that whoever says otherwise is not only not his shliach but is acting against him and against his instructions and against the Frierdiker Rebbe and against the Rebbe Rashab, founder of Tomchei Tmimim.
- To go on mivtzoyim with a chavrusa and not alone.
- To go with food and drink so people can make brachos.
- Not to travel in the first and last cars (of the subway).
The Halachic Debate Around the Campaign[edit | edit source]
After the campaign was announced, opposition arose among various groups, mainly Charedi. Through various means, both verbal and written. For an extended period, the Rebbe refrained from addressing the objections, but after six months the Rebbe announced that he had decided to respond to the claims. The first time the Rebbe publicly addressed these claims was at the Shabbos Bereishis farbrengen in 5728 (1967). The Rebbe said these objections were very encouraging, since opposition arises against every holy thing revealed in the world, and if this hadn't happened, it would have greatly concerned him, and he answered all the questions.
The Rebbe's Emphasis[edit | edit source]
The Rebbe emphasized that the campaign fulfills the mitzvah of tochecha by reminding a Jew about tefillin and awakening them to fulfill it.
The Questions[edit | edit source]
A lengthy correspondence took place between the Rebbe and Rav Yitzchak Hutner. Rav Hutner raised the question to the Rebbe that in order to fulfill a mitzvah, one needs to know the kavana of the mitzvah based on the known principle that mitzvos require kavana. Without knowledge about the nature of the batim of the tefillin, a person won't fulfill the mitzvah by putting them on and is called a "misasek" - like someone who has no intention and isn't fulfilling the mitzvah, similar to someone who ate matzah on Seder night thinking it was meat, who hasn't fulfilled their obligation.
Additional questions raised:
- What benefit is there in putting on tefillin just once
- There is concern that the person putting on tefillin might have improper thoughts during the wearing which are forbidden. Additionally, one's body must be clean.
The Answers[edit | edit source]
- The required kavana is a general intention to fulfill the mitzvah. The din regarding matzah is because he thinks it's meat and not a mitzvah at all. But here, when one knows that by putting on tefillin they are fulfilling a mitzvah, knowledge of the specific details of what the bayis consists of isn't relevant, just as when a person stands to daven and is required to have kavana as if standing before the Shechina, they don't need to know the exact form of the Shechina which is unknown to them.
- First of all, on the contrary - they should engage in putting on tefillin many times with many people. And so too the Mishna says that one mitzvah leads to another mitzvah.
Additionally, a Jew who has never put on tefillin is called in the Gemara a "posheah Yisrael b'gufo" and has no portion in Olam Haba. According to most opinions, putting on tefillin once is sufficient (and apparently their version in the Gemara includes the word "ever"), so one time putting on tefillin is enough to remove this title from a Jew and merit them Olam Haba.
- When someone who doesn't regularly put on tefillin does so, from the excitement and interest they'll show in the act of putting them on, their mind won't be distracted to forbidden thoughts during the wearing. The Sefer Mitzvos Gadol and Sefer HaChinuch also wrote that we should merit every Jew with putting on tefillin.
The Campaign Today[edit | edit source]
Tefillin stands in Jerusalem are staffed by bochurim from Lithuanian yeshivos. Chabad chassidim throughout the world strive to influence people they come in contact with to put on tefillin. Chabad yeshiva students worldwide go out every Friday and erev chag for tefillin activities in offices, stores and busy places where there are concentrations of Jews. Additionally, since the liberation of the Kosel in 5727 (1967), there has been a Chabad tefillin stand there. Over the years the stand has grown and become established and today maintains dozens of pairs of tefillin of all types.
In recent years, the activity of meriting the masses with putting on tefillin has crossed the boundaries of the Chabad public and today many sectors engage in this campaign.
See Also[edit | edit source]
- Checking Tefillin and Mezuzos
Further Reading[edit | edit source]
- Sefer HaTefillin
- Shneur Zalman Neuman, "Tefillin from Hodu to Kush", Beis Moshiach Weekly, Issue 1351 pages 40-43 (5783)