ישא ברכה - 13:16
“והיה לאות על ידכה ולטוטפות בין עיניך, כי בחוזק יד הוציאנו ד' ממצרים” – “And it shall be a sign upon your arm, and an ornament between your eyes, for with a strong hand Hashem took us out of Mitzrayim.” What is the connection of the Tefillin being upon your hand and between your eyes, to the end of the Posuk of Hakodosh Boruch Hu taking Klal Yisroel out of Mitzrayim? Golus Mitzrayim was a preparation for Kabolas Hatorah. The preparation to be Mekabel the Torah is to have Yirah, as the Posuk in Tehillim 11:10 says, “ראשית חכמה יראת ד'”. Thus, in the beginning when Moshe was sent to Mitzrayim, the Posuk says 3:6 “ויסתר משה פניו כי ירא מהביט” – “And Moshe hid his face for he was afraid to gaze toward Hashem” – that Moshe Rabbeinu immediately had Yiras Hashem, and that was the root of Yirah.
The Gemara in Brachos 33b says – Is Yirah something that is a small matter is easy to attain? The Gemara answers: Yes, for Moshe Rabbeinu it is very easy. The Ba’al Shem Tov says that for anyone who was near Moshe Rabbeinu, it was easy for him to have Yiras Hashem. Moshe Rabbeinu exuded Yiras Hashem, and it had a profound effect upon all those who were around him, making it is easy for them to attain Yiras Hashem. The Tiferes Shlomo also says that being near Moshe Rabbeinu made it easy to have Yirah, and he learns it from the Posuk in 34:30, “וייראו מגשת אליו” that one who went near Moshe, was able to attain the Midah of Yirah.
There are two types of Yirah: יראה תתאה, ויראה עלאה – the lower Yirah and the higher Yirah. The lower form of Yirah is called Yiras Ha’onesh, having fear of punishment. This person recognizes that he has many sins, and fears punishment – he recognizes his smallness. While the other Yirah is called Yiras Haromomos, which means fear because one recognizes the greatness and awesomeness of Hakodosh Boruch Hu. יראה תתאה is in the eyes, that one sees himself, his own lowliness, while יראה עלאה is in the heart, in one’s thoughts, that he recognizes the greatness of Hakodosh Boruch Hu.
When the Posuk in Vayikra 19:14 says, “ויראת מאלקיך אני ד'” – Rashi says that by anything that is given over to the heart, it says, “ויראת מאלקיך” – meaning that it is Yiras Haromomos, as we say in Nishmas, “וכל הלבבות יראוך”. There are two things which cause one to sin: the eyes and the heart. Bamidbar 15:39 “ולא תתורו אחרי לבבכם ואחרי עיניכם” – that one should not follow after his heart or after his eyes. Rashi says on this Posuk, that the eyes see and the heart desires. Thus, there are two types of Yirah to combat the two sources for sin. Through Yiras Ha’onesh, the eyes see one’s own lowliness, and thus will turn him away from the sins which are caused by the eyes. Through Yiras Haromomos, one sees in his heart the greatness of the Ribbono Shel Olam, and this nullifies the desires of his heart and protects him from sin. The words, “עין רואה לב חומד” is the same Gematria as two times, “יראה” – for it is the two types of Yirah which can nullify the two sources of sin. We have the Tefillin Shel Yad, which is opposite the heart – and this is Yiras Haromomos. We have the Tefillin Shel Yad, which is between the eyes – and this is Yiras Ha’onesh. This is what the Gemara in Yevomos 105b says, “המתפלל צריך שיתן עיניו למטה ולבו למעלה” – when one Davens to Hakodosh Boruch Hu, his eyes should be down and his heart should be above – meaning that he should have the Yiras Ha’onesh, seeing himself lowly, and have the Yiras Haromomos, his heart looking up and seeing the greatness of Hakodosh Boruch Hu.
Now we can understand what the Torah is telling us when it says that we should “see” that we were given Shabbos Kodesh. Tefillin and Shabbos are both called an אות, they are for us to see and remind us at all times that Hakodosh Boruch Hu took us out of Mitzrayim, and we are now servants of Hakodosh Boruch Hu. In Kiddush on Shabbos Kodesh we say, “זכר ליציאת מצרים” – what does Yetzias Mitzrayim have to do with Shabbos? It has everything to do with it. We were given Shabbos Kodesh as an Ois, just like Tefillin. We tie Tefillin around our arm and on our forehead, so that we see it and we are to remain focused on who we are and what we are to accomplish. We are the Chosen Nation, servants of Hakodosh Boruch Hu. Just as we see Tefillin, we must see Shabbos Kodesh. Shabbos Kodesh can imbue us with much Kedusha, and it is a sign for us that we are servants of Hakodosh Boruch Hu. We must heed Shabbos Kodesh properly, and in that Zechus, just like Tefillin, we will be Zoche to wealth and Arichas Yomim.
