דברים פרק כח, י וְרָאוּ כָל-עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ כִּי שֵּם ה 'נִּקְרָא עָלֶיךָ וְיָרְ אוּ מִּמֶךָ:
Then all the nations of the world will see that the Name of G-d is upon you, and they will fear you.
The Gemara (Berachos 6a) says that this verse refers to the head Tefillin. Rabbeinu Bachaye explains that the “Name of G-d” refers to the letter Shin that is found on either side of the head Tefillin.
According to the Baal HaTurim the first letters of the words in the phrase “the name of G-d will be proclaimed קראנה' -ים ש, is an acronym for the word of the letter Shin שין.
On a practical level the number value of the letter ש is 300, the number of days the Tefillin are worn each year (approximately 65 days of the year are Shabbos and Yom Tov, when Tefillin are not worn).
We also have another association using the At-Bash(את בש) numerical system. In this system of numeric values, one substitutes letters (first Aleph א with the last letter ת; second letter ב with the second from last letter ש; etc.) Thus, the letters of the Name of G-d when substituted according to At-Bash (את בש):
- מ - י Gematria 40
- צ - ה Gematria 90
- פ - ו Gematria 80
- צ - ה Gematria 90
Total = 300 Gematria of Shin
Why do the nations of the world see the Name of G-d and fear us? What does this have to do with Tefillin?
Rashi tells us that the Name of G-d refers to the knot of the Tefillin at the back of the head.
The word for knot in Hebrew is Kesher קשר. Toras Levi Yitzchak (pg 219) explains that the Shin (=) 300, unites the Kuf (=100) with the Reish (=200) on either side of the Shin. In other words, the letter Shin (from the Tefillin) is the “knot” (from the Tefillin) that unites G-d (represented by His Name) with the Jews (wearer of the Tefillin). This special connection through Mitzvos of the Creator with the Jews is what brings fear to the nations of the world in order that they do not physically harm us.
