Tefillin in the Midbar
How many sections of the Torah are placed in the Tefillin?
Why does the Torah refer to the Tefillin Shel Rosh as "Totafos"?
Rashi (citing Sanhedrin, 4a): The Caspian word 'Tat' and the African word 'Pas', both of which mean 'two' - hinting at the four Parshiyos in the Tefillin Shel Rosh.
Explanation: And each is in its own box, which explains why it is written only about the Tefillin Shel Rosh, but not about the Tefillin Shel Yad, where all four Parshiyos are written on one piece of parchment and placed inside one box.
In four places in the Torah, there is a section mentioning tefillin:
- Kadesh Li (Exod 13:1-10), א. קדש לי
- Vehayah Ki Yevi’akha (Exod 13:11-16), ב. והיה כי יביאך
- Shema (Deut 6:4-9), ג. שמע
- Vehayah Im Shamo’a (Deut 11:13-21) ד. והיה אם שמוע
How were Tefillin worn during the 40 years in the desert when two sections were not stated until the fortieth year?
I. Harav David Cohen (Cong. Gevul Ya'avetz, of Brooklyn, N.Y., author of Ohel David, 4 vol., Aidi d'Zutar, 2 vol., etc.):
The Jews were commanded in Egypt to place two passages from the Torah "as signs on our arms and Tefillin on our foreheads." Presumably they did so immediately, making themselves their first pairs of Tefillin. However, doing so would be somewhat problematic, since Tefillin include more than just those two passages. They include two additional passages, "Shema Yisrael" and "v'Haya Im Shamo'a," which Moshe only told the Jews 40 years later, when they were about to enter the Land of Israel. Therefore, the Jews were only required to put two of the traditional four passages in their Tefillin for the first forty years.
This, explains Rabbi Cohen, is why the Torah split the total number of passages into two sets of two. This was meant to show that the original installation of the passages in the Tefillin was done in two stages: the first two of the four were installed upon leaving Egypt, while the other two had to wait until some 40 years later! The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rav Menachem M. Shneerson, also adopts the view that the Jews wore only two passages in their Tefillin while wandering in the desert (Sichah of Va'eschanan 1989, p. 52-53).
II. However, the very early Talmudic authorities (cited by Torah Shelemah as well) actually discuss this issue, and seem to agree that such a proposition is not viable.
The Mitzvah of Tefillin was incumbent upon the Jews only after they entered Holy Land, or, alternatively, only after having received the Torah on Mt. Sinai.
III. The Manhig emphasizes that by that time all 4 passages were already taught to the Jews and worn in their Tefillin.
Another early commentator (Chidushei ha'Rashba to Menachos) indeed asserts that the Jews wore Tefillin from the moment they left Egypt. However, he too adds that all four passages were already taught to the Jews, and included in their Tefillin, by then. (See also Ha'amek Davar to Devarim 6:4.)
In short, there are three general opinions:
- They did wear Tefillin in the Midbar, but they only contained two passages.
- They did not wear Tefillin in the Midbar.
- They did wear Tefillin in the Midbar, perhaps only from Har Sinai, perhaps even from leaving Mitzraim, but they already had all four passages.
If added two sections in the fortieth year, why would the Torah make such a distinction?
The first two sections, mentioned in Shmos, are related to the Going Out of Egypt (thus, uses the word והי-ה, past tense singular). At this point, Moshe was to lead them into Eretz Yisrael, and the lesson of the last two places were not yet needed.
The last two sections, stated by Moshe, taught the lesson of Mesiras Nefesh (using the word והיו, plural). The avodah to fight the enemy, external and internal, by Mesiras Nefesh.
What indication is there in the Torah that two Batim (compartments) would be empty of Torah passages?
“Zikaron bein Einecha” (Shmos 13,9), Zikaron (remembrance) indicates a greater number that would become a remembrance that an increase would occur in the future.
