Parshas Bo

Towards the end of this week’s climactic parsha that discusses our freedom from the Egyptian bondage, we find the mitzva of tefillin. Tying the tefillin to the hand opposite one’s heart and on the head circling one’s mind symbolizes our subservience to our Creator and our willingness to serve Him with both our intellect and soul.

The Sefer HaChinuch gives profound insight and meaning to this mitzvah that is the hallmark of every Jewish male. Every human being is a unique combination of two contrasting forces, the physical and the spiritual. Our physical being provides a powerful and innate drive to address our physical desires, one that every human being must try and counteract each and every day. To assist us in this daunting task, HaShem provides mitzvos such as learning Torah, wearing tzitzis, placing mezuzos in our doorways, and putting on tefillin that protect us from falling prey to our physical passions. These mitzvos provide direction, clarity, and contrast between right and wrong, allowing us to see through the insidious ploys of our tough and resilient temptations.

The world around us presents us with the venue to implement this life lesson. The world in which we live is replete with opportunities to satiate our instinctive pull towards physical pleasure. Even we, as religious Jews, face much greater challenges than ever before. But HaShem’s Torah and mitzvos provide us with a clear Torah perspective, the artillery to wage the difficult war and win. There are Negative Commandments to attune us to what we cannot do and to keep us on the proper path. There are Positive Commandments to make us aware of what we must do and to strengthen us to stay on that path and to develop our relationship with HaShem. They enable us to adjust ourselves to the sensitivities that HaShem feels are important despite the contrary belief of the masses. They permit us to amend our thought process to that of HaShem Himself and provide clarity amidst our blurry surroundings. Through them we achieve greatness and live up to our tremendous potential.

May HaShem grace us with the siyata d’shmaya, the Divine assistance, to emerge victorious in this constant, formidable, and hallowed task – to have the foresight to be strong and to serve as an example to others growing ever closer to the Ways of HaShem while doing so.

Have a good Shabbos,

Rabbi Katzenstein

Parshas Bo

Towards the end of this week’s climactic parsha that discusses our freedom from the Egyptian bondage, we find the mitzva of tefillin. Tying the tefillin to the hand opposite one’s heart and on the head circling one’s mind symbolizes our subservience to our Creator and our willingness to serve Him with both our intellect and soul.

The Sefer HaChinuch gives profound insight and meaning to this mitzvah that is the hallmark of every Jewish male. Every human being is a unique combination of two contrasting forces, the physical and the spiritual. Our physical being provides a powerful and innate drive to address our physical desires, one that every human being must try and counteract each and every day. To assist us in this daunting task, HaShem provides mitzvos such as learning Torah, wearing tzitzis, placing mezuzos in our doorways, and putting on tefillin that protect us from falling prey to our physical passions. These mitzvos provide direction, clarity, and contrast between right and wrong, allowing us to see through the insidious ploys of our tough and resilient temptations.

The world around us presents us with the venue to implement this life lesson. The world in which we live is replete with opportunities to satiate our instinctive pull towards physical pleasure. Even we, as religious Jews, face much greater challenges than ever before. But HaShem’s Torah and mitzvos provide us with a clear Torah perspective, the artillery to wage the difficult war and win. There are Negative Commandments to attune us to what we cannot do and to keep us on the proper path. There are Positive Commandments to make us aware of what we must do and to strengthen us to stay on that path and to develop our relationship with HaShem. They enable us to adjust ourselves to the sensitivities that HaShem feels are important despite the contrary belief of the masses. They permit us to amend our thought process to that of HaShem Himself and provide clarity amidst our blurry surroundings. Through them we achieve greatness and live up to our tremendous potential.

May HaShem grace us with the siyata d’shmaya, the Divine assistance, to emerge victorious in this constant, formidable, and hallowed task – to have the foresight to be strong and to serve as an example to others growing ever closer to the Ways of HaShem while doing so.

Have a good Shabbos,

Rabbi Katzenstein