This blog is based on a concern that was brought to the attention of our ministry leadership. There was an urging to read through the article Why No Tefillin at Night or on Shabbat? before encouraging the men of our community to join in this practice this coming Saturday.
And it’s valid! There is a standing tradition in Judaism not to don tefillin (phylacteries) in the evening, nor on any of the following days:
Saturdays (Shabbat), Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Passover, and Shavuot
But as Messianics, we have several things to consider…
- Do we agree with the conclusion taught here by Chabad?
- What is the reason behind limiting the times for tefillin-wrapped prayer?
- Is the act of wearing tefillin even necessary?
In this blog, I will happily explore with you the article in question, its conclusions and mine, as well as what this practice means for Messianic Jewish believers today.
As to the first question: Do we agree with the conclusion taught here by Chabad?
For many of you, your first inclination might even be so harsh as to say, “I don’t care what Chabad says.” But let’s not dismiss things so quickly. It is true that if we were to scour Chabad.org for what is and is not appropriate for Messianic believers, we’d get stopped at the door. Frankly, Chabad is not only disagreeable to Jewish believers in Jesus, but as an organization, has shown themselves to be downright hostile to us.
“Of course a Jew can believe in Jesus. Just like a vegetarian can enjoy a rump steak, [or] a peace activist can join a violent demonstration…” – Rabbi Aron Moss
In this respect, donning tefillin in the evening or on a Sabbath is not the issue. Rather, the greater problem for Chabad, and those who agree with the sentiment above, is that we end such prayers, “B’Shem Yeshua HaMashiach”.
Rabbi Moss and others like him have a common criticism of followers of Messianic Judaism,
“They do usually have a token Jewish member, who is invariably either ignorant of Judaism at best or psychologically imbalanced at worst…”
These are harsh words, I know. But don’t put on your clouded Angry Goggles just yet. It’s imperative that we, as Messianics, address this issue head on. I won’t speak to a psychological imbalance. Truth be told, it’s a bit bold for Rabbi Moss to make such an assertion. But the first part of his claim is what we should fortify ourselves against. Are we willing to practice Judaism in ignorance? That, in itself, is antithetical to a Jewish mindset, is it not?
This brings me to the second question: What is the reason behind limiting the times for tefillin-wrapped prayer?
Whether you accept the prohibitive tradition of laying tefillin at specified times, or whether you care to throw it out the window for your own interpretation, you should first seek to understand your decision either way. So let’s begin by understanding the Rabbinic thought process concerning phylacteries.
You can go read for yourself what Talmud in Menachot 36b and Eruvin 95b have to say about the phylacteries. In fact, there are details about whether one can don clothing to save items from an impending fire and whether the phylacteries can be put on as part of that act of rescue. And this scenario includes further details as to whether this is happening on Shabbat, whether one must fully wrap tefillin or if they can simply be thrown over one’s shoulder in the midst of the emergency, and whether more than one set can be carried. If you’re not familiar with Talmud, reading this section could be a really eye-opening experience…
Simply put, Gemara explains the “exceptional” instances one might have to consider and how this applies to practicing the mitzvot. As the Chabad article explains, “…not wearing tefillin at night is based on the verse in Exodus: “And you shall observe this statute in its appointed time, from day to day.” Rabbi Yossi Hagelili explains that “this statute” refers to the mitzvah of tefillin. Accordingly, one who wears tefillin at night would transgress a biblical injunction.”
But this conclusion is, in itself, problematic. The phrase at the end of the verse:
לְמוֹעֲדָהּ מִיָּמִים יָמִימָה
It’s translated most commonly as, “in its season from year to year.” This is even true of the translation from Sepharia.org. So interpreting this verse to refer to the literal period of sunlight throughout the day is already, in this blogger’s opinion, flawed.
Furthermore, the prohibition of Shabbat and Festivals is said to come from Ex 31:13 “And you, speak to the children of Israel and say: ‘Only keep My Sabbaths! For it is a sign between Me and you for your generations, to know that I, the Lord, make you holy.
The writer of the article explains, “…on Shabbat and holidays, we don’t require this extra sign, for the days themselves are signs of the covenant…Wearing tefillin on those days would demean the sign of the holiday.”
To this, I say, are we really going to view the reminders of God’s redemption and holiness as a zero-sum game? Are we really supposed to conclude that wearing tefillin during Shacharit prayers as a literal act of “bind them for a sign upon your hand and as frontlets between your eyes”, somehow diminishes or “demeans” the sign of a Holy Day??
Wouldn’t that mean that we are also prohibited from laying tefillin when a rainbow shows as a sign in the sky? (Gen 9:12,13) Is it even appropriate to put them on in the midst of the Diaspora, when the promised curses of Torah lead to the oppression of God’s people, which is, in itself, a sign? (Deut 28:45,46)
I’ll not leave those questions to be rhetorical and will, instead, encourage that you read this article, “Elie Wiesel, Tefillin and the Holocaust”.
I’m not asking these questions so that I can give you the answers. I’m bringing these things up so that you can come to your own conclusion. And not be ignorant, dear children.
Now for it this question: Is the act of wearing tefillin even necessary?
I haven’t described a set of tefillin yet, mostly because I’m assuming you’re reading this article because you know what the tefillin are. Men of bar mitzvah age and older engage in the practice of wrapping leather straps around their fingers, holding their hand in the shape of the letter Shin. Those straps are then bound around their arm up to their shoulder and boxes lay over their head just to the front of their forehead. The boxes on the head and strapped to the arm band contain scrolls on which are written: Ex 13:1-10; Ex 13:11-16; Deut 6:4-9; and Deut 11:13-21.
The reason for breaking up that first section of consecutive Scripture verses is because within the box on the head are four chambers holding scrolls of each of those portions. Even more pieces of the phylacteries have deep meanings – but we don’t have time for that here.
The important thing to note is that this action specifically comes from the verses that we call The Shema. Specifically the injunction “to bind these for a sign upon your hand and as frontlets between your eyes.” That word, “frontlets” is where we get the word tefillin, which comes from the word “tefillah”, that literally means “prayer”. Let this be as a prayer between your eyes.
So a very fair question is the one which asks, “Why wrap tefillin at all? Can’t I just pray?” To which I say, absolutely.
And I would liken this to lighting candles on Shabbat. Rabbinic and common Jewish tradition say that this is a commandment. When really, the commandment is to honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy. As Messianics, we’re not always keen to fall in line with Rabbinic tradition. As followers of Yeshua, we take it a step further to acknowledge that there are certain traditions He told a specifically not to keep. But when it comes to the actions that are, let’s say, “neutral”, what do we do?
We’re not commanded to light Shabbat candles, but there’s no real reason not to. So many will adopt this practice as a further extension of physically reminding ourselves to separate the Sabbath from the rest of the week. The same is true with laying tefillin. The physical act of wrapping leather straps containing boxes of scripture to our bodies is not a Torah commandment. And despite what the Sages say, we don’t view the oral tradition as being on par with Torah. Still, we acknowledge and accept the benefit of physical reminders of Spiritual things.
And I’ll leave you with that. Consider for yourself all of these thoughts and injunctions, pray about it (with or without phylacteries), and decide for yourself when and how you will choose to walk in the commandments of our LORD.