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In a comprehensive shiur, Rabbi Pinto navigates the complex Halachot and Kabbalistic intentions of morning prayer, resolving the conflict between being among the first ten and leaving home adorned in Mitzvot, and delves into the intricacies of the Tefillin blessings.
For the devout Jew, the morning routine of donning Tallit and Tefillin is a cherished and foundational practice. Yet, within this daily ritual lie profound depths of Halacha (Jewish Law) and Kabbalah that are often overlooked. In a recent, masterful shiur, the esteemed Rabbi Meir Eliyahu Pinto, shlita, illuminated these complexities, addressing a critical question that has occupied the minds of great sages for generations: What takes precedence—being among the first ten to pray in the synagogue, or fulfilling the Zohar’s ideal of leaving one’s home already adorned with Tallit and Tefillin?
The shiur began by exploring the beautiful spiritual vision described in the holy Zohar. “When a person… places tefillin on his head and on his arm… and wraps himself in the mitzvah’s tallit… and exits the gate of his house,” Rabbi Pinto quoted, “four holy angels accompany him… and escort him to the synagogue… they proclaim his honor and announce before him.”
This powerful image establishes the ultimate spiritual ideal. However, it presents a practical dilemma. The virtue of being among the first ten in the synagogue (Minyan Rishon) often requires arriving before the halachic time to don tefillin has begun. This creates a conflict: does one forfeit the reward of the first ten to wait for the proper time, or does one go early and put on tefillin in the synagogue?
Resolving the Dilemma of the Arizal
Rabbi Pinto navigated this issue by analyzing the writings of the holy Arizal, whose custom was to prioritize leaving home with his tefillin on. However, the Rabbi skillfully pointed out a seeming contradiction in the Arizal’s own introductory writings, where he also instructs his disciples to “go to the synagogue before dawn… to be careful to be among the first ten.”
The resolution, as explained by Rabbi Pinto through the rulings of the great Poskim, is both practical and brilliant. The prohibition of entering the synagogue without tefillin stems from the verse, “And I, through Your abundant kindness, will come to Your house; I will bow toward Your holy sanctuary in reverence of You,” where “reverence” is kabbalistically linked to the tefillin. To enter without them while reciting this verse would be a form of false testimony.
“The solution,” Rabbi Pinto explained, “is to arrive early at the synagogue, before dawn. Since it is still night, and nighttime is not the time for tefillin, there is no false testimony.” When the proper time for tefillin arrives, one should then step outside to the synagogue’s courtyard or another adjacent area, don the Tallit and Tefillin, and then re-enter while reciting the verse again. This elegant solution allows a person to fulfill both virtues—being among the first ten and entering the main sanctuary adorned in the holy vestments.
A Deep Dive into the Blessings of Tefillin
The shiur then transitioned into an intricate analysis of the blessings recited over tefillin, addressing the well-known difference in custom between Sephardim and Ashkenazim.
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The Core Question: Do the hand-tefillin and head-tefillin constitute one single mitzvah or two distinct ones? This question, discussed in the Gemara (Tractate Menachot), is the foundation for the divergent practices.
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The Sephardic Custom (One Blessing): Following the ruling of the Rif, the Rambam, and the Shulchan Aruch, the Sephardic practice is to recite one blessing, “Lehaniach Tefillin,” on the hand-tefillin, with the intention to cover the head-tefillin as well, provided there is no interruption between them.
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The Ashkenazic Custom (Two Blessings): The Ashkenazic custom is to recite a second blessing, “Al Mitzvat Tefillin,” on the head-tefillin.
Rabbi Pinto explained the profound Kabbalistic reasoning behind these practices. According to the Arizal, each action corresponds to an ascent through the spiritual worlds: the Tallit connects to the World of Formation (Yetzirah), the hand-tefillin to the World of Creation (Briah), and the head-tefillin to the highest World of Emanation (Atzilut). The custom to recite a second blessing is rooted in the belief that the ascent to the sublime world of Atzilut requires its own distinct spiritual invocation.
Despite this, Rabbi Pinto clarified that even according to the Kabbalists, the normative Halacha for Sephardim remains to recite only one blessing, as this follows the primary rulings upon which their tradition is based.
He concluded this segment with crucial practical law: If a Sephardic Jew interrupts between the hand and head tefillin, he must recite the second blessing of “Al Mitzvat Tefillin.” Furthermore, if one mistakenly begins to say the second blessing and catches himself after saying “Baruch Ata Hashem,” he should complete the blessing rather than interrupt with a different verse, as he has reliable Halachic opinions to rely upon in such a circumstance.
This shiur stands as a vital resource for any individual seeking to move beyond rote observance and connect with the profound legal and spiritual architecture that underpins our daily prayers.
