Laws of Tefillin — Halacha 7

Based on Likutay Moharan II:67 - "Beraishis - Li'ainai kol Yisrael [From 'In the beginning' to 'before the eyes of all Israel']" See the entire Torah there, from beginning to end.

This is the aspect of Tefillin. The matter of Tefillin is explained there (LM II:67), on the verse: "Va'amalai oasoa Ruach Elokim b'chochmah oovisvunah ooveda'as oovichol melachah" (Shemos 31:3) - these are the aspect of four Mochin that flow from the "Rosh Bayis" [Head of the House]. This is the aspect of Tefillin: four Mochin filling the batim, the aspect of the Rosh illuminating into the Bayis.

All the aspects described there are Tefillin: the true Tzadik is the aspect of Tzadik Yesod Olam, the aspect of the pi’air, the chain, and the yoafee [splendor, grace, and beauty] of the entire world. He is the aspect of Shem Hashem, for "shemoa meshootaf bishmainoo" - His Name is interwoven with our names. From there flow the four Mochin from the four letters of the Name, the aspect of the three colors of the eye and the pupil. From there flow the four yesodos [elements], from which all character traits derive.

This is the aspect of Shabbos, the aspect of "Shin - Bas" (Shin is the first letter of Shabbos, it is comprised of three lines, three colors, and the remaining two letters spell bas, referring to the pupil of the eye, bas eye’in), the aspect of the three colors of the eye and the pupil. Shabbos is the aspect of the Name of HaKadosh Baruch Hu, the aspect of the name of the Tzadik: "Ant (you – the tzadik, are) Shabbos d'chool'hoo yoamai (of all the days)" - he illuminates the Bais HaMikdash. All this is the aspect of Me’oarai Or [Luminaries of Light]: when they prevail, the Me'oarai Aish [Luminaries of Fire] are subdued - and then there is a "Ba'al HaBayis" for the world, the aspect of Beraishis, the aspect of Rosh Bayis, the aspect of Tefillin.

Whoever is included in this Rosh Bayis, included in the holy Name - in the true pi’air (splendor), chain (grace), and yoafee (beauty) - his eyes are opened and he begins to examine himself, to see where he stands in all his traits. But when this light (the aspect of the Tzadik's light is the aspect of Shem Hashem) is concealed; through this, the Me'oarai Aish prevail; through this, the Bais HaMikdash is destroyed.

What has passed has passed. But now - Hashem yearns every day to return to us. The essential tikun: to return to Him through Kimas Chatzos [rising at midnight]. One must awaken to care for the repair of his soul - to rise at midnight and mourn greatly over the Churban, and especially to mourn and weep over the blemish of one's own deeds that caused the destruction or delay its rebuilding. Through this, the concealed light is revealed: "Lusoom la'availai Tziyon (lusais luhem) pi’air tachas aifehsr" - "pi’air instead of ashes" - the very pi’air (the aspect of the four Mochin are the aspect of Shem Hashem) is restored. Apply your heart to this well, until you actually rise at midnight to mourn over your deeds that delay the building of the Bais HaMikdash - until the true light of all these rectifications shines upon you.

All this is the aspect of Tefillin. The Arizal's writings explain that the light of Tefillin emerges through the rectifications accomplished by Kimas Chatzos. Through the Tzadikim and upright ones who rise at midnight and mourn the Churban; through this, all the above aspects are rectified; through this, the Me’oarai Or prevail; through this, the light of the Rosh Bayis (the aspect of four Mochin are the aspect of pi’air, the aspect of three colors of the eye and the pupil) illuminates. All this is the aspect of Shem Hashem, the aspect of Tefillin Mochin: "Vira'oo kol amai ha'aretz kee Shem Hashem nikra alecha" (Devarim 28:10) - our Sages said (Berachos 6a): "These are the Tefillin on the head." Tefillin are the aspect of pi’air: "Pa'archa chavush alecha" (Yechezkel 24:17; Moed Katan 15a). They are the colors of the eye: "Oolitoatafoas bain ainecha." They are the Rosh Bayis: the parshiyos (the aspect of Mochin) filling the batim.

All this is merited through Kimas Chatzos. Even one who does not merit to rise at midnight - nevertheless, the light of the holy Tefillin Mochin of all Yisrael flows through the true Tzadikim, who are the Rosh Bayis - their light reaches all Yisrael through those who rise at midnight, as explained in the Arizal's writings.

The essential pi’air, chain, and yofi of Yisrael, collectively and individually, are the holy Tefillin that each person dons every day: the light of Da'as, the sparkling of the true Mochin - to recognize our Creator, to be included in Shem Hashem. We glory in Him and He, as it were, glories in us - this is the aspect of Hashem's Tefillin, which are aroused when we crown ourselves with the crown of our Tefillin: "Ki mi goy gadol..." (Devarim 4:7-8; Berachos 6a).

But in our many sins he is now greatly concealed, as above. Through the Churban of the Bais HaMikdash and the length of the exile, the Sitra Achra spreads and strengthens itself greatly to hide the light of the Tzadik. This is the aspect of our Sages' teaching that the departure of Tzadikim is twice as hard as the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash, as it says, "Therefore, behold, I will again do wonders with this people, wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of its wise men will be lost, and the understanding of its discerning ones will be hidden" (Yeshayah 29:14). Therefore the main rectification is through Kimas Chatzos. Whoever has compassion on himself, when he sees the intense bitterness of the exile of his own soul, must weep greatly over this concealment: that the light of the true Tzadikim has become hidden because of our many sins, and that machlokes has greatly multiplied. This is the aspect of the birth-pangs of Mashiach, the kategoria and accusation among talmidai chachamim, through which the exile is lengthened, and this is the essence of the Churban. Each person causes this through his own sins and iniquities: the more one blemishes, Heaven forbid, the stronger the concealment becomes. Conversely, the more one takes this to heart, weeps over it, returns to Hashem, and begs Him to repair it all, the more the concealment itself is revealed and removed. Then he merits that the light of the Tzadik shine for him - the aspect of the Rosh Bayis, the aspect of pi’air - and from this the light of Tefillin goes out in the morning.

This is the aspect of Tefillin shel Rosh and Tefillin shel Yad. It is explained there that the general principle of all these rectifications is to make the Me’oarai Or prevail over the Me’oarai Aish [luminaries/lights of fire]. The Me’oarai Or are the aspect of the Name of Hashem, which is the aspect of the name of the Tzadik. The Me’oarai Aish are the opposite: concealment, the name of the Sitra Achra that strengthens itself to hide the Name of Hashem that is joined with the name of the Tzadik, as explained there. Therefore one must seek to strengthen the Me’oarai Or over the Me’oarai Aish. It is also explained and understood there that this is the whole service of man in this world. Man is composed of the four yesodos, from which all good and bad traits come. At their root, all four are holy, corresponding to the four letters of the Name; but below, they are mixed good and evil.

This is all of man's service and battle in this world: to break the desires and evil traits that are drawn from the evil within the four yesodos, and to strengthen the good within the four yesodos, until all four yesodos are included in the four letters of the Name, which are the aspect of the Me’oarai Or, the aspect of mochin, as above. All this is merited by becoming included in the good name and pi’air of the true Tzadik, which is attained through Kimas Chatzos, as above. Through this the sparkling of the mochin is drawn upon him; these mochin are the aspect of the Me’oarai Or and the aspect of Tefillin. Then, when the Me’oarai Or prevail over the Me’oarai Aish, the main rectification is that even the Me’oarai Aish themselves should be repaired, transformed, and included within the Me’oarai Or. This is the essence of the rectification, because in truth the Me’oarai Aish also receive from the Me’oarai Or. Therefore there are four colors in fire, as stated in the Zohar HaKadosh, because their root is in the four colors above.

The main blemish is when, Heaven forbid, the evil within the four yesodos overcomes; this is the aspect of fire, the evil within the Me’oarai Aish, from which all desires and bad traits come. For they are all fire, the heat of the heart, a burning flame. One must overpower it and subdue it through the Me’oarai Or, which are the aspect of the name of the Tzadik, for from there comes the power of holy fire that burns and consumes this evil fire, in the aspect of "From the fire they came out, and the fire will consume them" (Yechezkel 15:7). Through the power of the Tzadik one merits to transform the fire and heat of the heart into holiness; this is the main perfection, as explained elsewhere (Likutay Moharan II:49). One must overcome the fire of the desires and traits of the Sitra Achra and draw himself to the opposite: to awaken his heart so that it burns with fervor for Hashem, His Torah, and His service, to pray and learn with the fiery enthusiasm of holiness. This is "My heart grew hot within me; in my meditation a fire burned; I spoke with my tongue" (Tehillim 39:4), and "Its flashes are flashes of fire, a flame of Yah" (Shir HaShirim 8:6), until the Me’oarai Aish are transformed and included in their upper holy root, the Me’oarai Or.

This is merited through Kimas Chatzos. At midnight one mourns over the Churban and the concealment of the Tzadik's light, and through this the aspect of aifer - ashes, the Me’oarai Aish - is transformed into pi’air, the Me’oarai Or. This is "pi’air tachas aifer" - beauty in place of ashes. The very ashes and fire of mourning are elevated and included in the light of holiness.

Tefillin shel Yad are the aspect of day and night, the aspect of the Tzadik and Knesses Yisrael. The rectification of Me’oarai aish [luminaries/lights of fire] is the rectification of night, for at night the fire-lights rule, in the aspect of "u'va'erev yehiyeh... k'mar'eh aish" - "in the evening there was... like the appearance of fire" (Yechezkel 1:27), until the night shines like the day and the Me’oarai aish are included in the Me’oarai Or. This is through crying at Chatzos over the Churban, for "the din is sweetened only in its root." Tears are from the aspect of Me’oarai aish, but by crying over the Churban one draws the holiness of the Bais HaMikdash, which is the aspect of pi’air, splendor; then the Me’oarai aish and the tears are transformed to Me’oarai Or, in the aspect of "Ra'eesee es dimasaich" - "I have seen your tears" (Yeshayah 38:5). All this is the aspect of Tefillin shel Yad, the aspect of Knesses Yisrael, and therefore its main time begins in the morning after Chatzos. It is bound opposite the heart in order to subdue the desires and thoughts of the heart to Hashem's service, to turn the fire and heat in the heart into holy enthusiasm. Tefillin shel Yad are the aspect of the Tefillin of Klal Yisrael, who are still in this war: to quiet the evil middos and desires that come from the evil of the four yesodos, and to clarify the good in them until they are included in the four Mochin, the aspect of Me’oarai Or. Therefore the shel Yad is opposite the heart and on the weak hand, the aspect of Rachel, a beautiful maiden who has no eyes except what the Me’oarai Or illuminate into her through those who conquer the Yetzer and draw the power of the Tzadik.

Then Tefillin shel Rosh is donned - the Tzadik's own light is the aspect of the essence of the Me’oarai Or, the aspect of the pi’air, the aspect of the Rosh Bayis.

"Beraishis bara Elokim es hashamayim v'es ha'aretz" - Beraishis is the aspect of Rosh Bayis, the head of the house, which is the Name of Hashem and the root of the mochin of Tefillin. From there come the Me’oarai Or and the rectification of the Me’oarai aish, the aspects of Tefillin shel Rosh and Tefillin shel Yad. Shamayim and Aretz correspond to the Tzadik and Knesses Yisrael, the root of day and night, Me’oarai Or and Me’oarai aish in holiness. When the Rosh Bayis shines into the house, the earth and the night are rectified and included in the heavenly light.

"V'ha'aretz haysah sohu vavohu v'choshech al pnai sehom" - the earth was desolation, emptiness, darkness, and the face of the deep. Sohu, vohu, choshech, and sehom are the evil in the four yesodos, the evil of the Me’oarai aish, from which come all desires and bad traits that embitter a person's life until he wanders like one in a wilderness of sohu vavohu, with darkness over the abyss. The four exiles correspond to these aspects, as the Midrash explains: sohu is Bavel, vohu is Madai, and so on. Only the Tzadik Yesod Olam, the aspect of the spirit of Mashiach, can rectify this chaos, because he draws the Me’oarai Or into the Me’oarai aish and turns darkness into light.

"V'Ruach Elokim merachefes al pnai hamayim" - "and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters" (Beraishis 1:2). The Zohar says that this is the spirit of Mashiach, which hovers over the face of the waters, meaning over the Torah, especially the Torah of the yirai'im and the keshairim. The main rectification is through Torah at night, especially through Kimas Chatzos. One rises at Chatzos to weep over the Churban and afterward to comfort the Shechinah with "pi’air tachas aifer" - splendor in place of ashes - and to engage in Torah in order to raise the Shechinah. The waters are the aspect of tears, in the aspect of "Shifchee kamayim leebaich" - "Pour out your heart like water" (Eichah 2:19), and "Ainee Ainee yordah mayim" - "My eye, my eye runs down with water" (Eichah 1:16). "Ki rachak mimeni menachem" - "for the comforter is far from me" - this is the true Tzadik, the aspect of Menachem, who is hidden and far, the aspect of "Zeh yenachamenu" - "this one will comfort us" (Beraishis 5:29). Because the Menachem is far, therefore "vuneye shoamaimeem kee gavar oyaiv" - "my children are desolate, for the enemy has prevailed"; that is, the good deeds, the children of Yisrael, are desolate and confused because the Yetzer HaRa and the evil in the four yesodos have strengthened themselves. Therefore, "Al aileh ani bochiyah" - "for these I weep." Through the bitter crying and the pouring out of the heart like water, one merits, according to his aspect, that Hashem comforts him and draws pi’air in place of aifer; then one engages in Torah, the aspect of the waters of Da'as, over which the spirit of Mashiach hovers. Through this, "Vayomer Elokim yehi or" - "God said: Let there be light" - the aspect of Me’oarai Or. "Vayar Elokim es ha'or ki tov" - "God saw the light, that it was good"; Rashi explains that it was not fitting for light and darkness to be used together, and therefore "Vayavdel Elokim bain ha'or oovain hachoshech" - "God separated between the light and the darkness." This is the aspect of Havdalah, separating the Me’oarai Or from the evil of the Me’oarai aish and the darkness. For the main strengthening of the evil of Me’oarai aish is through mixture, when they derive too much from the Me’oarai Or; but through Ruach Elokim, the spirit of Mashiach over the waters of Torah, the Me’oarai Or are strengthened, and then there is separation between light and darkness, between the Me’oarai Or and the evil of the Me’oarai aish.

"Vayar Elokim es ha'or ki tov" - Rashi: it was not fitting for light and darkness to serve together - "Vayavdail Elokim bain ha'or u'vain hachoashech" is the aspect of the secret of Havdalah. The evil in Me’oarai aish prevails through mixture (nursing too much from Me’oarai Or). Through Ruach Elokim; through this, Me’oarai Or prevail; through this, separation; through this, Havdalah at Motzai Shabbos: we bless over fire to separate and elevate the Me’oarai aish, including them in Me’oarai Or through the blessing "Boarai me’oarai ha'aish." "Vayihee erev vayihee voakehr yoam echad" - through Havdalah, night is included in day, the aspect of shel Yad joined with shel Rosh - which is why one may not interrupt between them.

This is the aspect of Tefillin made from or [leather/skin] - to rectify and clarify "kasnos or" [garments of skin], which are the aspect of fingernails. Our Sages said (Beraishis Rabbah 21): "[He] clothed them smooth as a fingernail." This is why one gazes at the fingernails when blessing the fire at Havdalah - for there the essential separation and clarification occurs: extracting the Me’oarai aish (the aspect of fingernails is the aspect of kasnos or [with Ayin]) from the evil and transforming them into kasnos or (with Aleph), the aspect of Me’oarai Or. All the Tefillin components - parshiyos written on parchment, batim and retzuos of leather - are made from or precisely because the essential tikun of Tefillin is transforming kasnos or into kasnos or.

This is the aspect of what the Torah warns in all four parshiyos of Tefillin: to tell and make known the holy emunah to our children after us. In Parshas Kadesh it says, "Viheegadita livincha ba’yoam hahoo" - "You shall tell your son on that day" (Shemos 13:8). In the second parshah it says, "When your son asks you tomorrow, saying: What is this? you shall say to him: With a strong hand Hashem took us out of Mitzrayim" (Shemos 13:14). In Shema and V'hayah im shamo'a the Torah warns even more: "V'shinantam l'vanecha" - "You shall teach them sharply to your children" - and "You shall teach them to your children, to speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the way, when you lie down and when you rise." For the essential holiness of Tefillin is to magnify the Name of Hashem, the aspect of the Me’oarai Or. The essential magnifying of Hashem's Name is that in every generation people speak and converse about the awesome wonders of His deeds, His miracles, and His signs that He has done with us from the beginning, and that He does with us in every generation, and to tell all this to our children and grandchildren after us from generation to generation forever. This is "This is My Name forever, and this is My remembrance from generation to generation" (Shemos 3:15), "Hashem, Your Name is forever; Hashem, Your remembrance is from generation to generation" (Tehillim 135:13), "Generation to generation will praise Your deeds and tell of Your mighty acts" (Tehillim 145:4), and "Give thanks to Him, bless His Name, for Hashem is good; His kindness is forever, and His emunah is from generation to generation" (Tehillim 100:4-5).

Therefore, in every generation a person is obligated to see himself as if he went out of Mitzrayim. This is the aspect of the holy Tefillin that we don every day on the head and on the arm, in order to remember in the moach and in the heart that Hashem yisburach took us out of Mitzrayim with signs and wonders, to reveal His blessed Name and His Malchus in the world, in the aspect of "oolima'an sapair shmee bichol ha'aretz" - "so that My Name be told throughout all the earth" (Shemos 9:16). Therefore the first two parshiyos of Tefillin are the parshiyos of Yetzias Mitzrayim, and the last two parshiyos are Shema and V'hayah im shamo'a, the aspect of accepting the yoke of Malchus Shamayim, emunah, and the mitzvos. For one must receive this anew every day, in the aspect of "hayom" - today, and as our Sages said: every day they should be in your eyes like new. Whoever contemplates the ways of Hashem and His wonders and the miracles that He performed for us, through the Torah chiddushim of the true Tzadikim in every generation, and also the miracles and kindnesses that He performs with each person every day, can fulfill this obligation according to his level. One is obligated to speak of His wonders all the days, in the aspect of "Sichu b'chol nifl'osav" - "Speak of all His wonders" (Tehillim 105:2), and to make them known to children and grandchildren, in the aspect of "Vihoadaatam livanecha vilivnai vanecha" - "You shall make them known to your children and your children's children" (Devarim 4:9), and as it says in Tehillim 78. All this is the aspect of Tefillin, the Name of Hashem that is drawn through the true Tzadik, the aspect of pi’air, chen, and yofi of the world. The pi’air and hidur are drawn from generation to generation, in the aspect of "koarai hadoaroas mairosh" - "He calls the generations from the beginning" (Yeshayah 41:4). Doros and hadar/hidur are one aspect, like the hadar of the esrog that dwells on its tree from year to year. This is the aspect of Knesses Yisrael and "hod malchuso," the majesty of His kingship; therefore one must tell His praise in every generation, in the aspect of "Dor l'dor y'shabach ma'asecha" - "Generation to generation will praise Your deeds" (Tehillim 145:4).

Therefore it is impossible to know, make known, and magnify the Name of Hashem except through the true Tzadik. The true Tzadik is the aspect of Tzadik Yesod Olam, whose main greatness is through guarding the Bris with the ultimate holiness, beyond which there is no higher holiness, as the Zohar HaKadosh says: "Tzadik man d'natir Bris" - the Tzadik is the one who guards the Bris. From there, from the aspect of Bris, all generations go forth. But Hashem made one thing opposite the other: the Sitra Achra and the kelipah drawn from the serpent's contamination strengthen themselves precisely there more than anywhere else. Therefore very few merit the holiness of the Bris in its completeness. Even the kosher and upright do not merit this holiness as they should, though fortunate is the one who at least does not blemish with complete blemishes, Heaven forbid. But in our many sins, in these generations, what is common is very common: many blemish greatly, rachamana litzlan, as is known. From there comes all the confusion in the world, so that people do not know where the true Tzadikim are.

This is the aspect of the war with Amalek in every generation. Amalek is the contamination of the serpent, which includes all the evils within the four yesodos; he is the general root of all exiles, in the aspect of "Amalek is the first of the nations" (Bamidbar 24:20). He has always been a strap of punishment for Yisrael, because in every generation he lies in wait for the collective and for the individual every day. He is the Satan, he is the enticer: first he seduces each person through his desires and bad traits, in whatever way he incites him and causes him to sin in his youth and childhood, especially through blemish of the Bris. Afterwards he incites him to chase greatness, to be inflamed after money, and to pursue honor. All jealousy, desire, honor, and all bad traits are drawn from kelipas Amalek. And not only this: he also makes a great confusion until a great kategoria arises among talmidai chachamim; he multiplies and magnifies falsehood in the world until he brings in many alien opinions and kefiros, and sets up leaders from them who claim that they seek the welfare of Yisrael. It is impossible to elaborate on all this here. All of this is the war of Amalek in every generation.

The essence of Amalek is to conceal and hide the light of the true Tzadikim, who are the aspect of the Name of Hashem. Therefore Hashem swore that His Name is not complete until the memory of Amalek is erased, and Hashem Himself, so to speak, must wage war against him in every generation: "Milchamah laHashem ba'Amalek midor dor" (Shemos 17:16). Amalek's main effort is to hide the light of the Tzadik through blemish of the Bris. But the true Tzadik sanctified himself in such awesome holiness of the Bris that he drew down a da'as so high and holy that it can never be truly concealed. This is the promise to Moshe, "V'gam b'cha ya'aminu l'olam" - "and in you too they will believe forever" (Shemos 19:9). All Yisrael are connected to this through holy milah: the cutting and removal of the orlah, the kelipah of Amalek that covers the Bris. Chisuch and priah correspond to removing the two coverings that obscure sight; through them the hidden light of the Tzadik and the Name of Hashem are revealed. Thus the war against Amalek is the war to reveal the Bris, the Tzadik, and the complete Name of Hashem.

This is the aspect of the name given to the infant at the time of milah. Through cutting and removing the orlah, which is kelipas Amalek - the concealment and hiding mentioned above, through which the light of the Tzadik Yesod Olam was hidden and concealed - that concealment is now removed and nullified. Then the aspect of the Name of Hashem is revealed again, which is the light of the Tzadik, as above. From there the name of the circumcised infant is drawn, the name by which he is called among Yisrael and with which he is blessed. For all the names of Bnai Yisrael are the aspect of the Name of Hashem and the name of the Tzadik, because His Name is joined with our names. Therefore Avraham Avinu, the head of those who are circumcised, had his name enlarged when Hashem commanded him regarding milah, as it says, "I, behold My covenant is with you... No longer shall your name be called Avram, but your name shall be Avraham" (Beraishis 17:4-5). This means that through the mitzvah of milah, which nullifies the concealment, the name of the Tzadik is enlarged, which is the magnification of the Name of Hashem. From there it is drawn that the circumcised infant is called by a name of Yisrael, the aspect of the Name of Hashem and the name of the Tzadik that has now been magnified through the mitzvah of milah.

All this is the aspect of Purim and Parshas Zachor, which is read beforehand: the subduing of kelipas Amalek. Amalek is the essential kelipah of the orlah that covers the holy Bris; from there comes the main concealment that constantly provokes and seeks to hide the light of the Tzadik Yesod Olam through blemish of the Bris, the aspect of orlah. This is "asher karcha baderech" - "who happened upon you on the way" - which is the aspect of blemish of the Bris, as brought. Amalek overpowers the weak in order to separate them, Heaven forbid, from the true Tzadik, in the aspect of "he cut off all the stragglers behind you, while you were weary and exhausted and did not fear God" (Devarim 25:18). These are the weak among Yisrael, whom he wants to overpower most through the force of concealment, in order to separate them completely, Heaven forbid, from the true Tzadik, from whom all their life-force and eternal hope comes.

Haman, may his name be erased, wanted to overpower Yisrael specifically when Esther was taken to the bed of the uncircumcised king. He thought that "ishah yir'as Hashem" had been conquered beneath them, for all the Me’oarai aish draw nurture from the aspect of ishah, as is known, and therefore there the main battle takes place. But through the mighty holiness of Mordechai, and because Esther herself was a great tzaddekes, he guarded her so that she should not be trapped among them, as the Tikunay Zohar says, "b'gin d'ach natir lah" - because her brother guarded her. On the contrary, she extracted all the holy sparks from among them. The Me’oarai aish were included in their root in the Me’oarai Or, and the very place from which Haman hoped to draw power became the place of his downfall.

Haman was aroused against Yisrael because he saw that they wished to rebuild the Bais HaMikdash, and therefore he strengthened the Me’oarai aish through the blemishes mentioned above in order to annihilate them, Heaven forbid. Mordechai and Yisrael drew the rectification of Chatzos: mourning, crying, and hesped over the Churban and over the concealment of the Tzadik and the Shechinah. They went with sackcloth and ashes - aifer specifically - because the Me’oarai aish and ashes had strengthened. Through this very crying they drew the aspect of "pi’air tachas aifer" - splendor in place of ashes. The Me’oarai aish, the aspect of aifer, whose nurture is from eesha, from Esther/Malchus, were transformed into pi’air, yoafee, and hidur of the Tzadik and Me’oarai Or. This is the aspect of Mordechai going out in royal clothing, with colors of tichailess and white, and a great golden crown, for all these are the aspect of pi’air, garments of splendor, the rectification of the holy colors. Mordechai is the Rosh Bayis, the head of the house, in the aspect of "mor dror"; the rosh d'kedushah and the Mochin are the aspect of besamim, good scent, and the life of the neshamah, in the aspect of "Nishmas Shakai tevinem" - "the breath of Shakai gives them understanding" (Iyov 32:8). Through these besamim of the head, the Mishkan and its vessels were anointed and sanctified, for all the holiness of the Mikdash is drawn through the Tzadik, the Rosh Bayis, the aspect of Shabbos and Me’oarai Or.

"LaYehudim haysah orah v'simchah v'sason vikar" - "For the Jews there was light, joy, gladness, and honor" (Esther 8:16). These are the aspect of pi’air, the inclusion of all the colors, the four mochin from which all joys are drawn, as it says, "B'shimcha yegilun kol hayom... ki siferes uzamo atah" (Tehillim 89:17-18). Our Sages expounded: "Orah" is Torah, the holy mochin and the wisdom of Torah; "simchah" is Yom Tov, when the Or HaPanim shines and we ascend on the regel to be seen before Hashem; "sason" is milah, which removes the orlah and nullifies the concealment of Amalek; and "vikar" is Tefillin. All of these are one aspect: the revelation of the Tzadik's light, the Me’oarai Or, the rectification of the Me’oarai aish, and the shining of the Name of Hashem in Yisrael.

See also Hilchos Shabbos, Halacha 4, where Parshas Zachor is also explained based on this same Torah. But the Torah is longer than the earth's measure - what one passage lacks, another reveals. There is still much to say and explain in the realm of the revealed, aside from the hidden which is sealed and concealed from every eye. May Hashem illuminate our eyes in His Torah always, Amen.

Based on all the above, it is clear that Tefillin are the aspect of pi’air, the aspect of Mochin illuminating the Bais HaMikdash, the aspect of Shabbos. It follows naturally why Shabbos is not the time for Tefillin: on Shabbos, the Mochin (the aspect of pi’air is the aspect of the Tzadik's light) illuminate automatically through the intrinsic holiness of the day itself - Shabbos, which is the Tzadik's light. Likewise Yom Tov: the Or HaPanim (the aspect of pi’air) shines through the intrinsic holiness of Yom Tov itself. Therefore Yom Tov too is not the time for Tefillin.

This is what the Zohar HaKadosh writes (Parashas Cha’yai Sarah): the mystery of Tefillin is that they are in the aspect of "V'asu li Mikdash" - "Make Me a Sanctuary." As it says there: "K'gavna d'Mikdash" - like the pattern of the Mikdash, as it is written: "V'asah keruv echad mikatzeh mizeh u'cheruv echad mikatzeh mizeh" - and upon them is the dwelling of the King in four letters; and the Kohen Gadol enters, and the Moach rests upon them in the dwellings of HaKadosh Baruch Hu in four parshiyos. Based on all the above, Tefillin are the aspect of Shabbos, the aspect of the Tzadik's light, the aspect of the Mochin illuminating the Bais HaMikdash - exactly as the Zohar states: Tefillin are in the aspect of "V'asu li Mikdash."