ערך תפלין

For even though certainly one must give much thanks for the salvations that have already been done for him — even so, we still need to greatly multiply prayer. For we still need many salvations all the days of our lives. Therefore one must strengthen oneself to always greatly multiply prayer. Tefillin are written on the skin of an animal [ohr beheimah] — this is the aspect of people who are as learned as a person [adom] yet make themselves like an animal [beheimah]. That is, one must make himself like an animal — to set aside one's mind entirely, as if one has no mind at all — and rely only on faith. And then through this one's mind is clarified and the crookedness [akmimusin] in one's heart is straightened. For when a person sees that he has crookedness in his heart — especially when he has, G-d forbid, much crookedness in his heart — then he must set aside his mind entirely as if he has no mind at all — and go only in wholeness [temimus] and simplicity [peshitus] alone. And then he merits afterwards to great knowledge [da'as] and to straighten out the crookedness in his heart. And all of this is the aspect of tefillin.

Our Sages of blessed memory said: "Every single day a person's yetzer hara overpowers him — and were it not for the Holy One, blessed be He, helping him — he could not prevail against it" [Kiddushin 30b]. "Every single day the yetzer hara overpowers him" — this derives from the aspect of: "At first the thought arose to create the world with the attribute of strict judgment [midas hadin]". For this judgment arouses itself every single day — and wishes, G-d forbid, to conduct the world in this aspect. And from there the yetzer hara is aroused and intensifies — drawing from there every single day. For the essential yetzer hara and sitra achra derives from the aspect of judgments — drawn from the beginning of the contraction of the vacated space [chalal hapanui]. But G-d immediately has compassion and precedes the attribute of mercy before the attribute of judgment — as our Sages of blessed memory said: "He saw that the world could not endure [through judgment alone], etc." Which is the aspect of the help and assistance He provides the person every single day to shatter the yetzer hara — which is from the attribute of judgment. And this is the aspect of the tefillin of Rashi — where the kindnesses [chassadim] precede the strengths [gevuros]. And this is the aspect of: "He preceded the attribute of mercy and paired it with the attribute of judgment" — which is the essential governance and sustaining of the entire world. And therefore the essential tefillin that everyone wears are those of Rashi — for this is the essential governance and sustaining of the world through this aspect. But there are Tzaddikim who are so great that they need no assistance from Above. And G-d conducts Himself with them as in the original thought — that is, through the attribute of strict judgment. And they stand firm through all the trials and sufferings and afflictions that derive from the attribute of judgment aforementioned. And they remain standing. And they sweeten the judgment at its very root — at the original thought. For they believe and know that the judgments and the sufferings themselves are great goodnesses. And through this they truly merit to ascend and be encompassed in the original thought — which is the aspect of: "Thus arose in thought" [kach alah b'machshavah] — said regarding the death of Rabbi Akiva. And this is the aspect of the tefillin of Rabbainu Tam — which are the aspect of the highest expanded consciousness [moichin govohim biyas]. And there the strengths precede the kindnesses. Which is the aspect of the governance that arose in the original thought — the aspect of the governance of the high Tzaddikim aforementioned. And therefore one who wishes to draw close to G-d — to draw upon himself additional holiness — must also lay the tefillin of Rabbainu Tam. For all the distancing from G-d derives from the yetzer hara — whose root is from the attribute of judgment — drawn from the beginning of the contraction of the vacated space. And therefore the essential additional holiness is drawn upon a person through the tefillin of Rabbainu Tam — which are drawn from the aspect of the Tzaddikim aforementioned who ascend to the root of the judgment and sweeten everything at their root. Through which the power is drawn upon all the distant ones — to shatter and nullify the yetzer hara that is drawn from there.

Now — in the footsteps of the Mashiach, at the end of the exile — when the exile and the baal davar and the sitra achra intensify greatly — and the essential [intensification] is that heresy [apikorsus] has spread and is spreading greatly in the world — all of this intensification is the aspect of the birth-pangs [chevlei leida] — the birth-pangs of the Mashiach. For all of this derives from the root of the judgment of the aspect of the vacated space aforementioned. And therefore there is now no power to stand against them — except through the power of the very great Tzaddikim aforementioned: who can enter there — into the aspect of the vacated space — and sweeten the judgment at its very root. Through which the entire power of the yetzer hara of all who come into the world — drawn from there — is nullified. Therefore every person must be careful to lay the tefillin of Rabbainu Tam — which are drawn from the aspect of the high expanded consciousness of those Tzaddikim aforementioned. In order to receive power from them — to shatter the yetzer hara that has now greatly intensified — drawn from there.

And therefore one who wishes to draw close to G-d — to draw upon himself additional holiness — must also lay the tefillin of Rabbainu Tam. For all the distancing from G-d derives from the yetzer hara — whose root is from the attribute of judgment — drawn from the beginning of the contraction of the vacated space. And therefore the essential additional holiness is drawn upon a person through the tefillin of Rabbainu Tam — which are drawn from the aspect of the Tzaddikim aforementioned who ascend to the root of the judgment and sweeten everything at their root. Through which the power is drawn upon all the distant ones — to shatter and nullify the yetzer hara that is drawn from there.

Now — in the footsteps of the Mashiach, at the end of the exile — when the exile and the baal davar and the sitra achra intensify greatly — and the essential [intensification] is that heresy [apikorsus] has spread and is spreading greatly in the world — all of this intensification is the aspect of the birth-pangs [chevlei leida] — the birth-pangs of the Mashiach. For all of this derives from the root of the judgment of the aspect of the vacated space aforementioned. And therefore there is now no power to stand against them — except through the power of the very great Tzaddikim aforementioned: who can enter there — into the aspect of the vacated space — and sweeten the judgment at its very root. Through which the entire power of the yetzer hara of all who come into the world — drawn from there — is nullified. Therefore every person must be careful to lay the tefillin of Rabbainu Tam — which are drawn from the aspect of the high expanded consciousness of those Tzaddikim aforementioned. In order to receive power from them — to shatter the yetzer hara that has now greatly intensified — drawn from there.