Bar Mitzvah is the most important milestone in a Jewish boy’s life, primarily because of the tremendous trust placed in him on that day by G-d, his parents, and the entire community. On the day he turns 13 years old, he is placed on Jewish active duty for the rest of his life, and there is no turning back. Everything that happens until then is meant to train him for the important mission of being G-d’s agent to inspire and elevate creation through Torah study and the observance of the Mitzvot.
Perhaps the greatest display of this trust is that he becomes the proud owner and user of his own pair of Tefillin.
Tefillin was the first Mitzvah given when our ancestors departed Egypt and embarked on their historic journey to Sinai. The pair of black boxes, containing scrolls with chapters of the Torah that describe the exodus, the declaration of our faith in G-d’s oneness, and the covenant of Mitzvot, are worn on the arm near the heart and above the head, respectively, signaling our preparedness to serve G-d intellectually, passionately, and actively. Jewish men wear them every day, aside from Shabbat and biblical festivals.
Tefillin cannot be mass-produced on an assembly line in China. The boxes, straps, and scrolls are meticulously handcrafted based on thousands of years of Jewish law and tradition by highly skilled and devoted craftsmen and scribes who dedicate their lives to this holy task. Every pair is the result of a labor of love; a holy endeavor.
Just as any high-stakes performance demands many dress rehearsals, the Bar Mitzvah boy is given two months before the big day to become a pro at using his Tefillin, and the day he starts to practice is a huge milestone unto itself.
On Wednesday, I had the joyous privilege of witnessing Menachem begin his two-month practice period. Before we prayed morning prayers near the Ohel, the Rebbe’s holy resting place in Queens, NY, Menachem carefully placed the Tefillin on his bicep, wrapped the leather straps around his arm and finger, and placed the Tefillin above his forehead; a routine he will follow every weekday going forward.
Mazel tov, Menachem, on reaching this special milestone!
