The reading of Sh'ma Yisrael and the Tefilin

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon rearranges the letters in Sh'ma, Shem and Echad to teach us about God as witness and about the reason for the four compartments of the Tefilin.

David Echad (One) Hebrew Letters One (Echad) Samuel Sh'ma Yisrael Unity

870. Furthermore, Sh'ma (Eng. 'Hear' Shin Mem Ayin) Yisrael: CONSISTS OF THE LETTERS OF shem (Eng. 'name' - Shin Mem) and great Ayin. Similarly, Dalet of echad: (Eng. 'one' - Aleph Chet Dalet) is written large, AND THESE TWO LARGE LETTERS spell 'ed' (Eng. 'witness' - Ayin Dalet). Thus, between the Shin Mem of Sh'ma, WHICH IS MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED 'NAME', and the Aleph Chet of echad, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, ARE THE LARGE LETTERS AYIN DALET, WHICH ARE THE SECRET OF THE VERSE: "Hashem is witness (Heb. ed) against you" (I Shmuel 12:5). AND SO HE IS INDEED A WITNESS over each and every one who proclaims His unity in the world. And therefore David said: "I will rejoice (Heb. esmach - Aleph Sin Mem Chet) in Hashem" (Tehilim 104:34) and the Shin Mem of Sh'ma, WHICH IS MALCHUT, together with the Aleph Chet of Echad, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, spell 'esmach'. AND THIS IS THE SECRET OF THE UNITY OF ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, FROM THE ASPECT OF GREATNESS, FOR MALCHUT, FROM THE ASPECT OF GREATNESS, IS CALLED 'NAME' (HEB. SHEM - SHIN MEM).

870. וְעוֹד, שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֵׁם ע' רַבָּתִי, ד' מִן אֶחָ"ד רַבָּתִי, הַיְינוּ עֵ"ד, בֵּין שֵׁ"ם מִן שְׁמַע, א"ח מִן אֶחָ"ד. עֵד יְיָ' בָּכֶם. וְעַל כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד דִּמְיַחֵד אוֹתוֹ בָּעוֹלָם. וְעַל כֵּן אָמַר דָּוִד, אָנֺכִי אֶשְׂמַח בַּיְיָ', ש"מ מִן שְׁמַע, א"ח מִן אֶחָ"ד, הֲרֵי אֶשְׂמַח.

Daughter Dwellings Earth Echad (One) Head Heaven Heavens Mochin One (Echad) Ornaments Righteous Tfilin Wisdom World to Come, The

871. Furthermore, the large letter Dalet (whose numerical value is four) OF ECHAD ALLUDES TO THE four compartments of the Tefilin that Aleph Chet OF ECHAD, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, puts on, and with which he is adorned, and they are an ornament on his head. And they are THE SECRET OF THE COMBINATION Yud-Hei-Hei-Vav. The Yud, WHICH IS CHOCHMAH, is a diadem on Hei, which is the daughter, NAMELY, MALCHUT. Thus, "Hashem by wisdom founded the earth" (Mishlei 3:19), for Aba, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF CHOCHMAH, founded the daughter, WHICH IS MALCHUT, THAT IS CALLED 'EARTH'. THE SECOND Hei OF THE COMBINATION YUD- HEI-HEI-VAV is Supernal Ima, which is a diadem on the Vav, which is the son, NAMELY, ZEIR ANPIN, as we read: "by understanding (Heb. Tevunah) He established the heaven" (Ibid.), FOR ZEIR ANPIN, WHO IS CALLED 'HEAVENS', RECEIVES THE MOCHIN FROM TEVUNAH, NAMELY, SUPERNAL IMA, for Ima established the son. Thus, in the World to Come, WHICH IS BINAH, there is no eating and no drinking, but the righteous sit with their diadems on their heads. THE RIGHTEOUS HERE ARE ZEIR ANPIN, WHO HAS A DIADEM ON HIS HEAD, FROM BINAH THAT IS CALLED 'THE WORLD TO COME'.

871. וְעוֹד. ד' רַבָּתִי, ד' בָּתֵּי תְּפִילִּין, דְּמָנַח לְהוֹן א"ח, וְאִתְעֲטָּר בְּהוּ, וְאִינּוּן פְּאֵר עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ. וְאִינּוּן יהה"ו, י' עֲטָרָא עַל ה', דְּאִיהִי בְּרַתָּא, וְהַיְינוּ יְדֺוָ"ד בְּחָכְמָה יָסַד אָרֶץ, אַבָּא יָסַד בְּרַתָּא. ה', אִמָּא עִלָּאָה, עֲטָרָה עַל ו', דְּאִיהוּ בְּרָא, וְהַיְינוּ כּוֹנֵן שָׁמַיִם בִּתְבוּנָה. בְּאִמָּא כּוֹנֵן בְּרָא. וְהַאי אִיהוּ דְּעוֹלָם הַבָּא אֵין בּוֹ לֹא אֲכִילָה וְלֹא שְׁתִיָּה, אֶלָּא צַדִּיקִים יוֹשְׁבִים וְעַטְרוֹתֵיהֶם בְּרָאשֵׁיהֶם.