Welcome to Embrace Shabbat.
The Gemara in Masechet Yoma 7b teaches that a person must touch their tefillin at all time, in order to maintain awareness of their presence. This halacha is derived from the tzitz, the Kohen Gadol’s golden headplate which reads Kodesh l’Hashem. Just as with the tzitz, which only mentions Hashem’s name once, the Torah instructs that it must be on the Kohen Gadol’s forehead constantly, surely the tefillin, which mentions G-d’s name 42 times (21 times in the shel yad and 21 times in the shel rosh), must always be touched.
Interestingly, the Gemara doesn’t require the Kohen Gadol to actually touch the tzitz; wearing the tzitz is sufficient. Although derived from the halacha of the tzitz, it seems that the tefillin requires a more active “remembrance.”
The Steipler in his Sefer Birkat Peretz on Parshat Tetzaveh explains that because the Kohen Gadol is in the Beit HaMikdash, he feels an added sense of yirat shamayim because of its tremendous kedusha. Therefore, even without the conscious action of touching the tzitz, it will always be on his mind.
However, the tefillin must be touched from time to time. The Bach explains that when a person has a thought about tefillin, he must actively do something to ensure that it doesn’t leave his mind. Touching it and showing endearment will allow a person to remember it.
The Sefer Toldot Yaakov Yosef in Parsha Beshalach (אות ז) teaches that a similar principle is found with Shabbat. Like the tefillin, a person may not take their mind off of Shabbat and must remember its kedusha at all times. In fact, the kedusha of Shabbat is greater than the tefillin, and therefore, a person is patur from wearing tefillin on that day. On Shabbat, a person may not have hesech hadaat from the kedusha of the day. This can explain why a person may not play tennis, ride their bicycle, or involve themselves with any other mundane activities on Shabbat- it will prevent them from remembering the kedusha at all times.
Why must a person constantly have the tzitz and tefillin on their mind? There are two approaches:
- Brisker Rav- the presence of the name of G-d indicates that an item is holy. It is not the name itself that is holy, but rather the name serves as an indicator of an item’s kedusha. Therefore, the tzitz and tefillin, which are both holy, contain the name of G-d. In a similar vein, Shabbat also is inherently holy and therefore includes G-d’s name. Because of their intrinsic kedusha, a person is required to have the tefillin, tzitz, and Shabbat on their mind at all times.
- She’elot u’Teshuvot Shaar Efraim (chapter 20)- the tzitz and tefillin both contain the name of G-d and therefore a person must be cognizant of that, especially because they are wearing it on their head! It says about the tefillin shel rosh: וראו כל עמי הארץ כי שם ה' נקרא עליך ויראו ממך, the nations of the world will see that the Name of G-d is upon you and they will be afraid of you. The name of a G-d is upon a person when he wears the tzitz and tefillin.
Similarly, the name of G-d is within a person who keeps Shabbat, and therefore a person must be cognizant of it at all times. How do we know this?
- The Zohar teaches us that “Shabbat” is one of G-d’s Names.
- The Ben Ish Chai teaches that a person is not allowed to say “Shabbat” in a bathroom, an unclean place because Shabbat is the Name of G-d.
- The Gemara says, “מתנה טובה יש לי בבית גנזי ושבת שמה,” I have a dear present in my treasure house and its name is Shabbat. The name of Shabbat is specifically mentioned because it is the Name of G-d.
So why doesn’t a person need to touch Shabbat, as they must touch the tefillin?
Shabbat is like the Beit HaMikdash. Just as a person doesn’t need to touch the tzitz because the Kedusha of the Beit HaMikdash causes them not to need a reminder, so too Shabbat has a built-in יראת שבת that prevents them from needing a reminder.
On Shabbat, G-d’s name is within us. There is a powerful Kedusha that is inherent in the day, as the Brisker Rav teaches, or that is bestowed upon it because the name of G-d is associated with it. Just as a person may not forget about the kedusha of the tzitz or tefillin, they cannot forget about the kedusha of Shabbat.
Have a Shabbat Shalom.