The Torah commands that the people of God put the words of God in their hearts, and that they bind the words of God on the their foreheads and hands, both men and women,
And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart… Bind them to your hands as a sign and wear them amidst your eyes as phylacteries.
Deuteronomy 6:6-8
You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as phylacteries amidst your eyes.
Deuteronomy 11:18
So it shall serve as a sign on your hand and as phylacteries amidst your eyes, for with a powerful hand the Master brought us out of Egypt.
Exodus 13:16
And it shall serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a memorial amidst your eyes, that the Torah of the Master may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand the Master brought you out of Egypt.
Exodus 13:9
Which is not figurative, but a command to literally bind the words of God on the forehead, which is “amidst the eyes”, and on the hand, hence “it shall serve as a sign on your hand”, for the Hebrew word translated in English as “sign” is the word “oth”, which means a visible sign that can be seen with the eyes, which is the same word used in these other passages, referring to other visible signs that could be seen with the eyes,
And God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for appointed times, and for days and years
Genesis 1:14
Then the Master said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Master put a sign on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him.
Genesis 4:15
And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
Genesis 9:12-13
You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.
Genesis 17:11
And the Hebrew word translated in English as “phylactery” is the word “totaphoth”, which is an object like a frontlet, and the command of the Torah to wear the words of God on the hand and forehead can be fulfilled with an object today that is called “tefillin”, which are boxes that contain parchments with the words of God written on them, which are bound on the hand and on the forehead,
Which must contain the following words in Hebrew, and the English words can also be written on them in addition to the Hebrew,
שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהוָ֥ה׀ אֶחָֽד׃
דברים 6:4-9 / Deuteronomy 6:4-9
וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכָל־מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃
וְהָי֞וּ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּךָ֛ הַיּ֖וֹם עַל־לְבָבֶֽךָ׃
וְשִׁנַּנְתָּ֣ם לְבָנֶ֔יךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֖ בָּ֑ם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֤ בְּבֵיתֶ֙ךָ֙ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ֣ בַדֶּ֔רֶךְ וּֽבְשָׁכְבְּךָ֖ וּבְקוּמֶֽךָ׃
וּקְשַׁרְתָּ֥ם לְא֖וֹת עַל־יָדֶ֑ךָ וְהָי֥וּ לְטֹטָפֹ֖ת בֵּ֥ין עֵינֶֽיךָ׃
וּכְתַבְתָּ֛ם עַל־מְזוּזֹ֥ת בֵּיתֶ֖ךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶֽיךָ׃ ס
Hear, O Israel: the Master our God, the Master is one. You shall love the Master your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as phylacteries amidst your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
וְהָיָ֗ה אִם־שָׁמֹ֤עַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל־מִצְוֺתַ֔י אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם לְאַהֲבָ֞ה אֶת־יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֙ וּלְעָבְד֔וֹ בְּכָל־לְבַבְכֶ֖ם וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁכֶֽם׃
דברים 11:13-21 / Deuteronomy 11:13-21
וְנָתַתִּ֧י מְטַֽר־אַרְצְכֶ֛ם בְּעִתּ֖וֹ יוֹרֶ֣ה וּמַלְק֑וֹשׁ וְאָסַפְתָּ֣ דְגָנֶ֔ךָ וְתִֽירֹשְׁךָ֖ וְיִצְהָרֶֽךָ׃
וְנָתַתִּ֛י עֵ֥שֶׂב בְּשָׂדְךָ֖ לִבְהֶמְתֶּ֑ךָ וְאָכַלְתָּ֖ וְשָׂבָֽעְתָּ׃
הִשָּֽׁמְר֣וּ לָכֶ֔ם פֶּ֥ן יִפְתֶּ֖ה לְבַבְכֶ֑ם וְסַרְתֶּ֗ם וַעֲבַדְתֶּם֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶ֖ם לָהֶֽם׃
וְחָרָ֨ה אַף־יְהוָ֜ה בָּכֶ֗ם וְעָצַ֤ר אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְלֹֽא־יִהְיֶ֣ה מָטָ֔ר וְהָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה לֹ֥א תִתֵּ֖ן אֶת־יְבוּלָ֑הּ וַאֲבַדְתֶּ֣ם מְהֵרָ֗ה מֵעַל֙ הָאָ֣רֶץ הַטֹּבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה נֹתֵ֥ן לָכֶֽם׃
וְשַׂמְתֶּם֙ אֶת־דְּבָרַ֣י אֵ֔לֶּה עַל־לְבַבְכֶ֖ם וְעַֽל־נַפְשְׁכֶ֑ם וּקְשַׁרְתֶּ֨ם אֹתָ֤ם לְאוֹת֙ עַל־יֶדְכֶ֔ם וְהָי֥וּ לְטוֹטָפֹ֖ת בֵּ֥ין עֵינֵיכֶֽם׃
וְלִמַּדְתֶּ֥ם אֹתָ֛ם אֶת־בְּנֵיכֶ֖ם לְדַבֵּ֣ר בָּ֑ם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֤ בְּבֵיתֶ֙ךָ֙ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ֣ בַדֶּ֔רֶךְ וּֽבְשָׁכְבְּךָ֖ וּבְקוּמֶֽךָ׃
וּכְתַבְתָּ֛ם עַל־מְזוּז֥וֹת בֵּיתֶ֖ךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶֽיךָ׃
לְמַ֨עַן יִרְבּ֤וּ יְמֵיכֶם֙ וִימֵ֣י בְנֵיכֶ֔ם עַ֚ל הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֧ע יְהוָ֛ה לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶ֖ם לָתֵ֣ת לָהֶ֑ם כִּימֵ֥י הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ ס
And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the Master your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil. And he will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be full. Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them; then the anger of the Master will be kindled against you, and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the Master is giving you. “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as phylacteries amidst your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Master swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth.
Deuteronomy 11:13-21
וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃
שמות 13:1-10 / Exodus 13:1-10
קַדֶּשׁ־לִ֨י כָל־בְּכ֜וֹר פֶּ֤טֶר כָּל־רֶ֙חֶם֙ בִּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בָּאָדָ֖ם וּבַבְּהֵמָ֑ה לִ֖י הֽוּא׃
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶל־הָעָ֗ם זָכ֞וֹר אֶת־הַיּ֤וֹם הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְצָאתֶ֤ם מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙ מִבֵּ֣ית עֲבָדִ֔ים כִּ֚י בְּחֹ֣זֶק יָ֔ד הוֹצִ֧יא יְהוָֹ֛ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִזֶּ֑ה וְלֹ֥א יֵאָכֵ֖ל חָמֵֽץ׃
הַיּ֖וֹם אַתֶּ֣ם יֹצְאִ֑ים בְּחֹ֖דֶשׁ הָאָבִֽיב׃
וְהָיָ֣ה כִֽי־יְבִֽיאֲךָ֣ יְהוָ֡ה אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ הַֽ֠כְּנַעֲנִי וְהַחִתִּ֨י וְהָאֱמֹרִ֜י וְהַחִוִּ֣י וְהַיְבוּסִ֗י אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֤ע לַאֲבֹתֶ֙יךָ֙ לָ֣תֶת לָ֔ךְ אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָ֑שׁ וְעָבַדְתָּ֛ אֶת־הָעֲבֹדָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את בַּחֹ֥דֶשׁ הַזֶּֽה׃
שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֖ים תֹּאכַ֣ל מַצֹּ֑ת וּבַיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י חַ֖ג לַיהוָֽה׃
מַצּוֹת֙ יֵֽאָכֵ֔ל אֵ֖ת שִׁבְעַ֣ת הַיָּמִ֑ים וְלֹֽא־יֵרָאֶ֨ה לְךָ֜ חָמֵ֗ץ וְלֹֽא־יֵרָאֶ֥ה לְךָ֛ שְׂאֹ֖ר בְּכָל־גְּבֻלֶֽךָ׃
וְהִגַּדְתָּ֣ לְבִנְךָ֔ בַּיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא לֵאמֹ֑ר בַּעֲב֣וּר זֶ֗ה עָשָׂ֤ה יְהוָה֙ לִ֔י בְּצֵאתִ֖י מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃
וְהָיָה֩ לְךָ֨ לְא֜וֹת עַל־יָדְךָ֗ וּלְזִכָּרוֹן֙ בֵּ֣ין עֵינֶ֔יךָ לְמַ֗עַן תִּהְיֶ֛ה תּוֹרַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה בְּפִ֑יךָ כִּ֚י בְּיָ֣ד חֲזָקָ֔ה הוֹצִֽאֲךָ֥ יְהוָֹ֖ה מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃
וְשָׁמַרְתָּ֛ אֶת־הַחֻקָּ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את לְמוֹעֲדָ֑הּ מִיָּמִ֖ים יָמִֽימָה׃ ס
the Master said to Moses, “Set apart to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.” Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the Master brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. Today, in the new moon of Aviv, you are going out. And when the Master brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service in this new moon. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Master. Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory. You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Master did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial amidst your eyes, that the Torah of the Master may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the Master has brought you out of Egypt. You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.
Exodus 13:1-10
וְהָיָ֞ה כִּֽי־יְבִֽאֲךָ֤ יְהוָה֙ אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֔י כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר נִשְׁבַּ֥ע לְךָ֖ וְלַֽאֲבֹתֶ֑יךָ וּנְתָנָ֖הּ לָֽךְ׃
שמות 13:11-16 / Exodus 13:11-16
וְהַעֲבַרְתָּ֥ כָל־פֶּֽטֶר־רֶ֖חֶם לַֽיהוָֹ֑ה וְכָל־פֶּ֣טֶר׀ שֶׁ֣גֶר בְּהֵמָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִהְיֶ֥ה לְךָ֛ הַזְּכָרִ֖ים לַיהוָֽה׃
וְכָל־פֶּ֤טֶר חֲמֹר֙ תִּפְדֶּ֣ה בְשֶׂ֔ה וְאִם־לֹ֥א תִפְדֶּ֖ה וַעֲרַפְתּ֑וֹ וְכֹ֨ל בְּכ֥וֹר אָדָ֛ם בְּבָנֶ֖יךָ תִּפְדֶּֽה׃
וְהָיָ֞ה כִּֽי־יִשְׁאָלְךָ֥ בִנְךָ֛ מָחָ֖ר לֵאמֹ֣ר מַה־זֹּ֑את וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֵלָ֔יו בְּחֹ֣זֶק יָ֗ד הוֹצִיאָ֧נוּ יְהוָ֛ה מִמִּצְרַ֖יִם מִבֵּ֥ית עֲבָדִֽים׃
וַיְהִ֗י כִּֽי־הִקְשָׁ֣ה פַרְעֹה֮ לְשַׁלְּחֵנוּ֒ וַיַּהֲרֹ֨ג יְהוָֹ֤ה כָּל־בְּכוֹר֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם מִבְּכֹ֥ר אָדָ֖ם וְעַד־בְּכ֣וֹר בְּהֵמָ֑ה עַל־כֵּן֩ אֲנִ֨י זֹבֵ֜חַ לַֽיהוָ֗ה כָּל־פֶּ֤טֶר רֶ֙חֶם֙ הַזְּכָרִ֔ים וְכָל־בְּכ֥וֹר בָּנַ֖י אֶפְדֶּֽה׃
וְהָיָ֤ה לְאוֹת֙ עַל־יָ֣דְכָ֔ה וּלְטוֹטָפֹ֖ת בֵּ֣ין עֵינֶ֑יךָ כִּ֚י בְּחֹ֣זֶק יָ֔ד הוֹצִיאָ֥נוּ יְהוָ֖ה מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃ ס
When the Master brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, you shall set apart to the Master all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall belong to the Master. Every firstborn of a donkey you shall purchase with a lamb, or if you will not purchase it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall purchase. And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Master brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Master killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Master all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I purchase.’ It shall be as a sign on your hand or phylacteries between your eyes, for by a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”
Exodus 13:11-16
And these were the phylacteries that the Pharisees wore, who made them wide to be perceived as more righteous, just as they made their tzitzit long, which is another command of the Torah, that the people of God must wear four fringes in a garment of four corners, which the Messiah also wore,
Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the fringes long
Matthew 23:5
And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment,
Matthew 9:20
And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.
Mark 6:56
Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come you are to make fringes on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each fringe. You will have these fringes to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the Master, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be set apart to your God.
Numbers 15:38-40
You shall make yourself fringes on the four corners of the garment with which you cover yourself.
Deuteronomy 22:12
And the phylacteries are worn by a man or woman of God when he or she prays or prophesies, just as a wife must cover her head when she prays or prophesies,
but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if she were shaven.
1 Corinthians 11:5
And if a man or woman is not able to purchase tefillin, then he or she can make his or her own tefillin, which can be made using paper, with the words printed on the paper using a printer, and the paper placed inside a sackcloth or leather pouch, which can then be wrapped around the forehead and hand using rubber bands, in which case, because the Torah of God has not been abolished,
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Torah…
Matthew 5:17
It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Torah.
Luke 16:17
For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Torah until everything is fulfilled.
Matthew 5:18
Is the reason why this lesser command of the Torah must still be fulfilled today, which is not a “shadow” command that is fulfilled differently under the new covenant, such as the commands of the Torah related to food or the Shabbath,
Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:19
Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food, drink, feast, new moon, or Shabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, the reality, however, is found in the Messiah.
Colossians 2:16-17
Which was a command given to the people of God not because placing the words of God on the forehead or hand is intrinsically good nor intrinsically evil, such as the command of “you shall not murder”, which was given because murder is evil, but because this command sets apart the people of God from all other ordinary people on earth, along with various other commands of the Torah that were also given for the reason of set-apartness,
You shall be set-apart to me, for I the Master am set-apart and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.
Leviticus 20:26
For you are a set-apart people to the Master your God. the Master your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a treasured possession above all the peoples on the face of the earth.
Deuteronomy 7:6
And you shall set yourselves apart, and shall be set-apart, for I am the Master your God
Leviticus 20:7
and you shall guard my Torot and do them. I am the Master, who sets you apart.
Leviticus 20:8
the Master does establish you as a set-apart people to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you guard the commands of the Master your God and walk in his ways.
Deuteronomy 28:9
Then you will remember and obey all my commands, and you will be set-apart to your God.
Numbers 15:40
so as to make a distinction between the set-apart and the ordinary, and between the unclean and the clean,
Leviticus 10:10
And the priest answered David and said, “There is no ordinary bread on hand, but there is set-apart bread, provided the young men have kept themselves from women.”
1 Samuel 21:4
Which also serves as a visible sign that a man or woman is a true believer that obeys the Torah, and a place in Israel where phylacteries can be ordered from is from Gabrieli Hand Weaving.
