Make every day your Bar Mitzvah

I vividly remember the excitement I felt before my Bar Mitzvah. I was nervous about my Torah reading and speech, for sure, but the idea that I would soon be an adult like my father and brother filled me with anticipation. I always envied them in shul, when they put on their tefillin every morning, while I looked on. Now, as I turned 13, I would join their club!

The day I received my tefillin was a day of pride, excitement, awe and gratitude. Finally I had made it! I have been fortunate that since that day over 35 years ago, I have not missed a single weekday of putting on tefillin. I have put them on in airports and hospitals, hotels and truckstops (as well as a few shuls — believe it or not!). When I pack for a trip, or even leave town for a day, my tefillin are my trusted companion.

The tefillin on our arm, facing the heart reminds us to devote our emotions (the heart) and our actions (the hand) in the service of G-d. The head tefillin, with their straps circling the brain and dropping down our body to our feet, encourage us to use our brain, and to always walk in the ways of G-d.

In the years since my Bar Mitzvah, I have replaced the outer leather boxes and the straps many times as they have gotten old (just like their user!) I give them to a Sofer (scribe) to check and tune-up on a regular basis.

Tefillin are part of the fabric of the Jewish experience. We receive our tefillin at our Bar Mitzvah, and each and every day we put them on, we relive that great simcha. I encourage all of you who have tefillin to wear them regularly, and to get them checked by a qualified sofer. If you don’t have tefillin — it’s not too late to get them now, no matter what your age. So, Mazel Tov on your Bar Mitzvah, break out the tefillin!

The Rabbinically Speaking column is provided as a public service by the Jewish Press in cooperation with the Pinellas County Board of Rabbis. Columns are assigned, on a rotating basis by the board.