God’s Wisdom in Mitzvas

Rabbi Moshe Ben-Chaim

Where must one’s head tefillin straps fall? Rabba would let the straps fall entirely behind him over his shoulders. Mar bar Ravna draped the straps over the shoulders to the front of the body. Rav Acha bar Yaakov would braid the straps. (Menachos 35b).

Having the straps fall behind oneself indicates a disregard, no attention or importance is given to the straps as they are inconsequential to the mitzva. Mar bar Ravna’s need to observe the straps in front of oneself indicates they cannot be degraded by being out of sight. And lastly, to braid the straps is a means of beautification. Meaning, certain mitzvas require higher respect. So the dispute is are the straps 1) of no consequence, 2) not to be degraded, or 3) they must be beautified. 

The category we discuss here is an object of mitzva. And relegated to this category is the question of degrading the object. Rabba held there is no status of mitzva in the straps and one need not show any respect to them, so degradation of mitzvah is inapplicable. Mar bar Ravna draped the straps in front of him, as he felt that these are objects of mitzva and one cannot degrade them by being behind him. Rav Acha bar Yaakov held that, unlike other mitzvot, the straps of the Tefillin are related to actual Torah portions in the boxes—a higher-level mitzva—and require honor, explaining why he braided them to beautify them. 

These three opinions cover all possible cases:

1) An object of mitzva has parts (straps in this case) that are unrelated to the mitzva and require no respect.

2) Straps are considered part of the object of mitzva and therefore cannot be disregarded.

3) Not only are there objects of mitzva, but certain mitzvos are of a higher nature and require honor. And the higher nature here is based on the Torah portions enclosed in the tefillin. 

Either something is: 

1) not an object of mitzva, 

2) it is an object of mitzva, or 

3) not only is it an object of mitzva, but it has a higher status demanding higher respect—kavod—through beautification.