The Spiritual Power of Tefillin and the Prayer Every Parent Should Say

A Heartfelt Prayer for Our Children

"May we and our descendants..."

Praying that our children and future generations will know God and study His Torah is one of the most genuine prayers a person can offer. When the heart truly longs for something, the prayer is sincere. And when it comes to our children, our a prayer, offered with genuine feeling, has tremendous power.

This reflects the well known principle taught by Rabbi Yisrael Salanter, who said that it is tried and proven that prayers for spiritual growth are effective. But what is prayer? True prayer — prayer offered with one's entire heart.

— Rabbi Gershon Edelstein, Darchei Chizuk

Two Daily Halachot

Based on BeHalachah U'VeAggadah, according to the rulings of Maran Rabbi Ovadia Yosef

What Does a Person Merit by Being Careful to Wear Tefillin?

The Torah commands: "You shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes."

Therefore, every Jewish man is commanded by the Torah to wear both the hand tefillin and the head tefillin each weekday, with the exception of Shabbat, festivals, and Chol HaMoed.

The reward for fulfilling the mitzvah of tefillin is immense. Every moment a person wears tefillin, he fulfills eight positive Torah commandments each day. Not only is his reward preserved for the World to Come, but he also enjoys its blessings in this world, including a longer life and many spiritual benefits.

Our Sages teach that one who wears tefillin, wraps himself in tzitzit, recites the Shema, and prays is assured a share in the World to Come. The fires of Gehinnom have no power over him, and his sins are forgiven.

Those who make the effort to purchase quality tefillin are blessed with long life, a good livelihood, great benefit for both body and soul, and protection for themselves and their families from hardship and harmful decrees.

What Should Someone Do If They Forgot to Wear Tefillin One Day?

If someone forgets to wear tefillin on a particular day, he should repent for having missed a positive Torah commandment.

It is also advisable to have the tefillin checked to ensure they are kosher, make an effort to wear Rabbeinu Tam tefillin as well and study Torah while wearing them after the prayer service, and give charity according to one's means.

The proper order each morning is to first put on the tzitzit and only afterward the tefillin, because the tzitzit remind us of all the commandments and thereby help us remember to fulfill the mitzvah of tefillin as well.