Rabbi Yaakov Raskin | Mind. Heart. Action. One simple daily ritual
IN THE tranquil corners of Jamaica’s Negril West End, there lies a quiet refuge called Tingalaya’s Retreat. Tucked away beyond the hum of the tourist trail, this place exudes balance, introspection, and spiritual clarity. Built by American entrepreneur and designer David Rosenstein, it is more than a resort – it is a sanctuary for the soul. In that environment, it’s easy to connect to a feeling of peace and serenity, and to a spiritual high that transcends the mundane day-to-day experience of our regular lives.
Standing on those ocean-filled cliffs, I was reminded of the opportunity we have each day to connect to a similar feeling of divine presence. Timeless rituals like prayer, meditation, and quiet moments of reflection offer us the chance to recharge and nourish our hearts and minds. One such practice in the Jewish tradition is tefillin, a ritual that connects mind, body, and spirit to our divine essence and mission on this earth.
Tefillin are two small black leather boxes which house small scrolls with text from the Torah and are connected to leather straps. Worn during weekday morning prayers, one is bound to the arm near the heart, and the other to the head above the forehead. The practice stems from the Torah verse which states, “You shall love your G‑d with all your heart, all your soul and with all your might … Bind it as a sign upon your hand and let it serve as a reminder between your eyes.” (Deuteronomy 6:5–8)
Henry Pereira Mendes, an influential 19th-century rabbi with deep family roots in Jamaica, wrote that just as a husband gives his wife a wedding ring as an expression of their never-ending love, tefillin is a symbol that appeals “ to our nobler emotions to bring God into human conduct.”
Jewish philosophy teaches that each person is born with a spiritual mission: to reveal sparks of divinity hidden in the world. We are not meant to retreat from the world, but to transform it – from a proverbial jungle into a holy garden. That transformation begins with ourselves, with our body becoming a vessel for the soul. When putting on tefillin, it’s a time to have the intention (kavanah) that we are aligning our physical form with a higher spiritual purpose.
In a world that often feels chaotic, tefillin provide a physical vessel for this spiritual integration. The head tefillin (shel rosh) represent clarity of thought and intellect guiding our emotion. The arm tefillin (shel yad), placed near the heart and wrapped around the hand, symbolise aligning emotion and intention with our actions.
While this may seem esoteric, 19th-century rabbi and philosopher Samson Raphael Hirsch wrote: “A truth, in order to produce results, must be impressed upon the mind and heart repeatedly and emphatically.”
This message has never felt more urgent. On a personal level, tefillin are an anchor that affirms identity while cultivating an inner sense of peace and purpose. It proclaims that we are not powerless — even when the world may feel that way. Each morning, the one who puts them on participates in a sacred ritual that whispers: “You are part of something bigger. You matter.”
One of the most powerful stories in the Talmud tells of a man named Elisha, known as ‘the Winged One’. At a time when wearing tefillin was punishable by death, Elisha wore them publicly. Caught by the authorities, he hid the tefillin in his hands. When ordered to reveal what he held, he said that he was cupping the wings of a dove. Miraculously, when he opened his hands, the tefillin had transformed into dove’s wings. The rabbis explained: just as wings protect a dove, mitzvot provide spiritual protection for the Jewish people.
This poetic image remains timely. In a world full of unrest, ancient practices can offer grounding and connection to a tradition that spans millennia. The Talmud also teaches that tefillin are a source of spiritual protection and blessing – for the one who wears them, their family, and all those close to them (Menachot 44a). They are not merely symbolic; they are spiritual armor in the battle of light against darkness.
Whether in the hills of Jerusalem or on a cliffside in Jamaica, we all seek the same thing: to feel rooted, purposeful, and connected.
Tefillin may be a uniquely Jewish ritual, traditionally observed by Jewish men – but the message it carries is deeply universal.
It reminds us that our thoughts, our hearts, and our hands – our mind, emotion, and action – can be aligned with a higher calling. And that every person, in their own way, has a role in bringing more light, compassion, and Godliness into the world.
If you’re Jewish and haven’t put on tefillin in a while – or ever – reach out to us at
[email protected]. We’ll help you get your own pair or arrange for a rabbi to guide you through this powerful mitzvah, wherever you are on your journey.
But whether you put on tefillin or not, let this ancient practice remind us all:
You matter. You carry purpose.
And when you start your day with intention, even something as small as a quiet moment of reflection, you are shaping a holier world.
Because holiness doesn’t only live in temples or rituals. Sometimes, it begins with a whisper on the wind, a prayer in your chest, or a sunrise over a Jamaican cliff.