It is said that Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski (1863-1940), a brilliant Lithuanian scholar and posek, would simultaneously write scholarly Halachic correspondence while conversing with someone on a totally different subject. When questioned how he accomplished this feat, Rabbi Grodzinski humbly replied that his talent was not so remarkable. 'What, have you never heard of a businessman who mentally plans out his day's schedule while reciting the morning prayers?'

Constant Awareness

The tzitz was one of the eight special garments worn by the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest. This was a gold plate worn across the forehead, engraved with the words kodesh le-Hashem — "Holy to God."

The Torah commands that the tzitz "will be on his forehead - always" (Ex. 28:38). The Sages understood this requirement not so much as addressing where the head-plate is worn, but rather how it is worn. It is not enough for the tzitz to be physically on his forehead. It must be always 'on his mind.' The High Priest must be constantly aware of the plate and its succinct message, "Holy to God,"  while serving in the holy Temple. His service requires conscious recognition of the purpose of his actions, without irrelevant thoughts and musings. He could not be like the fellow whose thoughts revolved around business dealings while he mumbled his daily prayers.

Awareness When Wearing Tefillin

The golden head-plate resembles another religious object worn above the forehead: tefillin. In fact, the Sages compared the two. Like the tzitz, wearing tefillin requires one to be always aware of their presence. The Talmud in Shabbat 12a makes the following a fortiori argument: If the tzitz, upon which God's name is engraved just once, require constant awareness, then certainly tefillin, in which God's name is written many times, have the same requirement.

This logic, however, appears flawed. Do the Sages really mean to say that tefillin, worn by any Jew, is a holier object than the sacred head-plate worn only by the High Priest when serving in the Temple?

Furthermore, why is it that God's name is only recorded once on the tzitz, while it appears many times in tefillin?

Connecting to Our Goals

Life may be divided into two parts: our ultimate goals, and the means by which we attain those goals. We must be careful not to confuse one for the other. It is easy to loose sight of our true goals when we are occupied with the ways of achieving them.

Even those who are careful to 'stay on track' may not have a clear understanding of the true purpose of life. The Sages taught that "All of your deeds should be for the sake of Heaven" (Avot 2:12). Knowledge of what God wants us to do in every situation is by no means obvious. Success in discovering the highest goal, in comprehending our purpose in life, and being able to relate all of life's activities to this central goal — this depends on our wisdom and insight.

Regarding the High Priest, we expect that the individual suitable for such a high and central office will have attained the level of enlightenment where all of life's activities revolve around a single ultimate goal. For the Kohen Gadol, everything should relate to the central theme of "Holy to God." Therefore the tzitz mentions God's name just once — a single crowning value.

Most people, however, have not reached this level of enlightenment. We have numerous goals — performing acts of kindness, charity, Torah study, prayer, acquiring wisdom, and so on. These are all true spiritual values; and by relating various activities to each of these values, we succeed in elevating ourselves and recognizing the underlying central goal. For this reason, the scrolls inside tefillin contain God's name many times, reflecting the various spiritual goals that guide us.

We need tangible reminders in order to keep life's ultimate goals in sight. The tzitz and tefillin, both worn on the forehead above the eyes, are meant to help us attain this state of mindfulness.

Now we may understand the logic of the Talmudic argument comparing these two holy objects. Even the High Priest, despite his broad spiritual insight, needed to be constantly aware of the tzitz on his forehead and its fundamental message of kodesh le-Hashem. Certainly the average person, with an array of goals, must remain conscious of the spiritual messages of his tefillin at all times.

(Adapted from Ein Eyah vol. III, p. 26)

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