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    When Jewish men put on tefillin in the morning, why is the tefillin strap wrapped around the left arm exactly seven times? Almost every observance we perform in Jewish life is full of deep symbolism. Wearing tefillin is no exception. Almost every aspect of tefillin has a metaphoric or kabalistic aspect connected to it. The reason we wrap our tefillin seven times around our arm is because each winding corresponds to the seven words of the following pasuk:   “Poteach et yadecha umasbia lechol chai ratzon”, “You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.” As we wrap our arm, we ask God to open His, so to speak, and provide sustenance for all He has created.

    The custom and manner in which we wrap the strap on the hand is also replete with profound symbolism. It’s wound three times around the middle finger to form a ring. Indeed, when these windings are made each morning, the verse “[The Jews] will be betrothed to Me forever” (Hoshea 2:21) is said. This verse says the phrase “betrothed to Me forever” three times, therefore the three windings. The windings also form the three Hebrew letters Shin, Daled and Yud. These letters spell the name of God, Sha-dai. This name is also spelled out on the tefillin shel rosh, which is worn on the head, along with the knot of the tefillin shel yad, which is the tefillin worn on the arm. The Shin is shaped on the box itself, the Daled is found on the knot of the tefillin shel rosh and the Yud is found on the tefillin shel yad.

    Rabbi Shamshon Raphael Hirsch explains the symbolism in having the name Sha-dai on our tefillin. The head and the hand represent, respectively, the dedication of the mind and actions of the body. Every phase of our life should be placed in the service of God. Just as God appeared to Avraham and said, “I am God, Sha-dai, walk in front of me and be pure”, so too, is this the mission of Avraham’s descendants.

    The Medrash tells us that the pasuk in Tehillim (91:7) which reads: “A thousand shall fall at your at your left side, ten thousand at your right, but it shall not reach you.” is referring to the mitzvah of tefillin. Through the mitzvah of tefillin one is guarded from evil by a thousand angels. May we merit that this pasuk and its reward truly encompass us as we fulfill the mitzvah of tefillin.