(Parashat Vaetchanan contains the first paragraph of the Shema prayer, in which the mitzvot of both tefilin and mezuzah are found.)

Rabbi Shimon said, When man prods himself to rise at midnight and studies the Torah until day breaks, and in the morning places Tefilin on the head and Tefilin of the holy sign on the arm, and wraps himself with Tzitzit1 and is about to go out the entrance to his house, he meets the Mezuzah, which is the imprint of the Holy Name [Sha-dai] at the gate to his house. Four holy angels join him and go out with him from the door of his house and escort him to the synagogue. They announce before him, "Give honor to the image of the Holy King, give honor to the son of the King, to the countenance of the King [through the wearing of Tefilin]. The Divine Spirit rests upon him, and declares, saying, "Israel, in whom I will be glorified" (Isaiah 49:3) [as Tefilin represent glory].

That Divine Spirit [the light of the Shechinah] then rises up and testifies about him before the Holy King. The supernal King then commands to write before Him all His household members [in His Holy Palace], all those known before Him. This is the meaning of, "and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who feared G‑d, and took heed of His name" (Malachi 3:16) [by entering the synagogue wearing Tallit and Tefilin].

Who are those who "took heed [in Hebrew, 'choshvei'] of His name"? They are as those referred to in the verse: "and those who devise [in Hebrew, 'choshvei'] craftsmanship." (Ex. 35:35) Those who make for [the sake of] His name all craftsmanship - the art of the Tefilin - their compartments and straps and writing them, the art of the Tzitzit - their threads, the blue thread, and the art of the Mezuzah. These are those who "took heed of His name," as in "devise craftsmanship".

Moreover, G‑d is praised through him and declares about him throughout the worlds, 'see what My son accomplishes in My world'. Whoever enters before Him into the synagogue after leaving his door without Tefilin on his head and Tzitzit on his garment, yet says, "and in the fear of You I will worship towards Your Temple," (Psalms 5:8) G‑d says, 'Where is the fear of Me? He bears false testimony' (for he is not wearing Tefilin on his head and arms].

BeRahamim LeHayyim: Why did the Ari and Chida include this section? What do they want us to learn?

Our lives are a canvas—a work of art in themselves—and we can paint them in whatever colors we so desire. Brilliant, fresh, vibrant colors, colors passionate of our living in the moment, in the present, mindful of the NOW. The beautiful thing about our wonderful Judaism is that each instant gives us the potential to sanctify our earth plane. To take heed of G‑d's Name to is to be an artist with one's life, in the learning of Torah/teaching, in the doing of mitzvot, in the giving of charity. A beautiful life is in each of our hands, the potential of each individual. How we choose to paint our canvas, well that, that is a different story.

What does the above mean to you, and why is it being revealed to you now?

Bracketed annotations from Metok Midevash and Sulam commentaries
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