Tallit and Tefillin-A Lamp and its Light

כִּ֤י נֵ֣ר מִ֭צְוָה וְת֣וֹרָה א֑וֹר

“For the mitzvah is a lamp, and the Torah light…” (Proverbs 6:23)

Perhaps the concept of נֵ֣ר מִ֭צְוָה (a mitzvah is a lamp) parallels tallit. We say in the kriat shma וּרְאִיתֶ֣ם אֹת֗וֹ וּזְכַרְתֶּם֙ אֶת־כׇּל־מִצְוֺ֣ת “[L]ook at it [the tallit] and recall all the mitzvot (commandments).” וְת֣וֹרָה א֑וֹר “…and the Torah light,” connects me to tefillin, as is written וְהָיָה֩ לְךָ֨ לְא֜וֹת עַל־יָדְךָ֗ וּלְזִכָּרוֹן֙ בֵּ֣ין עֵינֶ֔יךָ לְמַ֗עַן תִּהְיֶ֛ה תּוֹרַ֥ת יְהֹוָ֖ה בְּפִ֑יךָ “And this [tefillin] shall serve you as a sign on your hand and as a reminder on your forehead between your eyes in order that the Torah of Hashem be in your mouth.” I picture a synergism when wearing tallit and tefillin together where a lamp (tallit) is ignited by its light (tefillin). I have the kavannah when davening מִֽי־כָמֹ֤כָה בָּֽאֵלִם֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה ( מכבי-maccabe[1]) “Who is like You, יהוה, among the celestials,” that the koach of both tallit and tefillin should illuminate the world as an extension of the Hannukah miracle.

[1] As taught by my Rebbe, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg shlit’a