Page 164 - DVARIM

Hashem had to remove Bnei Yisrael from the slavery of Egypt in order to
transform them into His servants. The Ibn Ezra asks why it was necessary
to split the sea for Bnei Yisrael. Why couldn’t they fight the Egyptians as
they would fight the other nations in the future? It is not natural for a slave
to rise up against his master. Since Bnei Yisrael still felt the impact of
slavery, they did not have the stamina to stand up against the Egyptians.

Tefillin of the arm and tefillin of the head correspond to the heart and the
mind. Bnei Yisrael were instructed to don tefillin in order to remove the
remnants of Egyptian slavery from their minds and their hearts. Servitude
to Hashem would take its place. Tefillin must be bound, not merely
placed upon the arm and the head. The tying reminds one of the straps
of slavery, from which Hashem desires to release us, in order that we may
serve Him Alone.
The most exalted title any Jew could aspire to is being called a servant of
Hashem. Moshe Rabbeinu merited this tribute, as the pasuk states,
“Remember the Torah of Moshe, My servant.” In Shacharit of Shabbat,
too, we assert, “You have called him a faithful servant.”

“Hashem, your G-d, shall you fear, Him shall
you serve, and in His Name shall you swear”
(Devarim 6:13) dvarim 6 # 26347-EYAL-6