ועל סדר פרשיות של תפילין, כך היתה שאלתי, אנא מלך הגדול והנורא חכם הרזים מגלה נסתרות שומר הברית והחסד, הגדל נא חסדך עמנו היום וצוה למלאכיך הקדושים להודיעני את אשר נסתפקתי בפרשיות של תפילין, כי יש מן החכמים האומרים הויות באמצע ואם החליף פסולות ועתה מלך מלכים צוה למלאכים הקדושים להודיעני הלכה כדברי מי ודברי מי אתה מחבב:
Regarding the order of the paragraphs inside the tefillin, I asked the following question [in my dream]: Please, great and awesome King, sage of the mysteries, who reveals the concealed and guards his covenant of kindness - increase your kindness with us and instruct your holy angels to inform us about the doubt we have with regard to the order of the paragraphs in the tefillin! For some sages say that the paragraphs beginning with the words 'vehayah' should be in the middle, and if they are not, the tefillin are invalid1This is the opinion of Rabbeinu Tam, quoted in Tosafot on Menachot 34b:10 , [while others hold the opposite, and the verses should be in chronological order2This is the opinion of Rashi on Menachot 34b:10 ]. Now, King of Kings, order your holy angels to instruct me according to whom is the halacha, and whose words You enjoy!
2
והשיבו אלו ואלו דברי אלקים חיים, וכמחלוקת למטה כך מחלוקת למעלה, הקב"ה אומר הויות באמצע, וכל פמליא של מעלה אומרים הויות כסדרן והוא אשר דבר ה' בקרובי אקדש ועל פני כל העם אכבד, וזה כבודו בהיות פרשת מלכות תחילה:
They responded as follows: "These and these are the words of the living God!" (Eruvin 13b) Just as you dispute below, so we dispute above. For the Holy One, blessed be He, holds that the paragraphs beginning with the words 'vehayah' should be in the middle of the tefillin, and all of the heavenly host say that they follow their chronological order. "This is what He meant in saying, Through those near to Me I show Myself holy, and gain glory before all the people.” (Leviticus 10:3) - His glory is in the paragraph of his Kingship being first.*This was a widespread debate throughout the Jewish world. See, for example, a question sent from the community of Lunel to Maimonides asking a similar question to the one posed here, quoted in Kessef Mishneh on Mishneh Torah, Tefillin 3:5. The last comment seems to allude to the opinion of Rabbeinu Tam, with the paragraph of the Shema (termed a phrase of Kingship in Rosh Hashanah 32b:16) on the outermost side, the first one from the perspective of the one wearing the tefillin on their head.
ועל סדר פרשיות של תפילין, כך היתה שאלתי, אנא מלך הגדול והנורא חכם הרזים מגלה נסתרות שומר הברית והחסד, הגדל נא חסדך עמנו היום וצוה למלאכיך הקדושים להודיעני את אשר נסתפקתי בפרשיות של תפילין, כי יש מן החכמים האומרים הויות באמצע ואם החליף פסולות ועתה מלך מלכים צוה למלאכים הקדושים להודיעני הלכה כדברי מי ודברי מי אתה מחבב:
Regarding the order of the paragraphs inside the tefillin, I asked the following question [in my dream]: Please, great and awesome King, sage of the mysteries, who reveals the concealed and guards his covenant of kindness - increase your kindness with us and instruct your holy angels to inform us about the doubt we have with regard to the order of the paragraphs in the tefillin! For some sages say that the paragraphs beginning with the words 'vehayah' should be in the middle, and if they are not, the tefillin are invalid1This is the opinion of Rabbeinu Tam, quoted in Tosafot on Menachot 34b:10 , [while others hold the opposite, and the verses should be in chronological order2This is the opinion of Rashi on Menachot 34b:10 ]. Now, King of Kings, order your holy angels to instruct me according to whom is the halacha, and whose words You enjoy!
והשיבו אלו ואלו דברי אלקים חיים, וכמחלוקת למטה כך מחלוקת למעלה, הקב"ה אומר הויות באמצע, וכל פמליא של מעלה אומרים הויות כסדרן והוא אשר דבר ה' בקרובי אקדש ועל פני כל העם אכבד, וזה כבודו בהיות פרשת מלכות תחילה:
They responded as follows: "These and these are the words of the living God!" (Eruvin 13b) Just as you dispute below, so we dispute above. For the Holy One, blessed be He, holds that the paragraphs beginning with the words 'vehayah' should be in the middle of the tefillin, and all of the heavenly host say that they follow their chronological order. "This is what He meant in saying, Through those near to Me I show Myself holy, and gain glory before all the people.” (Leviticus 10:3) - His glory is in the paragraph of his Kingship being first.*This was a widespread debate throughout the Jewish world. See, for example, a question sent from the community of Lunel to Maimonides asking a similar question to the one posed here, quoted in Kessef Mishneh on Mishneh Torah, Tefillin 3:5. The last comment seems to allude to the opinion of Rabbeinu Tam, with the paragraph of the Shema (termed a phrase of Kingship in Rosh Hashanah 32b:16) on the outermost side, the first one from the perspective of the one wearing the tefillin on their head.