Special Episode: Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin (Part I)

Once only Chassidim and Sefardim wore Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin, and Chabad Chassidim seldom wore them before age 18—a custom that the Rebbe overturned in 1966 with a landmark Sicha that called on every Jewish man from any background to begin wearing Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin starting from Bar Mitzvah. This two-part series explores the factors that contributed to this shift and its modern implications, through letters and Sichos. Part I: The Halachic and Kabbalistic implications of Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin; The Rebbe's answers to individuals who asked to start wearing RT before marriage; The Rebbe grapples with the custom and builds toward a fundamental change.