Page 96 - Issue4-November2017_online_opt
P. 96
A DAY WITHOUT
Tefillin?
Aby Ann Goldberg night under the stars in the Negev, even ing sure there was a microwave in their
s Benjy finished unpacking the on the top of Masada after an awe-inspir- room which they knew how to kasher.
suitcase at their honeymoon ing predawn climb. His intention was to
hotel, he let out a groan. invite at the least curiosity and glances, To add to their discomfort, he and
“Oh no, I can’t believe it. I and preferably, as often happened, an in- his new wife were not impressed either
left my tefillin back home.” terest which led other boys in the group by the room they were given nor by the
Having only recently mar- to ask if they could try on the tefillin. hotel itself, so they decided to transfer to
another hotel further along the coast. Af-
ried, Benjy and his kallah had He was sure that the sight of him ter unpacking a second time, they went
packed a joint suitcase for the putting on tefillin had led more than for a walk along the private beach that
first time, which might have explained one participant to ask for a “bar mitzva” belonged to the hotel.
the omission, but he still couldn’t believe when they reached Jerusalem and the Suddenly, to their tremendous sur-
he’d forgotten them. Kosel, and some had even decided to stay prise, they saw a young, obviously frum
Since his bar mitzva, 15 years previ- on a few weeks and listen in to a few shi- couple coming towards them. Benjy
ously, he’d never gone a day without put- urim at Aish HaTorah. quickly ran over to the husband and ex-
ting on his tefillin, and he certainly didn’t But what could he do now? He was plained his situation, begging him to let
want to start married life on the wrong a long way from home, and there didn’t him use his tefillin before it was too late,
foot. seem to be anyone in sight who could and asking if he could perhaps borrow
Tefillin had always been a special help. them for the next few days as well, until
mitzva to Benjy. He had used this mitzva He and his kalla had taken a seaside the other couple left the island.
to interest youngsters who were far re- hotel room for a few days on the Turks The man explained that they were
moved from anything Jewish in daven- and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean. The about to leave for home – Benjy’s heart
ing and Yidddishkeit. He’d been a mad- vacation had been bought with miles he dropped – but he had an even better sug-
rich for Birthright for many years, even had accrued over the last years, and had gestion.
receiving an award for being one of the saved for after his wedding and sheva “I always travel with a spare pair of te-
most frequently used madrichim in the brachos week. fillin and leave my regular ones at home.
American program. He was usually the Now he wracked his brains, trying to Do you live near Brooklyn?”
only religious person in his group. think how he could manage to lay tefillin “Yes, sure, we live in New York.”
Birthright is not a religious organiza- on this remote island. The first address “Well then, I’m going to leave these
tion and doesn’t push a religious agenda he thought of was Chabad. Surely they tefillin with you. You can keep them
at all. But Benjy had always used his po- had to have a representative somewhere throughout your stay and then return
sition to try and encourage an interest in – they were everywhere, helping Jews of them to me when you get back home.”
mitzvos. He wanted to show the partici- all stripes perform mitzvos, eat a kosher Benjy could not believe his “luck.” He
pants that even kids in shorts, T-shirts, meal, and often just survive – but no, was sure that Hakadosh Baruch Hu had
and baseball caps, who enjoyed sports and there was no Chabad House on the is- helped him perform this mitzva in the
adventures, could be religious. He made land. merit of the many times he himself had
a special point of davening Shacharis in Benjy and his kalla hadn’t relied on used it to encourage others to explore
public so the teens in his groups could Chabad for general amenities. Realizing their heritage.u
see him put on his tefillin; sometimes on that they would be far from civilization
the bus when they set off in the morning, and kosher food, they had packed plenty Reprinted with permission from the Jew-
perhaps in the middle of the desert after a of fresh and canned food, as well as mak- ish Press
88 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
Tefillin?
Aby Ann Goldberg night under the stars in the Negev, even ing sure there was a microwave in their
s Benjy finished unpacking the on the top of Masada after an awe-inspir- room which they knew how to kasher.
suitcase at their honeymoon ing predawn climb. His intention was to
hotel, he let out a groan. invite at the least curiosity and glances, To add to their discomfort, he and
“Oh no, I can’t believe it. I and preferably, as often happened, an in- his new wife were not impressed either
left my tefillin back home.” terest which led other boys in the group by the room they were given nor by the
Having only recently mar- to ask if they could try on the tefillin. hotel itself, so they decided to transfer to
another hotel further along the coast. Af-
ried, Benjy and his kallah had He was sure that the sight of him ter unpacking a second time, they went
packed a joint suitcase for the putting on tefillin had led more than for a walk along the private beach that
first time, which might have explained one participant to ask for a “bar mitzva” belonged to the hotel.
the omission, but he still couldn’t believe when they reached Jerusalem and the Suddenly, to their tremendous sur-
he’d forgotten them. Kosel, and some had even decided to stay prise, they saw a young, obviously frum
Since his bar mitzva, 15 years previ- on a few weeks and listen in to a few shi- couple coming towards them. Benjy
ously, he’d never gone a day without put- urim at Aish HaTorah. quickly ran over to the husband and ex-
ting on his tefillin, and he certainly didn’t But what could he do now? He was plained his situation, begging him to let
want to start married life on the wrong a long way from home, and there didn’t him use his tefillin before it was too late,
foot. seem to be anyone in sight who could and asking if he could perhaps borrow
Tefillin had always been a special help. them for the next few days as well, until
mitzva to Benjy. He had used this mitzva He and his kalla had taken a seaside the other couple left the island.
to interest youngsters who were far re- hotel room for a few days on the Turks The man explained that they were
moved from anything Jewish in daven- and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean. The about to leave for home – Benjy’s heart
ing and Yidddishkeit. He’d been a mad- vacation had been bought with miles he dropped – but he had an even better sug-
rich for Birthright for many years, even had accrued over the last years, and had gestion.
receiving an award for being one of the saved for after his wedding and sheva “I always travel with a spare pair of te-
most frequently used madrichim in the brachos week. fillin and leave my regular ones at home.
American program. He was usually the Now he wracked his brains, trying to Do you live near Brooklyn?”
only religious person in his group. think how he could manage to lay tefillin “Yes, sure, we live in New York.”
Birthright is not a religious organiza- on this remote island. The first address “Well then, I’m going to leave these
tion and doesn’t push a religious agenda he thought of was Chabad. Surely they tefillin with you. You can keep them
at all. But Benjy had always used his po- had to have a representative somewhere throughout your stay and then return
sition to try and encourage an interest in – they were everywhere, helping Jews of them to me when you get back home.”
mitzvos. He wanted to show the partici- all stripes perform mitzvos, eat a kosher Benjy could not believe his “luck.” He
pants that even kids in shorts, T-shirts, meal, and often just survive – but no, was sure that Hakadosh Baruch Hu had
and baseball caps, who enjoyed sports and there was no Chabad House on the is- helped him perform this mitzva in the
adventures, could be religious. He made land. merit of the many times he himself had
a special point of davening Shacharis in Benjy and his kalla hadn’t relied on used it to encourage others to explore
public so the teens in his groups could Chabad for general amenities. Realizing their heritage.u
see him put on his tefillin; sometimes on that they would be far from civilization
the bus when they set off in the morning, and kosher food, they had packed plenty Reprinted with permission from the Jew-
perhaps in the middle of the desert after a of fresh and canned food, as well as mak- ish Press
88 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
