By Rabbi Joey Haber
One Chabad rabbi tragically lost his son on October 7th. The rabbi was living in America, and his son was living in Israel. After receiving the news, he booked a flight in an attempt to arrive in time for his son’s funeral.
Seated on an EL AL flight, he began wondering what he could do in memory of his son. He was sure that something positive could be done over the course of the next hours. And so, he began.
Turning to the man seated next to him, he broached the question. “Would you like to put on a pair of tefillin?” “No, I’m sorry,” responded the man, “I don’t really do that.” Not being deterred, the rabbi proceeded to ask the same question to the man seated just one seat farther. “Would you like to put on a pair of tefillin?” “No, it’s not my thing,” came the similar sounding reply.
The Rabbi Asks a Third Person
Still determined, the rabbi asked a third person. “Could you put on tefillin in honor of my son who just passed away? It will be an elevation for his soul.” The man was taken aback. “Yeah, of course. It would be my honor to do so.”
It didn’t end there though. The man sitting one seat closer chimed in. “In memory of your son? I’ll do it too.” The next man sitting even a seat closer spoke up as well. “In honor of your son? Yeah, I’ll do it too.”
The rabbi proceeded to help these three men put on tefillin, all the while remaining oblivious to what was happening right behind him. Only when he lifted his head and turned around did he see it. A full line had formed along the entire aisle. Every man on the plane wanted to put on tefillin in memory of his son.
The Pilot also Wants to Put Tefillin on
After every single man had finished, the pilot told the co-pilot, “Do me a favor. You take over the plane... I want to put the tefillin on too.”
Am Yisrael is incredible. During this past month, we have seen what we look like when we are inspired to grow. All around the world, people are putting tefillin on for the first time in their life. People too are suddenly wearing tzitzit, though they normally don’t. Hundreds of thousands of pairs of tzitzit have also been delivered to Israel.
One young man who works in a pizza shop in Toronto wanted to do something. He took all the money he had made—$2100—and spent it all on tzitzit. He then told any customer who entered the store, “If you’ve never worn tzitzit before, you can have a pair for free.” And in fact, nearly eighty students from the University of Toronto visited this pizza store and took a pair of tzitzit for themselves.
The Torah tells us that Hashem blessed Avraham Avinu with “everything” (Bereishis 24:1). What does ‘everything’ mean? Rashi explains that he was blessed with a son (Yitzchak). How can one child be everything?
Because through that one child the entire Jewish nation would come into existence. And the Jewish nation is everything. We are kind, compassionate, self-effacing, generous, creative, smart, tenacious, focused. Out of that one son, Yitzchak Avinu, a nation would come to be born which possesses every possible trait and trace of goodness.
The question for us all is therefore this: what have we personally done to ensure that we are growing and uniting with other Jews around the world? With that answer, we can light up the world and change it. Forever.
Reprinted from the Parshat Vayetzei 5784 email of the Torahanytime.com Newsletter as compiled and edited by Elan Perchik.
