The Ripple Effect of a Pair of Tefillin

When BRS had the privilege of hosting former hostage Bar Kupershtein earlier this year, the event was filled with gratitude, celebration, and inspiration.  But little did anyone know that night what ripple effects Bar's words would have.

Bar spoke about his mother, Julie who, after Bar was kidnapped, decided to focus her efforts not only on the media and political pressure, but also on inspiring people worldwide to increase prayers and good deeds in Bar’s merit. One of her requests was that Bar’s tefillin remain in continuous use while Bar was unable to use them himself.  She ensured that his tefillin were used every day by strangers who would also pray for her son.  Bar described how after his release, one of the first things he knew he wanted to do was to visit Hostage Square and put on his Tefillin in gratitude to Hashem and to those who prayed on his behalf.

The event at BRS was meaningful, celebratory, and inspirational.  But the story of Bar’s Tefillin continues on. After the event, I received a phone call from a friend saying that he was so inspired by Bar’s commitment that he decided he wanted to start wearing Tefillin as well.  His father’s pair of Tefillin had been sitting unused in his drawer for years and he asked if I could help see if they are usable.

It took some time but after connecting him with Rabbi Rosenfeld, our visiting Sofer, it became clear that the tefillin could not be restored to use. For many people, that would have been the end of the story: another obstacle and another reason to postpone a commitment for another day. But he refused to let that happen. Inspired by Bar’s example, he purchased a brand new pair of tefillin and committed himself to beginning this mitzvah. 

This past Sunday, he and I met at BRS and, at the age of 60, he donned his new tefillin for the first time. As I watched him wrap the straps around his arm and place the tefillin on his head, I couldn't help but think about Bar's mother. Her hope was that her son's tefillin would continue to inspire prayer while he was unable to use them. Little could she have imagined that those tefillin would eventually inspire another Jew thousands of miles away to begin putting on tefillin himself.

What struck me most about this story was not simply that a man began putting on tefillin at the age of 60. It was what made that moment possible. This person heard an inspiring story, allowed himself to be moved by it, and then acted on it.

This serves as an important reminder about the value of converting inspiration into action.  All of us regularly hear inspirational stories, but we generally continue scrolling on to the next story or news cycle.  Rarely do we hear something inspiring and then stick with that feeling enough to translate it into action.  This individual did that.  He was inspired by Bar and followed through on that inspiration.  The ripple effects of that one decision may be felt for generations.

In addition, this story is also a reminder that no matter at what age, we should constantly be looking to grow.  Many people, certainly later in life, view themselves as finished products.  Having achieved financial success and settled into a religious comfort zone, it is difficult to have the humility and willingness to push yourself to grow.  For someone who has achieved success in so many aspects of life, the willingness to take on something entirely new is admirable and should be celebrated.

Jeff Gothelf, writing in Harvard Business Review, argues that one of the keys to a meaningful second half of life is a commitment to continuous improvement. People who continue to thrive are those who remain curious, embrace new challenges, and never stop learning. He concludes, “Like my old ski instructor used to say, “If you’re not falling, you’re not learning.’”

As always, the Torah expressed this idea long before modern leadership experts did.  In Parshas Vayeilech, the Torah tells us Moshe Rabbeinu’s final speech before his passing begins with the words, “I am 120 years old today; I can no longer go and come.” (Devarim 31:2)

Most commentators understand this to mean that because of his now old and frail age, Moshe was no longer capable of waging war and therefore needed to be replaced with a new leader.  Rav Moshe Mordechai Biderman of Lelov, however, in his Kedushas Mordechai, says something extraordinary.   Moshe was not lamenting physical weakness. Rather, he was describing a state in which there was no longer any struggle, no longer any possibility of growth. A person who can no longer "go and come," who never stumbles and never rises again, has completed his mission in this world.

Life is full of opportunities to grow and improve.  Sometimes those come after moments of struggle or failure and other times those opportunities come from inspirational speakers and events.  But, to be human means understanding the process of growth.  The moment we are static, we cease to truly be alive. 

Bar's mother wanted her son's tefillin to remain in use while he was unable to wear them himself. She hoped they would inspire prayers on his behalf. What she may never have imagined is that those tefillin would inspire another Jew to begin putting on tefillin for the very first time. That is the power of growth. One act inspires another. One mitzvah creates another. And, one moment of inspiration can ripple outward in ways we never anticipate.

Like my friend who put on tefillin for the first time at the age of 60, we should never view ourselves as finished products. As long as we are alive, Hashem is giving us opportunities to grow, to change, and to become something greater than we were yesterday. As long as we are growing, we are truly alive.