Tefillin at the Kotel

     David, who took this picture, is visiting from America. He was sitting by the entrance to the Kotel. He called me over, pointed to the soldier in the picture, and said that Shmuli asked him to put on tefillin a few times but he refused.

     I went over and talked… and gently pulled …. and he gave in. He ended up having a good experience and was happy that I talked him into it.

     After he finished I told David, "This is your mitzvah."  

     He answered, "No, it isn't. It's yours. You're the one who put the tefillin on him."

     I answered, "Only because you told me to. So it's your mitzvah."

     He sat and thought for a while, and then he called me over. He handed me a check for $1080 and said, "I want to buy a pair of tefillin to be used at the Tefillin Stand here."

     What happened? David saw the good that is being done at the Kotel tefillin stand. He realized that he had a small share in one of them, and he wanted to help to do more of these wonderful mitzvahs. Now, for years, every time someone puts on David's donated tefillin, David's soul will move up even a little higher. A wonderful spiritual investment.