The Father came right over when I called for them to put on tefillin. The boy was reluctant. He held back. The father told me that his mother, and her mother, spoke Yiddish, his son can speak Hebrew, but he could not. He moved to America from Kiev ten years ago. He's a computer programmer.

     I put tefillin on him, had him read the Shema in Russian, and then I motioned for the boy to put on tefillin. He refused. He really did not want to! His father told him to do it, so he reluctantly let me put them on him.

     After they read the Shema, I had the father repeat the blessing for his son word by word. Then I told the father to pray out loud for the things that he wanted for his son.

     With his hands still on the boy's head, he put his mouth almost touching his head, and spoke out loud in Russian the things he wanted Hashem to give the boy. The boy broke down crying. Tears ran from his eyes. He sobbed out loud.

      I had them pray for their family, and we took pictures. Pictures are important so they can recall their experience here at the Kotel.

     After we took off the tefillin I told the boy, "See what a special experience you had here putting on tefillin." He agreed. "Next time someone invites you to do a mitzvah, say yes. Don't be reluctant to experience what Hashem wants us to feel".