When he Walked into the Kotel area a couple of guys from the tefillin booth tried to bring him in, but he refused. Just not interested.

     On his way back out I called out to him and for some reason he walked right over and had me put tefillin on him.

     He read the Shema, seemingly uninterested in its meaning. When he finished, I explained to him what was going on, i.e. he was fulfilling a Biblical commandment in this holy place, and that Hashem would listen to his prayers "with both ears" now.

     He spoke to Hashem in his heart for maybe five minutes. I was surprised. This totally uninterested Israeli opened his heart and told Hashem all the things he wanted Hashem to hear.

     What happened? We absolutely need the physical aspects of the mitzvahs, in this case, the black leather boxes, and the written prayers to say, but the essential hope of a mitzvah is that we learn to direct our hearts to Heaven. And talking softly, lovingly, sincerely, to Hashem does this… it directs our hearts to Heaven.      

     Not only did he have a 'meaningful time' that day, but he took with him an understanding that he did not have before. Now he has a tool he can use whenever he feels he needs something from Hashem.