{"id":954,"date":"2016-03-30T12:51:50","date_gmt":"2016-03-30T18:51:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.draherin.com\/?p=954"},"modified":"2016-03-30T13:39:34","modified_gmt":"2016-03-30T19:39:34","slug":"before-i-said-yes-to-tefillin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.draherin.com\/2016\/03\/30\/before-i-said-yes-to-tefillin\/","title":{"rendered":"Before I Said \u201cYes\u201d to Tefillin"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.chabad.org\/library\/article_cdo\/aid\/3252188\/sc\/fb\/jewish\/Before-I-Said-Yes-to-Tefillin.htm\/mobile\/false\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.draherin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/nOBH9432904.jpg?w=1140\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>In 1975\u201376, my senior year at the University of Washington in Seattle, I lived at the\u00a0<span class=\"glossary_item\">Chabad House<\/span>\u00a0on Campus.<\/p>\n<p>Now, don\u2019t get me wrong. I wasn\u2019t observant in the least. My interview went something like this:<\/p>\n<p>Rabbi Samuels: \u201cSo\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0. tell me about your Jewish background.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Me: \u201cI won the attendance award twice for the\u00a0<span class=\"glossary_item\">Temple<\/span>\u00a0de Hirsch choir. My\u00a0father drove me there every Saturday, even when it snowed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rabbi Samuels: \u201cYou\u2019re in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And so I moved in.\u00a0<span class=\"glossary_item\">Chabad<\/span>\u00a0of Seattle, led by head\u00a0<i><span class=\"glossary_item\">shliach<\/span><\/i>\u00a0(emissary) Rabbi Sholom Ber Levitin and Rabbi\u00a0<span class=\"glossary_item\">Yechezkel<\/span>\u00a0Kornfeld, had wisely purchased a former sorority house. So there I was, right in the midst of Greek Row, with a room of my own and dinner, all for $75 per month\u2014clearly the best deal on campus!<\/p>\n<p>Or so I thought. My first Saturday there, I was suddenly awakened all too early. \u201cPlease, please, John, can you help us out \u2014 we need you for a\u00a0<i><span class=\"glossary_item\">minyan<\/span><\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat? What are you talking about?\u201d I exclaimed. Having been told by Rabbi Samuels that the only rule was to have my head covered while I was in the house, I was quite perturbed by this sudden inflation of expectations. They pleaded that all I had to do was to be there, to sit in\u00a0<i>shul<\/i>. I told them I just wanted to read my novel. They said okay. So I sat there. They prayed. I read.<\/p>\n<p>From then on, every Saturday morning, I would rise early and get out of there, determined to avoid the\u00a0<i>minyan<\/i>. Have you ever strolled on a college campus on a Saturday at eight in the morning? No one is around, no one is up. But I was \u2014 because I wasn\u2019t going to get trapped.<\/p>\n<p>Rabbi Samuels never lost sight of his mission. He sold delicious tuna and egg salad sandwiches at the Student Union Building for a nickel less than what they cost in the cafeteria\u2014anything for a Jewish student to eat\u00a0<span class=\"glossary_item\">kosher<\/span>. He told me how special I was because my grandparents came from Yekaterinoslav, where the\u00a0<span class=\"glossary_item\">Rebbe<\/span>\u00a0was born, and that it was extremely likely that the Rebbe\u2019s father officiated at their wedding. And then, when my stereo was stolen from my room one Friday night, Rabbi Samuels promised with absolute certainty that it would be found, because the theft happened while I was at the Chabad House\u00a0<span class=\"glossary_item\">Shabbat<\/span>\u00a0meal. Sure enough, two months later, the stereo was located. Rabbi Samuels, in his loving way, never let me forget that.<\/p>\n<p>That year, the Rebbe had also sent\u00a0<i><span class=\"glossary_item\">yeshivah<\/span><\/i>\u00a0students to Seattle. To me, these fellows\u2014who were about my age\u2014looked like they were from another planet. They seemed totally out of touch with the earthiness, the humanist spirit, of the great Pacific Northwest. I simply did not relate.<\/p>\n<p>However, two of the\u00a0<i>yeshivah<\/i>\u00a0students engaged me. One, Abba Perlmutter, talked with me relentlessly about baseball\u2014whether it was Carlton Fisk\u2019s dramatic home run just inside the foul pole, or Joe Morgan\u2019s on-base percentage, Abba knew it all. And then, after our two-week nonstop baseball talk, without missing a beat, he asked if I knew anything about hockey, \u201cbecause that\u2019s the sport I really know well.\u201d Go figure.<\/p>\n<p>The other student, Mendy Gluckowski, talked politics with me, specifically about Ronald Reagan. In 1976 he predicted that Reagan really had his eye on becoming president in 1980 and ushering in a whole new wave of conservatism in America. I told Mendy he was completely crazy\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0. but, it turned out, he was precisely correct.<\/p>\n<p>Smart guys. Great guys. Guys who connected with me where I was at.<\/p>\n<p>But not when it came to\u00a0<i><span class=\"glossary_item\">tefillin<\/span><\/i>. I must have been asked 60 times during that year if I would put on\u00a0<i>tefillin<\/i>, and 60 times I said no. To me, those black boxes and straps made no logical sense.<\/p>\n<p>As much as I admired Rabbi Samuels, Abba and Mendy, I held my own, steadfast in my conviction that humanism and making the world a better place simply had no space for such an ancient rite. Upon their offer, I would respond with a simple \u201cno, thank you.\u201d I wouldn\u2019t debate, I wouldn\u2019t get riled up. Just a \u201cno.\u201d A dispassionate \u201cno.\u201d An unfazed \u201cno.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>None of this, of course, affected our friendship. But the\u00a0<i>tefillin<\/i>\u00a0remained untouched.<\/p>\n<hr align=\"center\" noshade=\"noshade\" size=\"1\" width=\"50%\" \/>\n<p>Two years later, I had moved to the East Coast and was teaching history at a high school in Boston. One night I received a desperate call from my parents: \u201cJohn, we\u2019re very worried about your sister. She\u2019s somewhere in Brooklyn, living with\u00a0that Chabad group. Please check up on her and, if you can, influence her to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And so, a respectful son, I went to Crown Heights. Lo and behold, my sister was happy and healthy as could be.<\/p>\n<p>The next morning, just out of curiosity, I wandered over to Chabad\u2019s beginner\u00a0<i>yeshivah<\/i>, Hadar HaTorah, on Eastern Parkway. As I stood outside, looking through the open doorway, I saw a bearded young man at the top of a steep flight of stairs. \u201cGood morning,\u201d he said. \u201cWould you like to put on\u00a0<i>tefillin<\/i>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I was caught off guard, speechless. He looked at me; I looked at him.<\/p>\n<p><i>Tefillin.<\/i>\u00a0Two black boxes with words of\u00a0<span class=\"glossary_item\">Torah<\/span>\u00a0inside. Two black leather straps. All made from a cow\u2019s hide, transforming the physical to the spiritual.<\/p>\n<p><i>Tefillin.<\/i>\u00a0Submitting head and heart\u2014in essence, self\u2014to a Higher Power, to\u00a0<span class=\"glossary_item\">G\u2011d<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p><i>Tefillin.<\/i>\u00a0A connection to 3,300 years of Jewish history.<\/p>\n<p>But none of that occurred to me at that moment. All I could think of was Rabbi Samuels, Rabbi Levitin and Rabbi Kornfeld, Abba and Mendy. I thought of their sincerity, their unabashed devotion. I thought about all they had given of themselves to settle in the exile of Seattle. I thought about the purchase of a huge former sorority house on campus just so fellows like me, who seemingly didn\u2019t care, would have a place to eat kosher and a place to be (or escape from) on Shabbat.<\/p>\n<p>I was suddenly filled with a feeling of resonance, a feeling of home.<\/p>\n<p><i><span class=\"glossary_item\">Shluchim<\/span><\/i>\u00a0may never know the impact they make, but, thanks to G\u2011d, thanks to the wisdom of the Rebbe, they always do make an impact. It\u2019s just that sometimes it takes time to sink in.<\/p>\n<p>Gently, the young man repeated, \u201cWould you like to put on\u00a0<i>tefillin<\/i>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked\u00a0up.<\/p>\n<p>After 61 loving requests, I guess I was ready.<\/p>\n<p>And I climbed those stairs.<\/p>\n<hr align=\"center\" noshade=\"noshade\" size=\"1\" width=\"50%\" \/>\n<p>(By the way, my parents never sent any of my other siblings to check up on me.)<\/p>\n<p>___<\/p>\n<h5>By John Yaakov Guterson<\/h5>\n<h6 class=\"small_header_alt uppercase\">Dr. John Yaakov Guterson received his medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He now resides in Pittsburgh, Pa., with his wife, Amy, where he works as a psychiatrist. Dr. Guterson was honored to speak at this past year\u2019s Kinus.\u00a0Artwork by\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.chabad.org\/3159160\" target=\"_blank\">Sefira Ross<\/a>, a freelance designer and illustrator whose original creations grace many Chabad.org pages. Residing in Seattle, Washington, her days are spent between multitasking illustrations and being a mom.<\/h6>\n<h6 class=\"small_header_alt uppercase\">\u00a9 Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further, provided that you comply with Chabad.org&#8217;s\u00a0<a>copyright policy<\/a>.<\/h6>\n<h6>Source: <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.chabad.org\/library\/article_cdo\/aid\/3252188\/jewish\/Before-I-Said-Yes-to-Tefillin.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Chabad.org<\/a><\/em><\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In 1975\u201376, my senior year at the University of Washington in Seattle, I lived at the\u00a0Chabad House\u00a0on Campus. Now, don\u2019t get me wrong. I wasn\u2019t observant in the least. My interview went something like this: Rabbi Samuels: \u201cSo\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0. tell me about your Jewish background.\u201d Me: \u201cI won the attendance award twice for the\u00a0Temple\u00a0de Hirsch choir. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":955,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.draherin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/nOBH9432904.jpg?fit=500%2C300&ssl=1","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5MjSO-fo","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":930,"url":"https:\/\/www.draherin.com\/2016\/03\/29\/the-history-and-meaning-of-hamantaschen-peeling-back-the-layers-of-the-purim-treats-also-called-oznei-haman\/","url_meta":{"origin":954,"position":0},"title":"\u05d0\u05d5\u05d6\u05e0\u05d9 \u05d4\u05de\u05d5  \u2014  The History and Meaning of Hamantaschen","date":"2016-03-29","format":false,"excerpt":"By Rabbi Yehudi Shurpin, Chabad.org What comes to mind when you think of\u00a0Purim? Costumes, the\u00a0megillah, gift baskets, and of course, those delectable three-cornered pastries,\u00a0hamantaschen.\u00a0Called\u00a0oznei\u00a0Haman\u00a0in Hebrew, these treats filled with poppy seeds (or other fillings) have been a part of Purim celebrations for centuries. Where did they originate? What do their\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Food&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.draherin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/VgPL8765687.jpg?fit=650%2C245&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":989,"url":"https:\/\/www.draherin.com\/2016\/05\/17\/the-mystery-of-the-second-suit\/","url_meta":{"origin":954,"position":1},"title":"The Mystery of the Second Suit","date":"2016-05-17","format":false,"excerpt":"A man once came to the chassidic master Rabbi Yerachmiel of Pshischa with his tale of woe: \u201cRebbe, I am a tailor. Over the years I have earned quite a reputation for my expertise and the high quality of my work. All the nobles in the area order their livery\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Faith&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.draherin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/UGRO9505903.jpg?fit=650%2C245&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":603,"url":"https:\/\/www.draherin.com\/2015\/04\/16\/four-gates\/","url_meta":{"origin":954,"position":2},"title":"Four Gates","date":"2015-04-16","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cJudges and officers shall you appoint in all your cities\u2026\u201d (Deuteronomy 16:18) Think of yourself as a city. You have four magical gates: The Gate of Seeing, the Gate of Listening, the Gate of Imagining and the Gate of Speaking. Magical gates, because an Infinite G\u2011d enters your finite\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Faith&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.draherin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/IMG_2466-0.jpg?fit=500%2C330&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1106,"url":"https:\/\/www.draherin.com\/2017\/02\/06\/beyond-intelligent-design-from-the-upcoming-book-wisdom-to-heal-the-earth\/","url_meta":{"origin":954,"position":3},"title":"Beyond Intelligent Design - From the upcoming book, Wisdom To Heal the Earth.","date":"2017-02-06","format":false,"excerpt":"Some 500 years ago, Rabbi\u00a0Isaac\u00a0Arama wrote that there is another way to perceive the infinite Creator.\u00a0If we look with open eyes, we will discover the signature of an unknowable Creator within the knowable patterns of nature.\u00a0If we look with open eyes, we will discover the signature of an unknowable Creator\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Faith&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.draherin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/hIXk9969390.jpg?fit=500%2C446&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":863,"url":"https:\/\/www.draherin.com\/2016\/03\/18\/secrets-of-hebrew-letters\/","url_meta":{"origin":954,"position":4},"title":"Secrets of Hebrew Letters","date":"2016-03-18","format":"image","excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Judaism&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.draherin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/image.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":905,"url":"https:\/\/www.draherin.com\/2016\/03\/22\/the-gilded-cage\/","url_meta":{"origin":954,"position":5},"title":"The Gilded Cage","date":"2016-03-22","format":false,"excerpt":"On the surface, the Book of Esther reads as a fable of sorts, filled with drama, suspense and a happy ending. However, keeping in mind that it was written under the rulership and scrutiny of the Persian King, care had to be taken to tell the story without offending sensibilities.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;History&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.draherin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/UkOD9417323.jpg?fit=1200%2C627&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.draherin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/954"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.draherin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.draherin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.draherin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.draherin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=954"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.draherin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/954\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":958,"href":"https:\/\/www.draherin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/954\/revisions\/958"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.draherin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/955"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.draherin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=954"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.draherin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=954"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.draherin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=954"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}