This week, our much awaited Belev Echad program-- which saw ten severely wounded Israeli soldiers enjoy an unforgettable American vacation-- drew to a close. Thank G-d, the trip exceeded our wildest expectations. During an emotional moment on the last day, I asked the soldiers to share with me what they considered the highlight of the trip. I expected them to name any one of the great sites we had toured-- the Empire State Building, Washington’s Holocaust Museum or maybe the White House. I was shocked when Ofer Spitzer stated the highlight of his trip was his visit to the Rebbe’s Ohel in Queens, NY. Ofer, you see, donned tefillin for the first time in his life that day. It all happened after he witnessed his son, Ben-- considered the most severely wounded soldier in Operation Cast-Lead-- put on tefillin for the first time since he had been injured. Ben was convinced that his life had been spared in the merit of the mitzvah that he had performed right before his unit entered Gaza.
On that day I experienced first hand the unshakable faith that defines a Jew. Here was a soldier who had been ravaged by war, a young man standing on the brink of his entire future with nightmarish memories and the loss of both his hands. Instead of blaming G-d for his torment, for his crippled body, or for his dismally changed life, he decided to thank Him for sparing him! And when his dad, who had never before donned tefillin followed suit… I almost cried.
For me, this story alone made the trip worthwhile, because in that instant I felt that I had had the great honour of assisting to ignite another Jew’s flame. And if for one minute over the months of planning and fundraising I had doubted the success of this trip, that moment undid it for me.
The whole story left me thinking. Even if it was such an emotionally and spiritually defined moment, why would it stand out in Ofer’s mind? Why would he choose that moment over all the other spectacular things we did? Couldn’t he have chosen the unforgettable Maid of the Mist boat ride in Niagara Falls, or maybe Havdala in Times Square in an extravagant limousine? Perhaps the beach house in the Hamptons or the Israeli embassy? What was it about that day that touched Ofer so deeply? I mean, Ofer is far from religious. He doesn’t keep Shabbat or kosher. He doesn’t pray, yet he couldn’t let go of the tefillin experience…
And then it all came to me when I recalled this week’s Parsha’s opening verse. “Zot chukat HaTorah,”—“This is the decree of the Torah…” The word “decree” literally translates as engrave. Once engraved, the finished product is irreversible as the letters are now “etched in stone.” Whether he realizes it or not, each Jew is manufactured with an inherent desire to cleave to his Maker. When he dons tefillin or performs any mitzvah, he stamps his soul with an intense and powerful bond to G-d. (Indeed, the word mitzvah translates as both commandment and connection). The performance of a mitzvah is the engraving on his soul. Ofer was so moved by the deed because it was most likely the first time he experienced the connection. And in the face of such a colossal event, who would remember something as trivial as New York’s skyline?