Rabbi Cunin Makes a Discovery

By Rabbi Shlomo Cunin, Director of West Coast Chabad Lubavitch

Today I had a shocking experience. We are told to make an end of the Golus by getting every Yid we can to put on Tefillin (and likewise the ladies with Mikva, etc.) but who would have dreamt that people who wear a Yarmulke do not put on Tefillin, G-d forbid!

I was in an office today of a frum attorney who does put on Tefillin every day, and I went next door and asked if anyone did not yet put on Tefillin. An attorney wearing a Yarmulke and who I know to be a Frume Yid said to me, “Rabbi! It’s a miracle you came because I left the house this morning without doing Tefillin!”

So we put on Tefillin.

I then went to another office, saw another person with a Yarmulke (who I also know is a Frume Yid, keeps Shabbos, Kosher etc), but from what I just experienced I asked him did you by any chance not put on Tefillin today and behold he said “No, Let’s do it.”

I then when back to the office I was just in and saw a new person with a Yarmulka sitting there who I know had come up through the day-school system and asked him about Tefillin. He told me it’s some time he stopped doing Tefillin and even gave them away to his brother.

We did Tefillin and he promised to get his Tefillin back from his brother and committed to do Tefillin three days a week (not that I did not try to persuade him to the whole week).

Then the Rebbe wants to show the way.

At the end of the day, a young person I know for a long time, who wears a Yarmulke, came to see me regarding some paperwork and I said to him, please do not be insulted, but did you do Tefillin today and he also said NO!

So he put on then and I encouraged him not to leave home daily before first doing Tefillin even for one minute and even if he does not have time to Daven.

Four out of four!

Shluchim, I write to you in urgency that we must immediately implement the following:

1) Ask everyone about Tefillin, do not assume anything, even people you know for years, even people who are frum and wear a Yarmulke and a beard,

2) We need to have a system, similar to what the ladies do, to remind people daily and to emphasis the urgency of Tefillin, its importance to Geulah, its effect on the safety of Yiddin in general and each person in particular both Gashmius and Ruchnius.

May Hashem take us out of Galus now without delay with the big Hakhel Farbrengen lead by our Rebbe in the Bais Hamikdash Hashlishi immediately now.