Dear Rabbi Mendel Rubin,
Enclosed please find my father’s (of righteous memory) last pair of Tefillin. I have his pair from when he was younger, but this pair is something that shouldn’t be stored away but should continue to be used. A physical item isn’t holy unless it is used for a Mitzvah, rather than for display.
Tefillin became especially important to me thanks to the “Touchdowns and Tefillin” program* comparing (among other things) the strong arm and head of a quarterback to the strong presence and intellect of a Torah scholar.
Please give my father’s Tefillin to a young man who needs a pair and just a little push. People can borrow them but ultimately I’d like you to give it to someone who will sit down and learn the davening. I’ll leave the details to you.
My father’s name: Shraga Feivel ben Yitzchak obm. He passed away on the 12th of Iyar, 5774.
Have a great year,
M.H. (’01)
* we did this on several Superbowl Sundays and once made a Youtube clip (after M’s time here) about it. See Touchdowns and Tefillin here. This and other Sunday Tefillin Minyans evolved into the regular Minyan Brunches (or Kosher BLT’s – Bagels, Lox and Tefillin) that we have today.