Some people have a knack for being in the right place at the right time. Their drive to help a fellow Jew is so strong, it propels them through the course of their lives.
Rabbi Velvel Finklestein, z”l, was one of those people.
Through the yeshiva that he started, he developed connections with wealthy people. They were so impressed by his sincerity, they stood behind the contributions that he would quietly, and unassumingly distribute to anyone in need.
Not only monetary assistance was offered. Reb Velvel yearned to bring his fellow Jew closer to serving Hashem.
His nephew, Raffy, also looked for ways to help others. He opened a Chabad house on a college campus. Among his outreach activities, Raffy encouraged the Jewish students – most of whom came from secular backgrounds – to lay tefillin.
He had a beautiful, mehudar pair of tefillin that was donated to the Chabad house, l’ilui nishmas (as a merit for the soul) of his Uncle Velvel.
The first young man Raffy approached was David. David took to this mitzvah, and subsequently, he would come to Raffy and ask him to lay the tefillin and help him recite the brachos.
This went on for several months – until the big day came – David’s college graduation.
Hundreds of graduates and their families came to participate in the ceremony, including David’s parents, grandfather and siblings.
After the graduation ceremony, David invited his father, grandfather and brother to accompany him to the Chabad house to meet his rabbi.
Rabbi Raffy welcomed them warmly. “Mazel tov on the graduation, David! Would you like to now put on tefillin?”
David agreed.
Next, Raffy laid tefillin on David’s father.
Raffy looked at David’s brother, who seemed hesitant.
Raffy explained to him how special the mitzvah is, and that this particular pair was donated as a merit for his uncle, who cared deeply for his fellow Jew. Convinced, David’s brother let Raffy wrap the tefillin on him, the tefillin “shel yad” and the tefillin “shel rosh,” the same way Jewish men have been doing from generation to generation.
Raffy then turned to David’s grandfather. He declined.
Raffy wondered if the grandfather had ever laid tefillin, and whether he could persuade him to do it.
David’s grandfather confided, “It’s been a long time since I’ve worn a pair of tefillin.”
Encouraged by the grandfather’s confession, Raffy prodded, “Do you remember when?”
Thoughtful, he replied, “Yes. I contributed annually to a certain yeshiva. On one of my meetings with the yeshiva’s founder, he pulled me aside and asked me if I’d like to lay tefillin. His name was Velvel Finkelstein.”
Raffy’s eyes opened wide.
“Velvel Finkelstein?! That’s my uncle! This pair of tefillin was donated to the Chabad house as a merit for my Uncle Velvel!
David’s grandfather got very emotional.
“That’s amazing! Your uncle was an exceptional person. I’ll never forget how he helped me when I needed to make arrangements for my mother-in-law to be buried according to Jewish law.”
“If I could do something as a merit for him, I’m more than happy to.”
Some people have a knack for being in the right place at the right time. Their drive to help a fellow Jew is so strong, it propels them through the course of their lives…and beyond.
