Some of the most inspirational pictures from this war are of IDF soldiers in their green uniforms and wearing their black tefillin proudly on their arms and head. There is something about tefillin that provides protection for the Jewish people, both spiritually and physically.
During the Six-Day War, many American boys studying in yeshiva here were scared and asked the Lubavitcher Rebbe if should they leave Israel and go back to America, where it was safer. The Rebbe told the boys that under no circumstances should they leave Israel, and that there was one thing they could do to stay safe and to protect our homeland. The Rebbe quoted the Gemara in Berachot (6a) that tefillin were the Jewish people’s secret weapon and when the Arabs would see Jewish soldiers wearing them, they would be terrified.
The very next day, many Chabad chasidim began going around Israel putting tefillin on people, especially soldiers in the IDF, some for the very first time. Israeli jets then launched a surprise attack and in six days, Israel defeated Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon – one of the greatest miracles that ever happened to the Jewish people!
Once Jews were allowed to daven at the Kotel again for the first time in 20 years, Chabad set up a table at the Kotel encouraging Jews to put on tefillin. Today, anyone walking to the Western Wall has the opportunity to put on tefillin, which reminds us that Israel’s success during war is thanks to the protection offered by the mitzvah of tefillin.
