Teffilin with a Karkafta in a Hospital Recovery Room

While resting in the NYU hospital recovery room Rabbi Moshe Klein, a Crown Heights Sofer and Moihel, was restless. Resting in the bed next to his was an elderly Russian man who was also recuperating, Reb Moshe struck up a conversation with him and turns out the man was Jewish.

Despite having a procedure done less than two hours ago, Reb Moshe put on Teffilin with the man, who also underwent a similar procedure. In their conversation it turns out that the man was 87 years old, and he had never put on Tefillin before, he was a Karkafta.

He told Reb Moshe that he had a Bar Mitzvah in a cellar with Herring and Lechaim, but his father could not get a pair of Teffilin for him, so they celebrated without.

The two spent two days in the recovery room together, and they put on Tallis and Tefillin a second time the next day.

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