I am not 100% supportive of Chabad tefillin-wrapping “mitvto’im,” but a post by a Chabad activist who tried to encourage an elderly Holocaust survivor to wrap tefillin really moved me.

The Lubavitcher proffers a set of tefillin to an old man at the Western Wall, asking him when was the last time he laid tefillin.

“He smiled and proudly said, ’72 years ago!’ He held out his arm to show me the fading tattooed numbers.”

The Lubavitcher then proceeds to tell him an amazing story about another Holocaust survivor named Laibel who went to great lengths to continue laying tefillin in the death camp.

Later, he was in the barracks, and wanted to put on the tefillin. He was able to put the arm-tefillin on without anyone seeing, by pulling his sleeve over it, but how could he put on the head-tefillin? There were guards all over. He opened the window and stuck his head outside so he could put on the head-tefillin.

To read more click here: Tefillin After 72 Years