Rabbi Micky Mellul, a Chabad shaliach in Creteil, France was in the US recently with a group of members from his community to spend “Shabbos by the Rebbe” in Crown Heights.
The group visited Manhattan on Motzei Shabbos and had a disturbing encounter there, Rabbi Mellul told Collive.
A homeless man approached Rabbi Mellul in Times Square and asked him if he was a rabbi and when Rabbi Mellul confirmed that he was, the man said: “I found something in the street. I want to make sandals from it but I first would like to know if it’s valuable.”
The homeless man then proceeded to show him a blue velvet Tefillin bag with kosher Tefillin inside it.
The shocked Rabbi Mellul had the presence of mind to tell the man that it wasn’t worth much but he’d take it off his hands for $25 and the man agreed to sell it after a bit of haggling.
Rabbi Mellul found a phone number inside the bag and returned the Tefillin to the elated owner on Sunday.
“It’s incredible how Hashem brought you all the way from France to New York to save my Tefillin,” the Tefillin owner told Rabbi Mellul.
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31 Responses
Great story. But why are so many Tefilin lost? It is so previous. Men, be more carefull.
Cool story , but the title is deceiving.
Clickbait is גניבת דעת
to spend “Shabbos by the Rebbe” in Crown Heights. Am I missing something? Have they finally after 25&1/2 years [following ג” תמוז תשנ”ד] appointed and inaugurated a new Rebbe to the this important role.
So the Rabbi lied to a homeless man? If he just found them it’s not his fault. He should of told him the real value and negotiated from there or filed a stolen property claim and had the police retrieve them for free.
When did lying to perform a Mitzvah become Muttar?
Smart rabbi. Yeyasher kochacha.
Wow. True Kiddush Lubavitch!
Proof that we should go to Times Square in Saturday nights so we can save more tefillin
It’s possible that the homeless guy knew what he had and knew how to shock the Rabbi
“Shabbos by the Rebbe” — someone should tell him…
Was Rabbi Mellul right to mislead the homeless man about the value – monetary value, that is – of the tefillin? It was kind to give the homeless man $25 for the tefillin, but maybe he should have given more (easy for me to say). New tefillin cost at least $200. Should the owner of the tefillin seek out the homeless man and pay him something for finding and indirectly returning the tefillin?
Comments about גניבת דעת:
What is the true value of tefiilin TO A GOY?
What ARE tefillin from a purely materialistic perspective?
The material: Misshaped leather, straps that can be used for sandals, parchment with some inked symbols?
To a GOY, are tefillin even worth $25. Would a goy buy himself a pair of tefillin for $25?! For what purpose?!
Just because to Yidden, tefillin is kedusha, and a priceless treasure, does that increase the value of tefillin to a GOY?!!
The comments about גניבת דעת shoot off their opinion without consulting a possek that has expertise in this area! Shame on you.
Take a step back and think if this would be your tefillin or your son’s. husband’s, father’s…you would APPLAUD this PIDYAN SHEVUIM!
Is there any reason to believe that these tefillin are especially valuable and unique?
They seem basic, inexpensive, and as the rabbi said that “it wasn’t worth much” (compared to more hehudar tefillin).
At no time does he say that they are only worth $25!
We don’t know their condition, and they are not new tefillin, but second -hand, which lowers their price, and they are bought on the street, not from a reputable established merchant.
So what is the fair price for a basic inexpensive pair of used tefillin, condition unknown, that might or might not be kosher? Is it “worth much” or as the rabbi said “that it wasn’t worth much”?
Yet comments quickly jump to conclude that the rabbi cheated this homeless man!
Shame on those that criticize the heroics of this rabbi to salvage these tefillin that were about to be made into sandals! To the homeless man, these tefillin are only worth the price of material to male sandals (which is less than sandals themselves).
Objects have inherent value. It doesn’t matter what value the owner places on it. If someone wants to pay MORE for an object because it has religious or sentimental value , like an old chair used by his Rebbe. That’s fine. Or if a person wants to sell it for less because they want quick money, that’s fine too. But a Jew lying about an object’s inherent value to commit fraud is both Geneiva and a Chillul Hashem.
If it were my Tefillin, No, I would not applaud theft. I was raised to be a Mensch. Right is Right and Wrong is Wrong.
To all those who are writing that it’s not ok for him to have Bargained the goiy with the price, you are all not being honest with yourself.
You have bargained yourself for less important things than Tefilin.
Either you can’t fargin someone else, or maybe just don’t like the story cuz he is Lubavitch?
No-ones complaining about the bargaining. The problem (if you watched the video) is the homeless man approached him not to sell the Tefillin but to ask him, a Rabbi (a man of G-d, an honest man, a Mensch) for his honest advice on the value. The Rabbi told him “New ones cost $30” Is it possible to buy a pair of new Kosher Tefillin for $30?
If someone stops me on the road to ask the value of a car. If I tell them $5,000 but they need to drive into town and sell it to a dealer, or I’ll take it right now for $4,000, that’s fine. But when they approach me for an honest valuation and I lie and say $2,000 so I can get it for less than it’s really worth and take advantage of a (homeless!) person. That’s Geneiva and an added issue of Chillul Hashem.
147 & The Frumguy takes issue with the expression “Shabbos by the Rebbe”.
Maybe they need to join the thousands spend “Lag B’Omer with the Rashbi” in Meron. Only a fool would comment “— someone should tell them…”
BTW – Every shabbos, my husband learns for an hour R’Akiva Aiger and he tells me, “This is my hour with R” Akiva Aiger”. Only someone nebech missing a great deal would wonder “Am I missing something?”
As you seek to criticize like bdikas chometz, search for any crumbs, are you holding wooden spoons and feathers?!
I don’t remember where is saw it, but I do remember something saying that your actually NOT allowed to say the true value of the Tefillin, otherwise they holder of the Tefillin will realize that he has found ” gold” and extort any amount of money for it- because the Jew won’t allow it to go to waste, and Chas V’shalom other Goyim can start doing the same practice and random Jews Teff
To all those making the ridiculous claim that this is somehow geneiva or a chilul Hashem, what would you do for example if the guy was about to light a match and burn the tefilin? Would you just say I can’t steal it? Of course not, you’d rescue the tashmish kedusha from desecration any way you can. Why is turning it into sandals any different? What this person did was brilliant and proper.
To Rebbetzin Goldenpick: Maybe “value” has some special meaning in halachah or in the Talmud. I was using “value” in its common economic sense: the price a willing buyer would pay to a willing seller. There are very few, if any, gentiles willing to buy tefillin at any price, but if a gentile wants to buy tefillin, he/she has to find a willing seller, and that person is likely Jewish and expects to get the prevailing price for the quality of the tefillin, which, as I said, is at least $200. I would be more than happy to hear from the Chabad schliach in the news article, or anyone who can give a proper halachic answer to the question I raised.
I don’t remember where I saw or heard it, but I do remember something that your actually NOT allowed to say the true value of the Tefillin, otherwise they holder of the Tefillin will realize that he has found ” gold” and extort any amount of money for it- because the Jew won’t allow it to go to waste, and Chas V’shalom other Goyim can start doing the same practice and hold these objects “ransom”.
Regarding what the other commentators wrote about what he said, I’m hoping he didn’t mean it in a way that would give Chabad a bad name. Chabad does a lot of great work, and these things are subjects that gives the whole movement a bad name. I’m not saying that he meant that at all. Because he did mention about going to Ohel. So I don’t understand what he meant- or I don’t know if there’s anything wrong with what he said.
But where credit is due it’s due, and he did a great job of job by getting back the Tefillin!!!
I don’t want my comments to begin or continue a Lubavitch bashing ceremony C’V, So let me STOP it here. Eilu V’ Eilu.
Billywee – “a Jew lying about an object’s inherent value to commit fraud is both Geneiva and a Chillul Hashem.”
In your misguided mind, this rabbi is no less than a rosha m’rusha, he will burn in Gehenim, he must be condemned (as you did), did he something despicable, After all Chilul Hashem is a big one, as is Geneiva. You really are krum and need to reset your moral compass. While we can be proud of heroes like this rabbi, it is sad that there are misguided buffoons that use these comments on this site to advertise their challenged intellectual development.
Billywee, please just stop. You are making a fool out of yourself.
The Goiy said he wanted to make it into sandels. At that point, the rabbi should do whatever he can to get it out of the Goiys hands for as cheap as possible.
Had you been there and the Goiy asked you for $500 Or even $400 (which many Tefilin are worth) would you bargain? Yes you would. Well, according to you the amount shouldn’t matter.
So basically it’s not about the bargain it’s about you nitpicking. The only chilul Hashem being made here is your rediculous comments.
So basically if a person feels religiously justified they can lie, defraud, and steal?
If a person in America decides to buy Tefillin to use in the fireplace, or a Koran, or a Xtain statue, that’s their right. Your saying you can commit a crime to stop someone from doing a legal activity because you don’t like it.
Isn’t that the definition in Noach of “Chumus”? Everyone did whatever they wanted because they justified it in their mind.
Why does the Gemara go on and on about doing the Mitzvah of Lulav with a stolen Lulav?
Are you allowed to lie to a Goy about the value of an Esrog or say it’s Not Kosher when it is in order for you to perform the Mitzvah? I would think the answer Chazal would give is, “Certainly Not. If you do an avera in order to perform a Mitzvah, your “Mitzvah” is rejected (& worse) by Hashem”
all those asking how he can lie to the man…
Um, THERE WAS A FRIKKIN PHONE NUMBER IN THE TEFILLIN BAG!!! It didnt belong to this homeless man, AND HE KNOWS IT!
Goodness dealing with you “have to be respectful” people gets really difficult when you guys have your pants over your eyes.
Exactly! Why didn’t he just call the Police? It’s is suspicious for a homeless man to be walking around asking people about Tefillin. The Police would have seen the phone number and taken it as lost or stolen property and the owner could have picked it up. So for the Rabbi to avoid Geneiva and Chillul Hashem, all he had to do was call the Police. The Rabbi could have done a Mitzvah that wasn’t Habah from an Aveira, but he chose to do it through an Aveira. Maybe a little better thinking next time, that’s all.
Billywee, read my 3 earlier comments about גניבת דעת:
1. To a GOY, are tefillin even worth $25?! Would a goy buy himself a pair of tefillin for $25?! For what purpose?!What is the market value of a used/second-hand pair of tefillin, possibly possul, being sold by a homeless man (not a reputable merchant)?! Very few frum yidden would buy such tefillin for their own personal use.
2. The rabbi said that “it wasn’t worth much” (compared/relative to more hehudar tefillin). At no time does he say that they are only worth $25! Indeed, see #1 above, the market value of these tefillin is heavily discounted, as would ANY commodity purchased on the street from a homeless man.
3. To the homeless man, these tefillin are only worth the price of material to make sandals (which is less than sandals themselves). He was planning to use them for that purpose! If someone is about to burn a $100 and I offer him $25 in coins for this about to be destroyed $100, is that cheating him?! Is $25 not a fair price for recycled material with which one can make a sandal?!
But let me ask you, paraphrasing your words: “so basically if a person feels religiously justified they can publicly belittle, libel, slander, cause defamation, and publicly disparage – without any halachic bases simply because it is so justified in their mind”?
You publicly disparage a named rabbi and community leader because in your misguided and ignorant mind “I would think the answer Chazal would give is, Certainly Not.” Shame on you and those that birthed you .
Billywee – “So for the Rabbi to avoid Geneiva and Chillul Hashem, all he had to do was call the Police.” Is this a joke? Yep, he could call the police and what do you think the NYPD would do? Would they send a squad of police cars with sirens blaring to hunt for the transient homeless person?! Would they put out an APB for this homeless man? No crime was reported, possibly no crime was committed. so how much attention would the police give to a call about these tefillin?! What foolish advice! Pure silliness! Doing so the tefillin would be converted into sandals and trampled on.
Billywee, you are nothing but a Jew-hater. I hear the hate frothing from your mouth. There are identifying marks on and in the teffilin bag. Just because the homeless man found the teffilin doesn’t mean that it’s his. If you would be so stupid to involve the police in this situation then go ahead when you (hopefully don’t) have a goy trying to sell teffilin that was most likely left behind by a Yid. This Rabbi chose to end it this manner and it’s his choice to do so.
@billywee, its not geneiva, it never belonged to the homeless g(anav)uy, and that includes the scenario where the homeless guy found it as a lost object. Finding an identifiable artifact does not allow for you to keep it, under ANY applicable law.
Its not a chillul Hashem to swindle a swindler. “im Ikesh titapal”.
Calling the police is a ridiculous idea. Granted that our men in blue are {for large part} honorable and helpful, the chances of the teffilin being reunited in the manner they actually were would be much more effective – 100 to 1.
Ther was no mitzva haba min aveira, Jews have always been smart and instinctively know how to stand up for whats important. Lets be clear here, this homeless guy is a friggen thief, living off the bounty of those who pay into it and taking whatever comes his way. Lets cut the crap where its at now
@billywee
another point to you sir/mam, is you should research the topic, of which the gemarah says the chiyuvim for goyim were “hutar lahem” and the repercussions thereof.
That should answer some of your questions. Bur make sure you understand well, or you’ll join Yaffed…..