One of the most popular sites in Jerusalem is the kever of Dovid HaMelech, located on Har Tzion in the Old City. Jews are mispallel at the tziyun regularly, and Christians come to conduct tours and ceremonies – both out of respect for King David, which is holy to everyone, and because they have an Avoda Zara myth about the location.
In a picture that went viral on social media, one of the regular Mispalillim, Reb Shraga Brand, was seen putting Tefillin on a priest. Reb Shraga is at the site daily, as he puts tefilin on Jews who come to visit the area.
Rabbi Yitzchak Gabay uses his Facebook page to tell this particular story, based on the photo that hit social media.
“This was when the priest came with a group of nuns to visit the tziyun, and the chossid, whose name was Rabbi Shraga Brand felt that he should ask the priest something personal …”
“Are you Jewish?” He asked him, and the answer was affirmative.
The priest merited putting on tefillin for the first time in his life, and was met with Ahavas Yisrael, which is able to overcome gaps like religious affiliation and clothing.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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27 Responses
something not right about this story–why would he think the priest was jewish?
‘אקדים טעניתי
Poskim have concluded that one may put on Tefilin with a Yid who believes in Yoshke R”l.
Before we start bashing Chabad, is this special Yid who gives his time to help others do Mitzvos even a Chabad Chassid? Chabad doesn’t have the monopoly on Tefilin, others do it too.
Regarding taking someone’s word that they are indeed a Yid – this is totally okay, it’s not Even HoEzer.
Hope the priest realizes that שמע is written in the תפילין which unequivocally states that ה is one (as opposed to 3)
wow, first time putting on tefillin and he is already wearing a frock and a gartel
I think this is a bizoyon adir!!!!
You dont put tefillin on kofars and then why do YWN call him a rabbi that put it on!!!!!!
Embarrasment to chareidim!!
Beautiful idea from an obvious tzaddik
נזם זהב באף חזיר.
This is the “Traditional” site of the kever of Dovid HaMelch.
95% of those in the know say he was buried somewhere in the Ir David area.
Now he needs brit yosef yitzchak organization to give him a bris and rabbi yosef Mizrachi to wash all the filth in his brain
@Poshteryid – Who says we don’t put tefilin on a kofer?
I know what must have happened. This group was visiting from Belgium. The chosid asked him, “Are you Jewish?” The galach thought he said, “Are you Flemish?” He nodded, and, before you know it, he was all strapped down in Tefilin.
I don’t think the man putting on tefillin is a priest, I think he is a Franciscan monk.
Sechel,
I did see posted somewhere else that he is a Lubavitcher.
Either way, no one is bashing him. He is a heilige Yid and puts Tefilin on LOADS of people!
I think they are all Jews, it was just Purim customs
מצות צריכות כוונה
Clearly this is lacking in one who is a כומר לע״ז – so it seems to me to be meaningless
We need to daven for this guy
My take is that he is 100% a believing Jew and he doesn’t really believe in any of that Xtian crap. It’s just he needed a job and so he took this one. With no marriage you get to keep your expenses low and so why not? Vos tit min nisht fur parnoosa!!
Is the Mitzvah of a Koifer Be-Ikar a Mitzvah? We see many times in Divrey Chazal that people who did Mitzvos shelo Leshaym Shamayim that they were Mekabel Sechar. (Whether in this world or the next).
Was the person a Yid, do we believe any Tom, Dick and Harry in the street lefi Tumo that they are Jewish? Worst case scenario it was a Goy who is steeped in Avoidah Zorah. Does it posul the tefilin? I never heard such a thing. Asiyas HaMitzvos of Goyim are a Mitzvah (though ayno metzuvo wOiseh) A goy seems to be able to do any Mitzvah (except for Shabbos and certain restriction by Aiver Min Hachay which are allowed for Yidden and not for Goyim).
The only person we should be concerned about is the person involving himself in putting on tefillin by apokorsim. His problem might be Bitul Torah. But there are of course much worse things one can do that comprise Bitul Torah (and even other aveiros to boot).
At least he didnt put tefillin on the nuns.
I agree with frumshmurda718…….we should put in a good word with the ebeshter for this galach who was somehow recognized by Reb Shraga as a yid and his effort to bring him back to yiddeshkeit by laying teffilin
How do you know he is a priest? Maybe he is just tryning to look like a geshmaka Ashkenaz Yid from the medieval times. Before the Haredim started to dress like Polish Priests (like they continue to do so, till this day), the Jews in Europe dressed like this and similarly.
We know he is a galach because the headline says so. Everything on the internet is true until proven otherwise.
The above FB page reads:
עדכון חשוב. היהודי בתמונה הוא הרב שרגא ברנד – המניח תפילין במקום לכל יהודי, בהוראת רבו הצדיק רבי יצחק מאיר מורגנשטרן
“Ein Chodosh Tachs haShemesh” Is this priest a Gilgul or a cousin of Cardinal Lustig of Paris? for whom Kaddish was recited at his funeral at the late Notre Dame.
I am FTM and I plan on putting teffilin on once I complete my Orthodox conversion process.
I NOTICE HE ONLY PUT ON TEFILIN SHEL ROSH, BUT NOT SHEL YAD.
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Did he verify if by chance he was also a Kohein visiting Kever Dovid ?