Guest post by Jeremy Shadow
Despite currently being a neo-pagan, I was born and raised a Conservative Jew in South Orange New Jersey. South Orange is a friendly little community somewhat close to Newark. After the Newark Riots, when Jews were kicked off of their turf, a great deal of them migrated to this area, comprised of Livingston, South Orange, Short Hills, and numerous other towns with large Jewish populations. This story is my first experience with the orthodox Jews.
When I was younger, my father would often recant tales of his “lubavitcher” friend at his office. Every Tuesday, to this day, my father joins him and lays teffilin. These words sounded so funny to me, but so exciting at the same time. They were a strange and inviting, and I laughed every time my father would tell the same story.
“Every Tuesday, when I see the lubavitcher, I walk into his office teffillin in hand. I look him square in the eye, and say to him, “are you a holy man?” and the lubavitcher looks back at me and replies “I have holes in my socks.”
My father is laughing uproariously at this point, at his own story. When he calms down, he continues.
“Are you a pious man?” my father next asks the lubavitcher” and the lubavitcher replies, never wavering “I do indeed like pie.”
My father and I shared many laughs over this same story, always told the same way. I wondered what this strange species of creatures were called “lubavitchers”, and why they lay tefillin every day, instead of just every Tuesdays. To me, Tuesday was teffilin day. I once asked my father why he too didn’t lay teffilin every day, or keep kosher. He said to me “I’m not ready. I’m still climbing the ladder of mitzvot.”
lubavs are AWESOME….
How can someone not love a lubavitcher? every one I meet has that same dead pan dry wit. Love it.
Speaking of humor- here a good potential post-
if Jerry Seinfeld went hassidic what sect would he join?
would it indeed be lubav?
When I was younger, my father would often recant tales …
I know “recant” isn’t the right word. Recant means to revoke.
You’re looking for “recount”.
great story!
Heshy,Jeremy,whatever – My first Lubavitcher
As first I thought for a second that you were talking about a Lubavich girl 🙂
I know – I wish he was
Go us!
I’m a bit confused?
I would have given another answer to the ‘pious’ question: “At Chabad we don’t do peiyes, but our next door neighbours is Karlin Stolin; perhaps he can help you?”.
You guys are a nitpicky bunch.
Pious- “having or showing or expressing reverence for a deity”
and thanks. I was looking for recount.
welcome to the club, Jer.
Can someone describe how you LAY your tefillin?
hey cool
i guess this random mivtza mitzva of tefillen laying is supposed to do this be there in ur concious / sub concious jewish identity awaken ur soul until ur ready to keep the whole thing but hopefully make u smile until then
laying = trans of hanakhat tefillin in english the act is perhaps better described as wrapping the black straps (but laying the boxes)
I don’t know what this has to do with anything…(I just made another enemy).
Telzer I will keep my sex comments away from tefillin
actually the translation of hanacha is placing-that’s what it should be called