In our congregation is a young, handsome man, from a fine, and respected family. He attends morning minyan daily. Recently, he married his lovely bride from Israel. Among the treasured gifts that he received at his wedding were a siddur, tallit and set of tefillin, all within an exquisitely embroidered bag.

On one dark snowy winter morning, he davened piously, shared a kiddush with his friends, bid them good day, packed his special bag with its beloved contents into his leather briefcase, walked to his car, and drove to work. While deep in his thoughts, he forgot his briefcase, which remained on the seat of his car, in full view of all passersby.

Soon a gang of common criminals broke into his car and stole his case. They smashed it open, and excitedly discovered the extraordinary bag, with a funny looking book, a piece of cloth, and a pair of black boxes inside. Wild-eyed with anticipation, they could hardly imagine what treasures could be hidden within those boxes. Diamonds, pearls, emeralds, rubies, gold? Viciously, they cracked the boxes open, and what did they find? Little rolled pieces of paper! “What is this?” they hollered as they ran off.

In the early spring, the young man’s parents were visiting their friends who lived in the center of town. After dinner, during quiet conversation, the hosts related an odd sad story. Lying among their leaf bare hedges, deep within the melting snow, they discovered a ripped exquisite bag, containing a torn and soiled siddur, a ruined woolen tallis, and a destroyed, although distinctive, set of tefillin. Yes, what a coincidence. Indeed, these were the beloved contents of the stolen briefcase belonging to the guest’s son. The disheartened son recovered his bag, and disposed its contents in accordance with hallacha.

Seeking only to steal glittering riches, those rashas, those ignorant miserable petty thieves, failed to recognize true gems, the words of Torah, written on parchments encased within a set of tefillin, that for a fleeting moment sat upon their very hands.

Don’t Forget to Come to the 10th Annual World Wide Wrap

Written by, as told to, Donald Grenadir