by Shane Rachman

My friend Jason Kozin asked me to attend Rabbi Baruch Hertz’s birthday celebration, where there would be a big push to get 60 men to wrap tefillin in honor of his 60th birthday. It turned out the celebration was a complete surprise from beginning to end, thoughtfully arranged by his children Gedaliah and Sholom Hertz with the help of their siblings. They enlisted the help of Jason and another friend, Eytan Peer, to keep everything a secret and make the event truly special.

The entire morning was filled with warmth, laughter, inspiration, and a deep sense of appreciation for the many lives Rabbi Hertz has touched over the years.

It was clear everyone felt excited and honored to be part of it. Although the goal was originally to get 60 people to wrap, a big feat in itself, nearly 90 people ended up wrapping as a part of the celebration. The enthusiasm in the air was palpable.

During the breakfast, a special video presentation featured several people sharing personal memories that demonstrated Rabbi Hertz’s deep passion for tefillin and his commitment to encouraging others to wrap as a mitzvah. I was moved by the powerful stories and hearing how this seemingly small, one-time mitzvah had made an immense impact and even changed people’s lives.

A few people then spoke about their connection and varying tefillin experiences with Rabbi Hertz over the years.

One memorable story was shared by Brandon Goldberg, whose family has been close with the Hertz family for many years, beginning with his grandfather Judge Gerald Bender’s close connection with the Rabbi.

He recalled an incident at the wedding of Aaron Stefansky, son of Rabbi Eli Stefansky, where Rabbi Hertz was encouraging people to put on tefillin. One young man refused, so Rabbi Hertz offered him $100 if he would do it. The fellow immediately replied “Make it $200!” Rabbi Hertz agreed, and the young man put on tefillin. The story captured Rabbi Hertz’s determination and his creative way of encouraging others to perform the mitzvah.

There was a moment at the party when the Rabbi stood up and said, “I challenge at least one person to commit to wrapping tefillin every day for a full year.”

I didn’t respond at the time, but later I texted him, “If you are willing to explain the why behind tefillin to me, I will do it for a year.” I have been asked to wrap tefillin by various Jewish people before, but I had never really understood the why.

I met with Rabbi Hertz and he explained it to me. My brief understanding from that moment is that tefillin is a spiritual meditation to align one’s mind and one’s soul, guiding our actions throughout the day so we have a positive impact on the world.

This is based on a principle I was beginning to understand: that a person’s soul is inherently pure and good, even as it is grounded in the physical world. Our minds are impacted by the world around us, but they also give us the ability to think beyond it and connect on a higher level with something greater, our spirituality.

The purpose of Tefillin is to connect our brain to our soul in pure alignment. The wrapping culminates around our finger, which is our pathway to carry this action into the physical world. It is a daily reminder to act with the goodness and purity our souls inherently know, while incorporating the mitzvot that come from a higher power, and to bring that goodness into the world.

In my own tefillin journey, I have found it to be a grounding way to begin the day. It offers a simple reminder of how to be and to do good, giving this core mitzvah a clear and powerful purpose in my life.

Shane Rachman is a Chicago real estate executive and the president and founder of Cross Street.