My Wife’s Challenge Sparked an Unforgettable Chain Reaction

by Yudi Hercenberg

I frequently travel within the United States for business purposes. To ensure my personal protection and provide reassurance to my wife, she often sends me with a few dollars to give to charity. There is a widely accepted concept in the Torah, Shluchei Mitzvah Einan Nizakin – Those people who are messengers for a mitzvah will not be harmed.

In February 2023, I had a flight on Super Bowl Sunday from Florida to California to attend a conference. As I said goodbye to my wife, she expressed a desire to send me with charity cash, but she didn’t have any. She decided to send me on a different mission, urging me to perform another mitzvah. Curious, I looked at her, waiting for her challenge. “While you’re on your trip,” she said, “try to find someone to put on tefillin with.”

Initially hesitant, I expressed my concerns to her. “I’ll be staying at a hotel with 3,000 finance professionals. I’m not a rabbi, nor did I grow up surrounded by Chabad Shluchim. I’m unsure if I can fulfill this task. In fact, I think I’ve only helped one person put on tefillin in my entire life.” However, my wife was determined, refusing to accept my reluctance. “Give it a try,” she insisted, “and make a sincere commitment. Hashem will guide you and make it easier for you.” Encouraged by her unwavering attitude, I committed.

Less than 20 minutes later, while standing in line to board the flight, I overheard the guy behind me muttering something under his breath. It wasn’t clear if he was addressing me, talking about me, or something unrelated. He said “I wish I had one of those.” I couldn’t figure out, whether he was referring to my watch, sunglasses, or something else entirely.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I turned around. The fellow appeared to be heading to the same conference as me. I asked him, “What did you wish you had?” He responded, “That beautiful leather Tefillin bag with a nice strap on it. If I had a tefillin bag like that, I would bring it with me on every trip.” I didn’t even know he was Jewish. Never before had anyone commented on my tefillin bag, let alone while standing in an airport queue. I realized that this whole conversation was somehow connected to the commitment I had just made to my wife. So I asked him, “Have you worn tefillin today?” He replied, “No, I don’t wear it every day, only sometimes.” Without hesitation, I blurted out, “Well, would you like to wear it right now?” Excitedly, he agreed! We both stepped out of the line, and I helped Eduardo put on the tefillin. In that moment, I felt like a million bucks. I took a photo of him wearing the tefillin, and once he finished saying Shema, we returned to the line to board the plane.

After 5 minutes on the plane, I turned around and discovered that Eduardo was sitting directly behind me. What a remarkable coincidence! If the story had ended at that point, it would have been astounding. But it continues…

30 minutes later, I shared Eduardo’s photo of wearing the tefillin on my family chat. I wanted my wife to see that I had successfully met her challenge, and I hoped that the rest of my family would find inspiration in it as well.

Unexpectedly, my brother Ezra decided to initiate a conversation:

Ezra: Who is that?

Me: My wife didn’t have cash to give me for shliach mitzvah, so she sent me on a mission to wrap tefillin on strangers instead. 20 mins later, I wrapped this guy’s tefillin.

Ezra: So you’re now wrapping people with Tefillin for Chabad?

Me: It was not for Chabad. It was for you to see & realize that you can do it too 🙂

Ezra: got it, so your doing it for me and not for chabad, but you are doing it.

Me: Exactly!

Me: Ezra – Go wrap today before the sun goes down, if you didn’t already! And if u did, go find someone who didn’t and get them to wrap!! Take a picture and send it on the chat 😉

Surprisingly, Ezra then sends a photo of him and one of his friends wearing tefillin during the Super Bowl, captioned “Done. During the Super Bowl!”

Ezra: Can you get another one?

My Wife: Yudi – Come on – another one on the plane! Or is it too late in the day?

Me: Actually since we are flying west, it’s still good. Let me try. I’m not sure who I can get right now since the flight attendants are giving out drinks and snacks.

I showed the family chat to Eduardo, to demonstrate how his act of wearing tefillin had inspired others. Eduardo read through the entire conversation and then had an amazing idea! Let’s get the guy sitting behind me to wear tefillin too!” A few minutes later, I sent a photo of “Jay” wearing tefillin.

It all started with my wife’s initial challenge to me. Inspired by Eduardo, I then extended the challenge to my brother, who, in turn, challenged his friend. The chain continued as my brother challenged me again. Remarkably, during that Super Bowl trip, a total of FOUR people ended up wearing tefillin—all because my wife had urged me to commit, assuring me that Hashem would make it easier. The power of one mitzvah had a ripple effect, touching multiple lives along the way.

So I challenge each of you. Commit to doing something outside your comfort zone. Commit to reaching out to another person, even if you’re used to saying “The Rabbis, the Shluchim do that; it’s not for me.” You and I can have a tremendous impact on a fellow Jew that others may not reach.

Join me in reaching out and inspiring more people to do a Mitzvah, even while you are on a business trip somewhere. Jay, Eduardo, Ezra, and Ezra’s friend are all real people who would normally not wear tefillin every day.

As a result of this challenge, Jay, Eduardo and I connected on a personal level, even though we were each on our way to a work conference. We have kept in touch until today. Who knows what the future brings.

—Yudi Hercenberg is a Senior Managing Director at Walker & Dunlop. He is also the President of Hercenberg Mitzvah Mission, a non-profit that focuses on empowering laymen to be leaders in their communities. He lives in Parkland, Florida with his wife, Simcha, and their three sons.