Hungover and on two hours sleep, Nate took his bar mitzvah today. He was about 17 years late to the ceremony, but he went to the right place for it in Crown Heights: the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters, considered one of the world’s largest Hasidic movements and which was led until 1994 by the Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, believed by some followers to be the messiah. On a more earthly level, just as interesting to a goya like me was that the Chabad community was inspiration for Chaim Potok’s novel “My Name is Asher Lev.” Coincidentally, Nate first introduced me to Chaim Potok in high school.
Nate hadn’t intended to get his bar mitvah. We wandered into the synagogue after more importantly securing a great breakfast from the nearby Crown Heights staple Bunch O Bagels, introduced to us by local resident (and excellent photographer) Joshua Kristal.
Nate, using his mother’s Jewish maiden name, introduced himself as “Nathan Levy” to a rabbi who just happened to also be named Levi. Coincidence? Or was Rabbi Schneerson was working some of his messianic magic? There would be more miraculous signs to come.
“Would you like to say the prayer?” asked Rabbi Levi. Nate nodded. Levi found two spare tefillin, which is a small black box containing scrolls inscribed with the Torah. I asked the reason for this device, and Levi quoted Deuteronomy 11:18: “You shall put these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall tie them for a sign upon your arm, and they shall be as totafot between your eyes.”
Levi wrapped one tefillah around Nate’s arm, carefully counting up the symbolic loops. He then flipped up Nate’s winter hat and strapped a second tefillah around his forehead. Nate then repeated in Hebrew as Levi read a page from the book of prayers. I asked if anyone could simply walk inside and perform this ceremony with a rabbi, and Levi responded confidently that one needs to have the right intentions and a clean heart.
“But,” I asked, “how did you know that Nate had clean thoughts as he said the prayer?”
Nate’s eyebrows rose at the final miracle that afternoon: “Not a single bad thought!” he said. “Not a single one!”
