In every synagogue around the world, immediately after the conclusion of the morning prayer, after the worshippers finish rolling up the tefillin, while saying "Alinu Leshavach," the synagogue goers leave the synagogue with the tefillin under their armpits, straight home or in their cars. The tefillin return to their reserved place.
In large Hasidim, where for many the Beit Midrash is far from home, such as in Belza or Gur, there are small lockers for the avrechim. At the end of the prayer, each avrechim places the tefillin in a locker for safekeeping until the next morning, and locks the locker with a key, for fear that the precious tefillin will be stolen.
But there is one place in the world where the tefillin are openly placed on neat shelves, in exemplary order. In every Hasidic shtibbel there is a special cabinet for the tefillin, but the compartments are without locks.
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This happens in the Toldot Aharon Hasidism in Mea Shearim.
In the following photos you will see the pairs of tefillin standing in order, like soldiers on parade, visible for all to see.
One of the Hasidim, who saw me photographing the coffins, didn't understand what I was getting excited about. I explained to him that I was shocked by the fact that the tefillin are not locked in the cells. "Who would steal tefillin from us in Hasidism, if he wants to stay alive?" the Havrach replied.
Another benefactor intervened and said: "Where will anyone who takes tefillin from here flee to - to the Shechem Gate? We are in the heart of Mea Shearim...""
But still, I said, all this is very expensive.
Then the elder of the Hasidim who was sitting in the Shtevel when I took the picture got up from his chair and said: "This is mine and we will take it. You also keep the silverware at home in a cupboard in the living room, not in a safe. We are proud of our tefillin and show them all day. And whoever does this - a curse is imposed on him in the verse 'And all the peoples of the earth will see that the name of the Lord is called upon you' - and he fulfills it and they will fear you, and they will not steal our tefillin...""
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