During a trip to New York, Mr. Diamond approached me and related that he suffered a serious eye disease, which had no known cure. It left him blind in both eyes.
“Do you lay tefillin daily?” I asked.
He replied in the negative.
I then quoted to him the pesukim which discuss tzitzit and tefillin. I read to him the following from Sefer Bamidbar (15:37-39), “Hashem said to Moshe, saying: Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them that they shall make themselves tzitzit on the corners of their garments, for all their generations. And they shall place upon the tzitzit of each corner a thread of turquoise wool. It shall will be tzitzit for you, that you may see it and remember all the commandments of Hashem and do them; and not explore after your heart and after your eyes after which you stray.” I also quoted the pasuk from Devarim (6:8), “Bind them as a sign upon your arm and they shall be ornaments between your eyes.”
I explained that Hashem gave us the mitzvot of tzitzit and tefillin which have the ability to protect a person from all harm. But to my dismay, he burst out in laughter. “Honored Rav, I was born in Israel, but moved to America, the land of plenty. Thank G-d, I do not lack for anything. The only thing that bothers me is this eye disease. What’s the connection between tefillin and my vision? Is wearing tefillin some kind of voodoo, which will suddenly open my eyes?!”
But I would not be deterred. “Imagine if a top specialist were to prescribe some sort of concoction of various herbs and tell you to put it between your eyes every morning. Would you obey him? Of course you would. If you would unquestioningly accept the advice of a mere human doctor, listen to me, your spiritual healer and do exactly as I instruct!
“The Torah is the potion of life, with the potential to heal anyone from any ailment. If Hashem commands us to wear tefillin every day, there is certainly a special reason for it, and doing it can only be beneficial. The Ben Ish Chai writes that tefillin have the ability to help a person believe in Hashem. They act as buffers between a person’s eyes and heart and the temptations of this world. If they provide spiritual remedy, they surely provide physical remedy, as well, and will be the catalyst for your complete recovery!”
Mr. Diamond followed my instructions. He purchased a pair of tefillin and wore them daily. One morning, after only a week, he awoke to a brand new day and the realization that he could see his wife standing in the kitchen preparing a cup of coffee. He immediately jumped out of bed and rushed toward her, ignoring his walking stick.
His wife was shocked at this, and called out to him, “Hey, do you want to fall on your face, first thing in the morning? Do you see that you’re walking without your stick?”
“I certainly do,” he said, just as surprised at this turn of events as she was.
There is no doubt that it was the merit of tefillin which effected his recovery. When Hashem saw his determination to begin wearing tefillin, He healed him and returned his sight.
