Tefillin and Its Significance
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11 Comments Posted
My dad gave me a copy of this in booklet form. It's dated 1960 (5721), and is dedicated to the memory of the author, Alexander Cowen (1886-1959; 5646-5720). Glad to see it's been preserved online, complete with updated diction and photographs. Thanks!
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I wish to thank Mr. Lazer Kaufman for that information about Alexander Cowen. Alexander Cowen is my Great-Grandfather. Born in 1886 in London, he came to America at the age of fourteen and brought the rest of his family over when he became able. I was raised in a secular household, but recently I have felt the great need to become an observant Jew. Since I have not even learned to say the Shma yet, there is a lot of work ahead for me. As I began my journey I asked my mother for any information about my family she could provide. She sent me a family tree. I googled Alexander Cowen's name and found the author of this pamphlet. I have been trying to find if the two are the same, but with little success. This brings me great joy, especially as I get ready to put on Tefillin for the first time. I'm wondering if anyone has any other information about Alexander Cowen. I am also wondering why the pamphlet when published in the past used the name Cowen, but now the name Cowan is used?
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I was able to get in contact with Lazer Kaufman. He provided me the full dates in his edition of this pamphlet:
"Dedicated to the Memory of
ALEXANDER COWEN
Born: Sivan 21, 5646 - June 24, 1886
Died: Mar-Cheshvan 24, 5720 - November 25, 1959"
The days match too. This brings great joy to me and my family. We didn't know. Thank you Chabad.org for this and for all of your support.
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Thank you for the correction, we have located the original version from 1944 and we have updated the name to be spelled Cowen.
Elchanan Kaven or Alexander Cowen was quite close to the previous Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Joseph Isaac Schneersohn, of righteous memory (1880-1950) and his successor, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory (1902-1994).
Rabbi Joseph Isaac would respond with long letters on philosophical subjects. No less than 31 letters to Mr. Cowen have been published in the 16 volumes of Rabbi Joseph Isaac’s letters.
In the 1940's Mr. Cowen was a part of a group of intellectuals that formed classes on science, philosophy and Torah. They were encouraged by Rabbi Joseph Isaac, and Rabbi Menachem Mendel wrote many responses to their questions. In total I have found 16 published letters from Rabbi Menachem Mendel. In the last one from 1957 there is a note at the end to send regards to Alexander’s wife and son, this could be your grandfather.
Also involved were two other special individuals: Rabbi Dr. Nissan Mindel, who was Rabbi Joseph Isaac’s and later Rabbi Menachem Mendel’s personal secretary, and Mr. Jullias Stullman, who both, more recently, passed away.
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Thank you very much for this information. For the record, I am Daniel the son of Anne who is the daugher of Ruth who was the daughter of Alexander.
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Thank you for writing about Alexander Cowen.
Please allow me to quote from Rabbi Israel Jacobson, Executive Director of Agudas Chasidei Chabad of the United States and Canada during the late 1920s, 30s and 40s, who related:
"Alexander Cowen became close to the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Joseph Isaac Schneersohn, upon the latter's visit to the USA, during 1930.
"In 1937, Rabbi Jacobson traveled to Poland to visit Rabbi Schneersohn. On this trip, he took along a letter from Dr Cowen to the Rebbe, who, in turn, sent back a reply letter with Rabbi Jacobson. Dr Cowen susequently recieved a number of letters from the Rebbe. After Rabbi Schneersohn emigrated to the USA in 1940, Dr Cowen became very involved in Chabad activites.
"In addition, he brought his family closer to Judaism, and enrolled his granddaugter in a traditional Jewish kindergarten in Manhattan."
Would this be Anne, mentioned above by Daniel Emery?
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Dear Mr. Vaisfiche and Mr. Zaklikowski,
Thank you so much for having taken the time and trouble to research and post this information. It means much to me and my family to learn these things. Alexander's granddaughter Anne, who, as Rabbi Jacobson relates, does remember attending a Jewish kindergarten in the city (thanks to her grandfather), also sends her gratitude.
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I do not understand the apologetic tone of this essay. Furthermore, I think that it is unecessary to focus on the negative specifically by criticizing other jews and their purported ignorance. Although Chabad strives for the learning of Torah, the roots of chasidic thought is judaism for the average man and to criticize people for their lack of knowledge is contrary to that belief. I find it sad that I am unable to find an article that I can send to my co-worker to answer his question of what are those "black boxes" without encountering baseless criticism and negative undertones.
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Being one of the ~10% of the population who is left-handed, please remember "strong hand"; so left-handed put tefillin on their right hand.
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Putting on my tefillin the first thing in the morning sometimes feels like a chore I must do, but with no real heart for it. I wonder what is the point iif I'm just reciting words and not feeling any connection with G-d? Can I put tefillin on later in the day when I feel that moment that I want to communicate with G-d? Or should I just continue this ritualiustic but empty feeling duty. I want my heart to fly when I do something for G-d. I don't want it to be empty or boring.
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