Posted on 11/16/2007 10:29:39 PM PST by camerakid400
A Jewish passenger on a South Shore commuter train prompted a bomb scare on Wednesday when the traditional prayer box worn on his forehead was mistaken for an explosive device.
Bob Byrd, chief of the Northwest Indiana Commuter Transportation District’s Transit Police, told the Chesterton Tribune today that the incident began as Train 108 left the East Chicago station en route for Chicago. Several passengers sitting near the man became suspicious after observing what looked to them like a miner’s hat with a box in place of a lamp and wires sticking out of it.
Those passengers alerted a collector, Byrd said, who checked out the passenger. The collector then alerted the conductor, who made contact with the man. The man advised the conductor that he was praying and then declined to answer any more questions.
Possibly contributing to the confusion, Byrd said, was another passenger, apparently of Middle Eastern descent and wearing a turban, sitting in the next row. “For the people in that car the totality of this was too much for them to handle.”
The conductor—who noted that the wires were really a strip of cloth-like material which wound down the man’s arm and around his hand—was not satisfied with the passenger’s response and contacted the METRA Police, who boarded the train at the 57th Street station in Chicago. There the man advised officers that he is Jewish, lives in New York City, and was conducting his normal morning prayers and wearing traditional religious garb.
The officers thanked the man for his cooperation and apologized for inconveniencing him, Byrd said, and Train 108 completed its run to the Randolph Street station.
Byrd did note that South Shore passengers are encouraged, under the “See Something, Say Some-thing” initiative, to report any unusual behavior or activity on the trains. “The passengers did an excellent job of seeing something that didn’t look right,” he said. “The train crew did an excellent job of following up on their concerns.” “In New York City,” Byrd added, “nobody would have looked twice at the gentleman. Here we appreciate the passengers’ response.”
Posted 11/16/2007
Tefillin, (Hebrew: תפיליו), also called phylacteries, are two black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with biblical verses. The arm-tefillin, or shel yad, is worn on the upper arm, while the head-tefillin, or shel rosh, is placed above the forehead. They serve as a "sign" and "remembrance" that God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt.
I have to admit nevertheless that particular specimen shown here makes me think of a mind control device from Planet Zabar.
Or the Scientologist’s latest subcompact “E-meter.”
Ah, Randolph Street station...lower level of the Prudential Building... I miss working right above the station.
Is this something new? It looks suspicious? Now you’re probably thinking I’m a rube, but I know lots of Jewish people, have many friends who are Jewsish, but none are orthodox. So this just seems....somehow odd. I’ve never seen anything like this before.
I know a lot of Jews, and I have never seen anything like this. It's odd to the max. No I don't think you are rube.
It is a millenia-old observance of the divine command in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, specifically 6:8, from http://bible.ort.org/:
If you’ve been to a bar or bat mitzvah, you’ve undoubtedly heard the prayer, “sh’ma Israel, Adonai eloheinu, Adonai echad.” That’s Deuteronomy 6:4 in Hebrew.
The Reform English rendition goes something like this:
Be mindful of all My Mitzvot, and do them: so shall you consecrate yourselves to your God. I am your God who led you out of Egypt to be your God; I am your God.”
This is also the origin of the tradition of having a mezuzah on doorways.
I have never seen this in person, but would have recognized from the above.
If the media showed more before homicide bombings than after, perhaps this would be common knowledge.
BTW, did not know purpose till this thread :)
Sometimes you’ll see them on the news when they are doing stories about NY or Israel.
http://www.hasofer.com/html/tefillinposition.html
“So great is the mitzvah of tefillin that whoever wears them will live a long life.... and Raba said that all who wear tefillin and wrap themselves with a tallis, and say the Shema and pray are promised a place in Olam Haba,.... Abaye said that the fires of Gehinom will not affect him.... Rav Papa said that all of his sins are forgiven.” [Tur O”H 37}
Thank you, all of you, for your information.
This is what I value most from FreeRepublic - the free flow of information, about things I’ve never known.
On the right is former Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Alan Vinegrad, who turned to Orthodox Judaism after retiring from football.
Following the Super Bowl win, Veingrad retired from football back to Florida, where he rediscovered his Jewish roots and became an observant Jew, affiliated with the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. He now uses his Hebrew first name, "Shlomo", and travels around the country giving inspirational talks about his spiritual transformation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Veingrad
that seriously made my day, one of the funniest things ever
What is the leather band on the man’s left arm? I am a freelance photographer and did a shoot a while back with a nationally known talk radio host and he was greeted by a group of Jewish men who presented him with one of these. I meant to ask him when I got a chance but the schedule was pretty hectic and I never had the opportunity.
Many thanks!
Traditional Jewish prayer box prompts bomb scare on South Shore train...
yeah....all those terrorist JOOOOOOOS....know for suicide bombings....they get stopped....
but try telling a f’n muzzie to take the dish towel off his/her head....that is racist!!!!
Regardless of whether or not the original call was justified it does appear that the Chicago police handled this event properly. They investigated, realized the nature of what the gentleman was wearing, and apologized for his delay. The gentleman did not over react with the police and politely explained what the religious items where that he was wearing.
No harm, no foul.
I wear them 6 six-times a week for almost an hour a day. doesn’t seem to strange to me!
There are two leather boxes with scripture in them. One is worn on the head, the other on the arm. The one on the arm is held in place by wrapping the leather strap around the arm.
Most non jewish people don’t see them because they are used during weekday morning (I think) religious services. Most non-jews visit jewish services on Saturday or jewish holidays when they are not used.
The reason for using them is that the old testament says (or has been interpreted to say, I don’t remember which) that a particular prayer should always be in sight as a reminder.
Only very religous jews use them. Most jews do not.
Many thanks!
Several millenia, earliest relics date to the 2nd Temple period.
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