Encounter on the Slopes Leads to a Meaningful Mitzvah

While skiing at California’s Palisades Tahoe, Zalmy Barber took his tefillin to engage Jewish skiers. When Larry said that he didn’t believe in G-d and never put on tefillin, Zalmy resolved to catch him, and sure enough, at the bottom of the slopes, Larry agreed.

By Anash.org reporter

At Palisades Tahoe, a prominent ski resort in Olympic Valley, California, an unexpected hashgacha pratis unfolded.

Zalmy Barber, a bochur from Crown Heights, was on the slopes when he bumped into a fellow skier and struck up a conversation with him. The skier, named Larry, mentioned that he was Jewish but didn’t believe in G-d and had never put on tefillin.

The two continued skiing together, and a thought crossed Zalmy’s mind: If I see him again, I’ll ask him to put on tefillin.

Minutes later, at the bottom of the mountain, their paths crossed once more. Seizing the moment, Zalmy asked if Larry would be willing to put on tefillin. To his surprise, Larry agreed and added that he’ll do it in honor of the hostages and soldiers in Israel.

“The encounter served as a powerful reminder for me of how hashgacha pratis works in mysterious ways, placing people in the right place at the right time,” Zalmy shared with Anash.org. “A casual conversation on the slopes turned into a meaningful moment of a mitzvah and connection to Hashem.”