Israeli content creator Oren Lahav posted about putting on tefillin during Chol Hamoed Sukkos, sparking a wave of criticism from followers who pointed out that according to the prevailing halachic opinion, tefillin are not worn on the intermediate days of Yom Tov. Following the backlash, Lahav issued a public response.
"This morning I put on tefillin without knowing that you don't put them on during Chol Hamoed," he explained. "I did it with good intentions, just like I do every morning. I come from a religious home, and over the past year I've become more observant and gotten into it because it's been incredibly important for my soul, and I wanted to thank the Father in Heaven."
Lahav addressed those who chose to attack him online, invoking the principle of loving one's fellow Jew: "Do you know how good it makes me feel to put on tefillin every morning? I did this with the intention of fulfilling a mitzvah, not to violate anything. To those people who chose to hurt, humiliate and shame me, first of all, 'love your fellow as yourself.'"
He concluded with a message of learning and growth: "We fall, we're human. We learn from mistakes, and just as I've grown stronger in recent times, that's how I learn from everything. I didn't know that it's forbidden to put on tefillin on Chol Hamoed, and now I've learned it and I'll keep it firmly in mind."
