Finding Hashem in the flight delay by Rabbi Y R Rubin
The phone rings at 3.30 in the morning, never a good sign, especially when you are living in my world of being a rabbi. This column is named Rabbi’s Journal, so I guess the answering of that call should be included in the column. As I struggled with my negel vaser I could hear an automated recording coming out of the phone answering speaker: “We are sorry to have to tell you that your flight to New York City booked for this morning has been cancelled due to storm warnings in America. Please contact us for further scheduling.” Great, they didn’t even say goodbye!
With these few words our long-planned trip to a family simcha in Brooklyn were thrown up into chaos. Travelling today seems so much easier than in days of yore, yet when things go wrong now they do so with a vengeance. Suffice to say that Boruch Hashem, we finally arrived at our destination after a day’s rushing about and a realization in America that in fact the storm was not going to happen. After kvelling at the family event, we prepared to make our way home. Once more the weather handed us a challenge. After battling our way through the labyrinth that is called airport security and entering the plane, we were horrified to discover that the runway was frozen, so we all would have the honour of sitting, strapped in our seats for over two hours. Could somebody please buy these airport operatives a thermometer? The late departure led to our missing our connecting flight home-of course- so we ended up spending a few hours sorting out seats on another airline.
Now my readers may be expecting me to exclaim in large capital letters that the plane we missed got into trouble and all its occupants fell ill; that we were apparently saved from disaster despite all our discomfort. However, nothing of the sort happened!! And yet I am certain that in truth I was the recipient of Hashem’s bountiful chessed. I may not have been privy to its workings, yet I know as a Yied that nothing happens without reason and that Hashem is watching over me with His great benevolence. Hashem’s constant watchfulness isn’t always written in large letters, but that doesn’t mean that there is anything that happens without His Will. We are all recipients of daily miracles, and every supposed mishap is really a tool for our growth. Others may have looked on with concern, as no matter what hurdle was put in my way I just stumbled along with a smile on my nonplussed face.
“Everything revolves around you and your ability to see Hashem in your life”
The highlight of mankind’s history in this world must be that which is depicted in Parshas Yisro with our acceptance of Hashem’s Torah. Lightning and blaring sounds were heard as the rag tag group of former slaves stood trembling, about to hear the words of Hashem directly. The very utterance of those words caused our souls to leap out, and only through Divine grace were we given back our lives. In one moment everything became clear. “Anochi Hashem” I am G-d”! Now Klal Yisroel understood that everything is Hashem, the entirety of life and its experience is engineered through Him. This moment was the game changer for all eternity; never again could mankind have any query; it was there to experience with all our senses. Hashem is the Creator at every moment and every turn. The entirety of our people stood there and received this knowledge, heaven and earth came together as eternity held its breath.
Imagine the holiness of the moment, the astounding sense of clarity. You can just touch the holiness and feel the kedusha. One would imagine that coming from such heights the Torah would focus on further highly spiritual matters, yet the very next Parsha, Mishpotim, speaks of what seems to be mundane matters: business relationships, the value of workers and more. Where is the holiness in that? The heart wants to hear Hashem’s words, to fly up to the very heavens, and here we are talking about industrial accidents and animals behaving badly! Chazal tells us that this in fact is the very place of G-dliness. Hashem’s footsteps are found in the mind numbing day to day life where missed planes, flat tyres, and foolish mistakes are the reality. Seek Hashem in your business activities, in the way your treat your fellowman. Accept the worthiness of those around you and you will begin to fulfill your role as a powerhouse of Kiddush Hashem. “Hashomayim shomayim LeHashem, the heavens belong to Hashem, vehaoretz nosan livnai odom”, and this material realm belongs to mankind.” How, asks the holy Kotzker? By making it heavenly! Missing connections is about reconnecting. Nothing is mere happenstance. Everything revolves around you and your ability to see Hashem in your life.
This week is the Kotzker Rebbe’s yohrzeit so I will share yet another jewel from his Torah. “Where is Hashem?” asked the Rebbe of his chevra. After the usual answers of “all around us’, and everywhere” the Rebbe sighed and said, “Hashem can be found wherever we let Him in.”
Hashem is in the details of our lives, we just have to let Him in.