Tuesday, November 11, 2008

‘No one ever said a Mitzvah has to be easy’

The flight from Oregon to Rhode Island was like many of the myriad other flights I’d taken in the past. I had just finished my kosher Mexican chicken dinner, with pasta and mixed vegetables, a miniature Challa, a delicious chocolate cake and of course the half-frozen canned fruit that never seems to thaw out no matter how much they “nuke” it in the onboard microwave oven.

The first five hours of the flight had been uneventful. It was a crystal clear evening without a cloud in the sky. I had just finished dovening Mincha in the back of the plane and I was anxiously anticipating spending Shavuos with my Mom and Dad.

The pilot ordered us to buckle our seat belts, stow away our tray tables and return our seats to an upright position. Just as I snapped the metal seat belt buckle closed, a noticeable vibration shook the entire plane. Our ‘uneventful flight’ suddenly turned into a terrifying encounter! Another more violent shock wave struck the plane with horrifying force. A palatable fear invaded the cabin. I looked out the window to my left and the clear sky had turned into a tumultuous tower of Cumulonimbus storm clouds!

We were so close to the runway that it looked like we could reach down and touch the landing lights. The plane simultaneously started to roll up and down like a roller coaster and sideways like a salmon swimming upstream. The plane felt like it was no longer under the pilot’s control.

Shear terror swept through the cabin like a raging river. People were crying, praying and sobbing out loud as the plane continued to be tossed about like a paper airplane in the middle of a hurricane. I started praying to Hashem to protect us and deliver us to safety. I began reciting every single Hebrew prayer I had ever memorized. I started with the Shema, moved to Ashray, recited every part of the Amida and Alenu I could remember and when the plane continued to be tossed about like a paper doll I moved to the brachas for the lightning of the Chanukah candles! Anything that popped into my mind became a prayer to Hashem to save us.

The woman seated next to me was sobbing in long, terrifying wails. Just as it appeared we were going to crash, the pilot regained control of the aircraft and aborted the landing. Redirecting power to our engines he pointed the nose of the aircraft straight up and we took off like an arrow shot upward from a bow. The plane literally screamed through the storm, toward the promise of calmer skies. At the moment it appeared the plane couldn’t take any more, we smashed through the storm and into calmer skies. As suddenly as the terrifying force of nature had seized us, the terror was over and we were flying safely through the heavens. The pilot’s voice came through the overhead speakers and he informed us we were not going back to Providence but instead we were going to Boston, about 15 minutes away.

No one protested. The only sound you could hear for the next fifteen minutes were the sobs of relief and fear that still clung to the cabin. When we landed in Boston applause erupted in the cabin. We were safe and alive! Baruch Hashem. When the plane arrived at the gate, 70 of the 120 passengers on board disembarked. For them, the journey was over. They’d figure out how to get their bags tomorrow. For even though the captain informed us we’d be flying back to Providence within the hour, their long day’s journey was over.

After about 30 minutes on the ground, the plane was gassed up and we took off for Providence. Fifteen minutes later the wheels touched down and we walked from the plane into the arms of our tense but loving families. The nightmare was over. I took a moment and thanked Hashem for delivering me from this horrifying experience.

During the automobile ride to my parent’s home in Connecticut I reflected on my reaction and those of my fellow passengers during the worst part of the encounter. I guarantee that each and every one of us was pleading with G-d to spare our lives. Promises were made and oaths of future good behavior were assured. At that one terrifying moment G-d was as real to us as any single living entity in the cosmos. For three horrible minutes we knew in our hearts there was only one force in the universe that could save us. It wasn’t the pilot, the air traffic controller or the Boeing engineer that had designed the plane. No, the only force in the world that could deliver us from imminent danger was Hashem.

Yet as soon as we touched down and the danger was over, I’d wager the majority of us tucked our faith back into the inner recesses of our minds. Like a comfortable old sweater that we only take out on cold, blustery days, we put our faith back in the closet until the next time we needed it.

Each and every day we have a new opportunity to thank Hashem for his many blessings and gifts. It’s a shame that many of us wait until we are in personal danger before acknowledging his presence and recognizing his loving impact on our lives. One of the greatest gifts he ever gave us was free will. We have a choice to live a spiritual and righteous life or one of immediate reward and self-gratification. No one should ever have to go through an experience like the one I just described. But you know what? When the plane was rocking and rolling and everyone feared the worst, I never felt alone. I was afraid, but I never felt alone. I knew the G-d who loved me had a plan for me. I’d just have to wait and see the results of that plan. No doubts, no reservations, no question.

That absolute, unconditional, unshakable faith empowers you to face and embrace the challenges of life. Chabad of Delaware’s Rabbi Vogel likes to say, “Shlomo Yakov, no one ever said a Mitzvah has to be easy.” Sometimes it’s hard to get out of bed on a Sunday morning and doven. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell your boss you can’t play golf on a Saturday. Sometimes it’s frustrating to pass on that jumbo shrimp cocktail. But by choosing to perform Hashem’s commandments, you build, bit by bit, a tower of faith that will guide you through the most difficult moments of life. Like a lucrative investment, the Mitzvahs you perform today will pay huge dividends throughout your life. It’s an investment no money market fund can ever match.
Make a new choice today. Light a Shabbos candle, give a generous contribution to your Shul, read this week’s Torah portion. Take a moment to show the G-d who loves you that you appreciate the many blessings he bestows upon you and your family. Take your faith out of the closet and wrap your self in Hashem’s love. It beats a Saturday round of golf anytime.

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