By Zeldy Glassner, counselor at Camp Gan Israel of Bangkok
Regardless of our nationality, we can often get caught up in the hustle and bustle life creates for us, becoming vulnerable to our own choices.
But once in a while we get a friendly or shocking pat on the back reminding us not to forget there is a Higher Being who runs the world and guides us through thick and thin.
This week a Jewish lawyer from Thailand experienced it.
Last Saturday night, Asiana flight 214 crashed as it was landing in San Francisco Airport. The crash-landing occurred to the Boeing 777 when the pilots realized the plane was about to stall and tried to delay the landing just seconds before it crashed on the runway, according to the National Transportation Safety Board chair who recovered this data from the black box. Sadly, it claimed the lives of three teenage Asian girls and caused injury to dozens of passengers.
Living in the Far East often requires businessmen and professionals to travel for work. It was no surprise when this lawyer was asked by his firm to attend a conference in San Francisco and suggested that he fly Friday night so he could work all week.
He explained that as a Jew, he does not fly on shabbos and it is a principle he simply cannot compromise. Understandingly, they rescheduled and he flew Thursday night from Seoul to San Francisco.
Unknowingly, his brave determination to keep shabbos holy saved him from the grips of the angel of death. If he would have flown Friday night he would have been on flight 214 that crashed Saturday morning.
“I have no clearer sign,” says the lawyer. “I am forever grateful to Rabbi Yosef Chaim Kantor who helped me make the decision to never fly on Shabbos.”
“Keep the Shabbos holy and Shabbos will keep you” – this verse came alive before our very eyes!
Gooo zeldy
go chaya raskin!
Goldie we miss you!!!
Easy for you to say,you were not on the plane.Why don’t you ask the survivors if they enjoyed the ride.
We love you rabbi kantor
welll some peple dont you dont have to be snobby
Zeldy,Ukraine is proud of u too!
Thank you.
That was kind
I wish you to never be in a situation where you realize how vulnerable we are as humans in this world. May G-d bless you that you continue living your life feeling independent, safe and secured.
Goooooooo Zeldy!! We are sooooo proud of you! All the way from KC!
Woohoo!
zeldy good job!!!!
Thanks to modern technology there were vary few casualty’s.
Chances are that he would he would be unharmed, even if he was to take that flight. In any case, inspirational.
In the 1950’s, there was someone who needed a yeshua (or refuah – both?). So the family went to all the Rebbeim of that time (Reb Arele Belzer; Bais Yisroel Ger; our Rebbe of course, etc.) and behold, a moyfess, and everything was OK.
So one (Paylisheh) chosid asked his Rebbe “so whose moyfess is it?”
His Rebbe answered “It will be known as the moyfess of the Rebbe with the most chassidim (who will spread the word further)” He paused and added: “Truthfully, it is the Eibishter’s moyfess, but he has very few chassidim”.
first flight was on 3 Tammuz in the year 5754. this was first crash of a 777 where people passed-away R”L. And on that flight, a Yid got saved, with the assistance of a Shliach.
amen to that. thank Gd someone else knows that.
This story just shows the tremendous effect shluchos has on the world! The kantors are unbelievable shluchim doing incredible work throughout the whole Asia! Keep up the amazing work, the Rebbe must be so proud of you all!!
Heshem makes miracles.
Go zeldy g
Its amazing that anyone survived the crash let alone almost the whole flight.
Nisbia! My teachers favorite song! CGI Bkk rucks the house!!
If you would listen to the news you would know! 3 people were killed and the rest survived. Some were injured. 1 of the people killed was hit by an emergency vehicle
To number 1 it’s the Rebbe
wow! i always admired the kantors for everything they stand for and how they raised their kids coming from so far away. may they be blessed with only nachas from their children and all the brochos. amen
thank you for sharing
where ther e peple in the airplan and got hurt??????????????
we can see clearly how the rebbe is still making miracles, but now it is through his shluchim and shluchos.