Please scroll below this update for the original story.
Update, 03/11: Well this turned out to be more controversial than I thought it would be…
At any rate let’s make a few things perfectly clear:
1. My thoughts and deepest prayers are with every single man, woman, and child that was on-board MH370 as well as their families.
This story isn’t intended to diminish from the shocking events even one iota. It was only an attempt to shine a small glimmer of light into the darkness, just like stories of people who were saved from other tragedies.
2. This story is 100% true. I know the travel agent very well and he is a completely honest person who shies away from attention, even more so given the negative responses here, and while the saga is ongoing.
I examined the original unedited email exchange and I’ve heard from the traveler as well. I am absolutely positive that the story below is legitimate.
3. Call it a coincidence, call it the hand of G-d, call it whatever you want, but because a travel agent put his religious convictions and values over profit, Andy is alive and safe today.
4. The fact that the fate of hundreds of people is still unknown is a terrible tragedy beyond my comprehension. However hearing the true story of even 1 life being spared from that fate is something that shouldn’t be tossed aside like rubbish, as it means that 239 passengers are missing and not 240.
The Talmud says that he who saves one life is as if he saved the entire world. This particular article may focus on that one life, but does not imply that the disappearance of MH370 is any less of a tragedy.
5. In absolutely no way am I implying that G-d struck down the plane because of the Sabbath. Nor am I implying that anyone would ever deserve this fate. Again, Andy had a small religious awakening and for whatever reason, that had a direct correlation to him being safe today. It’s rare that we get to see a story like this with the digital trail left behind so neatly and I enjoyed reading it. I hope that sharing it inspired more than it offended.
6. I fervently hope that somehow, against all odds, we hear about the safe rescue of all onboard MH370. Once again, you are all in our prayers.
This is the original story as posted on 03/10:
The whole world’s eyes are on the far east, wondering how a Boeing 777 can just disappear without a trace. Malaysia Air Flight 370 took off from Kuala Lumpur at 12:43am this past Saturday morning and has yet to be located. Flying is the safest mode of transportation that exists today, so the disappearance of an airplane like this is really sobering.
I heard the following story firsthand from the travel agent involved. He is an avid DansDeals follower that I’m friends with. He sent me the unedited exchange that follows and I made the necessary edits to protect the privacy of the parties involved.
The saying goes, “More than the Jews have kept the Shabbos (Sabbath), the Shabbos has kept the Jews.” When I think of that saying, I picture my life if I were constantly wired 7 days a week. As it is, I feel like a slave to my digital devices, but the knowledge that Shabbos is right around the corner keeps me going. From sundown Friday evening until when the stars come out on Saturday night it’s 25 hours spent completely offline and it’s blissful. It’s 25 hours spent praying to G-d and consuming obscene amounts of calories eating scrumptious meals with family and friends. It’s perfect. Sure anyone can always disconnect, but there’s something awesome about the forced routine that can’t be properly explained to one who hasn’t experienced it.
But the saying goes much deeper than that in this story.
Click on any of the emails to enlarge them.
On 01/13/14 Andy emailed his travel agent his desired itinerary:
The travel agent, an Orthodox Jew, proposed the following business class itinerary, slightly altering the Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight from Saturday to Friday.
Andy loved the price, but again requested the Saturday morning flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing:
The travel agent responded that he would not be able to book travel for him over the Sabbath, but that he was free to book that flight by himself:
Andy agreed with that and planned to book the flight by himself:
And the travel agent noted that if he changed his mind to just let him know:
Shortly afterward Andy did just that:
And the travel agent recommended a place to get a nice kosher meal and booked him the originally proposed itinerary, flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on Friday early morning instead of Saturday.
Fast forward to 2 days ago. The travel agent is in Israel and reads this email once Shabbos is over. The email was sent after shabbos, at 7:15pm Beijing time/1:15pm Israel time:
And the travel agent wrote back, equally in shock at the realization of Shabbos saving his client’s life:
—————————————————————————
Indeed, due to the travel agent worrying about the religious observance of a fellow Jew, Andy was persuaded into flying on Malaysia Air 370 exactly one day prior to the ill-fated flight he wanted to take.
It’s not often we hear a story like this. It’s been 103 years since Rose was saved from the devastation of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire thanks to observing Shabbos. And now it was Andy’s turn.
Prayers go out to the families of those still missing.
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558 Comments On "A Chilling And Awe-Inspiring Malaysia Air Flight 370 Story"
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Chills and tears. Thank you for sharing!
Wow!!!! Shabbos is such a gift that I am so grateful for!!!
wow!
🙂
I have chills as I read this.
Thanks for sharing safe return for everybody in that flight!
Awesome, thanks for sharing!
WOW! This gave me chills. What a miracle. Glad he is safe but prayers go out to all those who are still missing. Thanks for sharing this
Wow!!!
Wow!!!!!
Ma rabu maasecha H.
Wow beautiful story! Incredible hashgacha pratis!
WOW!!
I’m speechless…. Thank you for sharing.
There are no words. Thanks for posting.
Ein od milvado!!! I have tears in my eyes .. Actually I’m balling!!!
OMG I am speechless! this story should be covered by all news agencies world-wide. What a beautiful kiddush hashem. Thanks Dan this was a real change of pace after all the forum controversy!
Unbelievable!!
What a kiddush hashem !
WOW WOW WOW. i’m speechless.
major kudos to the travel agent
Wow. Thanks for sharing, Dan. That was incredible.
Hope we somehow hear good news about the flight still.
Got the shivers!
Wow! No words, complete shock
How awesome!!
wow. just wow. the power of Shabbat… unbelievable. we dont realize the protection observing the shabbat has on us!
thank you for sharing, so amazing.
Wow what an amazing story awe inspiring.
one word “WOW!”
Sooo….. a coincidence much like many others than happened that day, I’m sure.
Ain Od Milvado !!!!
tears in my eyes too
Wow.
AMAZING STORY!!!! THANKS FOR SHARING, THIS WILL INSPIRE EVERYBODY!!!
I just want to add in the last 108 years there were more jews who got saved by shabbos financially or physically…if one searches you can find stories like that, this story is just chilling as we see the actual exchange and how it happened!!!
Thanks Again! AM YISROEL CHAI!!!
×›Ö´Ö¼×™ ×›Ö¹×” ×ָמַר יְהוָה ×œÖ·×¡Ö¸Ö¼×¨Ö´×™×¡Ö´×™× ×ֲשֶ×ר יִשְ×מְרוּ ×ֶת שַ×בְּתוֹתַי וּבָחֲרוּ בַּ×ֲשֶ×ר חָפָצְתִּי ×•Ö¼×žÖ·×—Ö²×–Ö´×™×§Ö´×™× ×‘Ö´Ö¼×‘Ö°×¨Ö´×™×ªÖ´×™.
×•Ö°× Ö¸×ªÖ·×ªÖ´Ö¼×™ ×œÖ¸×”Ö¶× ×‘Ö°Ö¼×‘Öµ×™×ªÖ´×™ וּבְחוֹמֹתַי יָד וָשֵ×× ×˜×•Ö¹×‘ ×žÖ´×‘Ö¸Ö¼× Ö´×™× ×•Ö¼×žÖ´×‘Ö¸Ö¼× ×•Ö¹×ª שֵ×× ×¢×•Ö¹×œÖ¸× ×ֶתֶּן לוֹ ×ֲשֶ×ר ×œÖ¹× ×™Ö´×›Ö¸Ö¼×¨Öµ×ª.
Wow!!! Chilling and amazing!
I am totally overwhelmed by the story. This is totally amazing. hashgacha pratis.
Amen brother. Rose is my wife’s great-great aunt. We told that story at my daughter’s naming (her middle name is Rose).
thanks for sharing with us
pls note the hardness this travel agent had saying what he had to – to a loyal costumer, but b”h he was the shaliach for saving this xostumer, the shabos pays for all !
Oh wow! Dan Thank u so much for sharing! I have chills and I’m shaking! We all need to follow the lead of this travel agent! To b more aware of our brethren and bring them closer to hashem! Thank u for showing us that we can do this through our every day jobs as well.
Just wow!
Wow
wow i would like to switch all my company travel over to this amazing travel agent pls post how i can contact him thank u
that story moved me to tears, literately!
Thanks for sharing, and may we all stay safe always.
I particularly liked the travel agents humble reply after the miracle played out!
Wow.. Goosebumps everywhere
Wow, Wow, Wow!!!
Wow amazing story shows hashems is watching us
Tears!
WOW! So impressed by the travel agent’s principles. I’m sure it’s cost him some hardships over the years, but he too has been rewarded by being part of this story.
@Gabi:
I want to add to my comment:
The travel agent gets a huge amount of credit as well. He made the decision that Shabbos is more important then making a few bucks (and possibly loosing a customer).
Here he gained too. 1) He saved a life, 2) The customer will keep using him now and 3) he made a huge kiddush hashem.
Thank G-d!
And nice to see Chabad in Beijing as an option for any Jew for a nice Friday night meal.
What a kiddush Hashem! Score one for Torah and mitzvoth!
I like this site, but this story is disgusting on so many levels.
What about all the other souls on that flight? Don’t they have children, mothers, loved ones who cry for them exactly like the Jews? What are you implying, that God wants to kill all the goyim and only keep the orthodox fanatics? Well, the history shows that this is not truth (quite the opposite) and if he does, I don’t want anything to do with such a racist God.
Better stick to your gluttonous consumerism without borders, Dan.
I served in the Israeli army, really defending Jews (unlike probably the majority of the ignorant readers who sing your praises on this horrendous piece of non-Jew hate), and I will be not surprised at all if such sickening posts are not reinforcing the image of Jews as penny-pinching, racist, primitive tribe, gleeful in face of others’ sorrow.
Let’s see if you have you know what to post this comment.
I know that you or your obsessed crowd won’t be ashamed, but I hope you’ll delete this obscenity before someone from the mainstream press discovers it.
@non fanatic jew,
Your comment is a textbook case of the pot calling the kettle black.
Your very username bespeaks your derision of religious jews!
Anyone with a religious education knows that G-d does not expect non jews to keep the Shabbos. In fact, they aren’t even allowed to! Any non jew who keeps the 7 Noahide laws is guaranteed a place in the World to Come.
Your accusation is ridiculous because no logical person would conclude that merely being grateful for one’s salvation equals gloating over another’s death. You are spewing irrational hate of the highest order. Would you rather this man Andy dead? Don’t answer that. You realize that by fighting for Israel you were also protecting religious jews.
We have enough enemies; we don’t need self-hating jews too.
Hey, If God wants to “kill all the goyim and only keep the orthodox fanatics”, there’s nothin no one can do bout it anyhow. But you can take a deep breath and think a little deeper too.
He made an effort to keep Shabbos and was saved, that’s all we know about the protagonist of this story. God wanted everyone else on the flight to disappear, crying and all, that’s all we know about the flight. It doesn’t have anything to do with sympathy or lack thereof.
wow! i do this too my clients as well, this inspires me to keep on doing this even thought i lose money sometimes! wow so amazing! this guy will become frum and write a book mark my words!
What is it with people these days? People cry at the drop of a hat.
Beautiful story? Yes.
You were bawling? Really?
Does anyone know the name of the Orthodox travel agent so this story can be verified?
thank u for sharing u should forward the story to pesach kron
Wow thanks Dan you should forward the whole conversation to all Jewish, papers ‘ v
מזל ×דר ×“×’×™× The Torah life is rewarding make Hashem holy by cleansing your souls that is the purpose you are here on earth keep the Shabbos keep the Mitzvos do it at a growing pace and you will be cleansed redeemed under Hashems protection,
Chills. Wow.
Dan, do you think twice about flying after such horrible stories ? Sure it’s safer, but there’s no such thing as a fender-bender when you’re flying.
@Non fanatic Jew:
Wow, talk about going through life being cynical.
I ended off that my prayers are with all of the families.
I don’t pretend to understand how Gd works. I don’t know why we had to suffer through a holocaust or an inquisition. I don’t know why he let a 9/11 happen. I don’t wish anything bad on any jew or gentile.
I do know that one person’s life was spared because of a travel agent with morals and a traveler who took his religious message to heart.
@Joe:
You’re hundreds of times more likely to die in a car crash or even just walking than on a plane.
These stories are sobering, but don’t merit second thoughts about flying.
Without meaning in any way to come across as preaching, it would magnify the Kiddush Hashem infinitely if all of us reading this story would resolve to strengthen our own Shmiras Shabbos in some small way. It’s not every day we are privileged to see Hashem’s hand revealed so overtly.
@Non fanatic Jew: I think you’re misunderstanding the point of the story .The point of the story is that a religious orthodox Jews will not and cannot cause another Jewish person to desecrate laws pertaining to the keeping of the Sabbath. So because he refused this customer’s request this action by keeping the Torah is responsible for the survival of this particular person.
wow amazing story, am very inspired, thanks dan for posting!!
Wow!!!שבת קודש
Dear Dan,
Why post comment #47? It is disgusting!
@Non fanatic Jew: Thank you for your reply. My thoughts exactly. This was a coincidence – nothing more, nothing less.
Correct, God made a coincidence. I guess it’s a simpler word to describe Devine Providence?
WOW..it makes you really appreciate the power of keeping shabbat..thx for sharing this incredible story!!
@Non fanatic Jew: he did end off Prayers go out to the families of those still missing.
but either way your comment screams ignorance, how do you even imply that this article implies that the others deserve or whatever your trying to imply?? shabbos is a protection, fact is that whatever happened to the plane unfortunately happened and we feel bad about it, does not mean we should not be happy that one person was spared, or that it was shabbos that spared him, if someone by some miracle was spared death from the 911 tragedy, do we not tell others because so many died??
This is insanely awesome! Bh!
thank you for sharing. truly inspiring!
I just read the word WOW a lot of times. What is wow to the power of wow?
WOW crazy story this story should be all over the news and papers. they have to know what Hascho protus is all about
this is incredible
@Non fanatic Jew:
First of all, thank you for your service in the IDF protecting Israel.
Second: Every human being is a creation of G-d, and there isn’t a single passenger on that flight whose blood is more or less red than mine or yours. That isn’t the point of this story at all.
Terrible tragedies happen every day, all around the world. Judaism doesn’t see them as senseless, though, but as decreed from Above, for reasons that we can’t possibly begin to understand.
Avoiding travel to avoid crashes makes as much sense as avoiding food to avoid choking; we live our lives with the belief that there is a purpose and a reason to everything that happens, and if/when our ‘number is called’, so to speak – that’s what the Heavenly plan had in store for us.
That being said, there are forces that can fight Heavenly decrees, that can plead our cases, that can weigh the scales in our favor when our future is called to judgement. One famous force is charity, the meaning behind the axiom “Tzedaka tatzil mimavet”, “Charity saves from death”. Another is Shabbos, as quoted above – when we guard Shabbat, Shabbat guards us.
That doesn’t mean that a victim of tragedy was lacking in some way, or G-d forbid “deserved” anything. The whys of what G-d does will forever be beyond our comprehension. What that does mean, though, is that Andy had, however accidentally, tapped into a powerful defender – Shabbat. And Shabbat protected him from the Heavenly decree that had been laid against him – to be on that flight.
WOW, BH for the travel agents Ahavat Israel
@adult: +100
Beautiful!
As for #47 you didn’t have to mention you served in the army you can tell what mindset you’re from from your comment…..you too will have a day when you will turn to Gd for help and you’ll put your tail between your legs and realize there is nothing wrong with being proud to be a Jew and realizing you’re special and thanking Borei Olam for being kind to you and he will answer your prayers even after you’ve been such a jerk
@Non fanatic Jew:
You come across very bitter. Though we are grateful for your IDF service, how does the story imply that anyone on the plane deserved death? Answer: It doesn’t.
Fact: Client intended Shabbat travel. Fact: Travel agent goaded him to do Friday instead. Fact: Client relented. Fact: If client on that plane would have chosen that flight he’d be a dead man. Opinion: “Thank you” (7:34 pm) is one of the most cynical people around. Opinion/speculation: Client would agree a major miracle occurred.
Wow! Unbelievable story!Thanks for sharing!
Wow! Unbelievable story! Thanks for sharing!
Unbelievable!!!!!!
@Ari murkoff: He’s not trying to understand any point. He just wants to go off on a tear, which he did.
I agree this is an incredible story and I find the comparison to the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire disheartening. The girls who worked in that factory were dirt poor and faced a much more difficult life situation than whether somebody ought to fly on a business trip in the Far East one day earlier or later. I humbly believe those souls died Al Kiddush Hashem in that their being niftar brought about labor regulations that have saved countless lives since.
@Non fanatic Jew: All i think this article was implying is that god saved him from a tragedy that was bound to happen anyway (not that God kills anyone that’s not a Jew, or someone that is not Sabbath observant.)
But I guess each person has his own way of extracting some unique point in a story.
I’m so deeply touched by the travel agent’s commitment to Shabbos that he wants to forfeit commissions that would come through booking his clients trips (that are Jewish) on Shabbos. Intrusive? I guess that argument could have been made on January 13th, yet I think history has vindicated the travel agent. He is even such a mentsh that he guided the client on how to book the ticket himself if he so chooses to travel on Shabbos, so long as he will have zero financial benefit from the Shabbat travel. Wow!
@Non fanatic Jew: I feel sorry that you totally missed the point of this story. Be happy and positive and you will feel great!
@Thank you:
Exactly-it was a “coincidence”. But my thoughts as a believer is that just as G-d created this world and continues to run it -He is also responsible for all those “coincidences” that occur daily. Some “coincidences” appear greater then others, but they are all G-d planned. I enjoyed reading about this “coincidence”. Thanks Dan for posting.
follow the lead of this travel agent tell us his name at least ask him if you can so we send business over his way he deserves it
@Non fanatic Jew: You are making a big mistake, god wasn’t the one to kill these passengers, and wasn’t the one who saved this passengers life, ultimately it was this passengers choice not to fly on the holy Shabat that saved him.
God is not killing no one it is the evil choice of humans who choose to do evil, do you expect God to immediately stop any evil person from committing a crime? If it turns out some Arabs brought this plane down it was their decision to do so, not Gods, Hashem gave us the choice to do good or bad and he doesn’t interfere, miracles do sometime happen, but proper choices of people will sometimes turn out to be their biggest life saver.
When the entire world would behave according to the Torah there would be no Evil in this world, all the nations that the Jews wiped out on the Word of hashem were the worst kind of humans that ever lived.
Dear Dan, please don’t pay any attention to this pitiful person and continue to bring us such kind of uplifting stories and your Zechus will be amazing.
I am trying to make sense of this story. Why would God play favorites and save one Jew but let 239 non-Jews perish?
WOW!!!
Dan, it would be a great idea if you can forward the article to the publice via mishpacha Aim Yated….
its an unbelievable story that everyone should know about.
@NaH:
Again, I can’t fathom Gds ways or why he allows evil and tragedy to exist. That’s way beyond my paygrade.
I don’t think Gd played favorites here, I’ve even read that there were other Jews onboard this flight.
I think this story just shows one Jew who decided to honor Gds commandment to the Jews to honor the Sabbath and because of that he is still alive today. And it’s about another Jew who put religion over profit and helped make that happen.
@Non fanatic Jew:
As you can see a lot of people have “you know what” to reply to the comment. To tell you the truth I don’t think you need “you know what” to post to the comment because your racist slur wasn’t to logical in the first place (and you probably don’t still have your gun with you).
I am just waiting to see if you have “you know what” to defend your position. Or are you going to retreat into you racist cynical world. I wouldn’t feel comfortable letting such a coward defend Israel.
@Non fanatic Jew:
How was the asifia yesterday??
Why can’t you once in your life acknowledge that G-d exists?? We don’t know why G-d does certain things. But when a miracle like this happens one should give thanks.
@dan amazing story. Travel agent has really good prices for those flight. Can I have his details so I can use him.
@Non fanatic Jew: Look at the mirror. The only one who promotes hate here is you.
@Malka: beautifully said! Thank you!
@shaun:
I think you missed the point of the story:)
@Non fanatic Jew: Your self hating, it’s a beautiful story of survival. Can one not celebrate there birthday because other people died this year and can’t celebrate their birthdays??? Can one not rejoice from recovery of a terminal illness because other people didn’t recover??? Stop looking at the negative and try and look at the positive. You’ll be a lot happier.
This is so beutifull that’s what is such a good quality of Shabbos
This story is truly inspiring. Such a pitty there was one jew from russia who started keeping mitsvos sometimes but failed to keep shabbos yet. And he was on that flight R”L. Anyways I’m allways in for such stories. Thanks Dan!
@Doniel Yehuda: very well said. So holy and spiritual. Your an inspiration to us all
Usually these stories end with the guy becoming frum I hope it will follow soon!!!!!
Dan!
You’re doing the job of a chabad shluach from your computer 🙂
What if the plane that went down was the one he was on. Would you then say his death was because he kept Shabbos? These things happen all the time (changing schedule) that results in one living or dying.
Doniel Yehuda wow that says it all!!!!perfect
beautiful, no words
An amazing story and reminder to stay observant. Thank you for sharing.
@Dan: I bet you saw this coming, but I guess the 100/102 positive comments made it worthwhile.
@Non fanatic Jew: Thanks for showing the world what serving in the IDF does to ones rationality and religious perception. You truly have gone out of your way to let us know why the Rabbis are right, and why Chareidim must do everything they can to make sure they don’t get drafted into the army
this is the most amazing and inspirational story that i have heard in a long time! this travel agent made such a kiddush hashem just by sticking his morals and not selling another Jew a ticket, even though it meant that he would lose out! He ended up indirectly saving another Jew’s life!!!
@HM: But it didn’t happen that way. Stop with the ” what if’s “
@Non fanatic Jew: You don’t happen to live in Australia by any chance, an Aussie? Your words sound so familiar. I am “friends” with you on facebook and you spout the same condescending filth all day long. Just get over it buddy.
Rose Goldstein chose a life style. This guy chose to not fly on Shabbos, hardly the same thing. Dollars to donuts that he was not shomer shabbos. Although I give credit to the agent for not booking flights on shabbos, its a logical fallacy to say that keeping shabbos saves lives. As comment #101 pointed out you probably wouldn’t say the same thing if the situation was reverse.
@Non fanatic Jew: Go see a therapist
@HM
Please read #83
… my thoughts as a believer is that just as G-d created this world and continues to run it -He is also responsible for all those “coincidences†that occur daily…
You can choose what you want to believe in
And thank you Malka that was very well said
Non fanatic jew: What you don’t seem to understand is that he didn’t miss the flight
Because of a traffic delay,HE CANCELED THE FLIGHT BECAUSE IT WAS SHABBOS
So it’s quite clear that SHABBOS SAVED HIS LIFE!!!
Maybe the New York post should post such a story on their front page instead of the screaming headline they wrote abt Menachem stark!!!
This is a GR8 story. Why is it that some of the comments are negative. Can’t we all be united and appreciate a great true story and learn from it instead and be positive, after all our world is in a very bad situation and the only 1 thing that will bring the GEULA is if we all just appreciate each other lets stop all of this negative attitude Let there be peace. Amen
@Non fanatic Jew: Dear Non fanatic Jew, you and I share a common pride in being Jewish and in support of the IDF, however, by linking your service in the IDF and the venom with which you appear to be expressing yourself seems to suggest that you actually come from an observant family and in the course of your service gradually departed from the holy path your parents and grandparents had sacrificed their lives for. Be honest with yourself, do you think your own 2nd generation will still identify themselves with Israel?.
Being an observant Jew may not be the easiest thing in a secularist and materialistic world we live in but believe me it helps to maintain a balance and purpose in life and for life. Afterall, what was being praised in the article was that as a direct outcome of one Jew caring for another fellow Jew’s spiritual well being he actually saved his life physically. Wouldn’t you be equally grateful if g-d forbid this episode happened to you.
Shabboss….
Wow wow and wow again
Thanks for shearing
I am a travel agent I Leider do have costumers non religious Jews that fly on shabbos all the time but with speaking with my ruv several times about it I was to I do nothing wrong as they will fly anyway even I don’t book it for them. The money I make on it is for my time of work during my weekdays. But it’s a very nice thing from that agent for doing his efforts trying to make them not fly. And I’m sure it will be a big zechus to hopefully get that Yiddish kid abserve the shabbos kodesh
@Non fanatic Jew: When Andy would have been on the plane, and it would crash and everyone dies except for him then you can say Gd saved a jewish life over other non-jews. But as it happens to be that he was at all not on the plane, just his own decision to be observant of shabos, is what saved his life!
@HM:
Oh, but it didn’t!
Wild.
@Also a Believer: I respect your beliefs and your religion. I hope you feel the same way.
It is amazing how many plane crashes occur over Shabbat. I recall the SAA Drakensberg crash near the Seychelles happened on shabbat about 30 years ago & there are many others.
@HM:
If I don’t know the answer to 1234567890×1234567890… does that mean I don’t know the answer to 1+1?
Just because I don’t understand everything doesn’t mean I don’t understand anything.
If the story would have happened as in your comment, that would have been hashgacha pratis too, however I wouldn’t have understood it. The way the story did happen was hashgacha pratis that I do understand.
Thank you Dan for sharing!
@Non Fan-Jew Are you afraid to answer everyone? Are you afraid of the truth?
By the way Hashem sites in the Torah that no good comes to the man that says “Kuchom V’otzem Yodi Osoh Li Es Hachayil Hazeh”!
@Non fanatic Jew:
I am sorry you feel this way- you are a fellow Jew and I just wanted to say I love you for who you are. I do not agree with what you are saying and with your opinions but deep down you are probably a good person and are attempting to understand this confusing and challenging world we all live in. May Hashem grant you love and happiness in your life and help you see the good in the world.
@Uri from Jerusalem:How does that tie in with this thread?
@Non fanatic Jew: @ Non Jew Fanatic No one is minimizing the loss of life here. G-D created all of us, including the ignorant readers. You obviously have a pretty deep hatred to all people who feel proud to be a religious observant Jew. The story is a horrible story and we cannot understand Hakodosh Baruch Hu’s plan.
Thanks for defending the Jewish state. All power to you. However, you erred badly with your assumptions here, today.
Thank you,
A competitive triathlete(who is also chareidy with laange Peyos) Please don’t hate me:(
@CC
AAAAAAA1111111
TO THE POINT!!!!!!!
@Non fanatic Jew: Where did you learn such a warped way of thinking ? Would you think the same way if it this story happened to you and it was you this story was about ?? Do you really think you would remain the atheist that you seem to be ? I really hope for your sake that one day soon you will be able to learn how to think clearly and rationally.
@Thank you: Really? Coincidence? DNA, 23 pairs of Chromosomes each one unique and with it’s purpose. Coincidence? Probably all happened with a BIG BANG??????????
Think about it for a moment or go take another biology class to jolt you awake!!!!!!!!!!
×™×©×¨×™× ×“×¨×›×™ הש×, ×¦×“×™×§×™× ×™×œ×›×• ×‘× ×•×¤×•×©×¢×™× ×™×›×©×œ×• ב×
Thanks for the interesting story.
We who are aware of Gods presence, see these and greater miracles every day. From thd moment we get up until the moment we retire, and then some. Wheareas these who unfortunate souls that don’t know about god. Everything is a “conincidence” beginning with the big bang. This story is especially inspiring coming up with the big “coincidence” of the miracle of Purim
does anyone here think that this guy on the shabbos didnt to any melacha? he probably would of been mechalel shabbos much less if hed be in a plane
just sayin
He agreed not to fly specifically due to Shabbos. See the email.
Get over it, it did not save his life it’s just called luck nothing else.
@NFJ
Your comment is total provocative jibberish.
Being a believer in g-d,
I fully understand the “chance” happening that occurred, it is quiet an amazing story that can definitely be understood in the way implied.
That said, I’m sure other non Jewish people missed this flight or have been spared death in some other way and are attributing it to some other cause.
But unanimously any thinking person (Jewish or not) to experience such an occurrence, would ask “why me?” and would strive to be a better person however it is they feel they have too, so to justify their continued existence.
@incendia: Do you have or have you heard any stories where the situation was reversed ? To the best of my knowledge it’s no so simple that the reverse could happen in under these circumstances and it didn’t. Just like there are laws of nature, there are laws of spirituality and I believe one of those laws is that generally during a time a person is following the will of G-d, he is protected at least during that time.
So if you believe this is a coincidence then you don’t believe in God?
@Non fanatic Jew: your look on. Life is so backwards.
@HM:
Judaism doesn’t believe in there being any coincidences, but let’s try not to turn this into a theological debate…
@Non fanatic Jew: the article said nothing to discredit the fate of those on board the doomed airliner, it merely shared a heartwarming story about a man who’s fate was changed at the last minute. Its not to diminish from the tragedy, it is merely to shed light on something positive that happened to this particular individual. You are one sad self hating Jew, I bet if you ask this particular man what he thinks of orthodox Jews, now that one just saved his life, his view would be much different than the one you paint here.
@Non fanatic Jew: Hey, why the anger? Dan told one miraculous story and in as much as we are all curious about what happened to the other passengers, and how it’s truly mysterious, we must appreciate the small things in life. Serving in the IDF is amazing and we all salute you, we pray for you every day, and especially on shabbat, but it doesn’t stop there. We are individual and each of us has a story. This is just one inspiring story. and like we pray for you in the army, we pray that the passengers are safe. And if nothing else, this shows that the travel agent has a backbone. He doesn’t waiver in his beliefs and I’m sure, as someone who’s served us as a nation, you would appreciate that. Wishing you a happy, miraculous Purim and maybe you can share a story that happened to you in the IDF.
What a shame that the Russian jew didn’t use the same travel agent he might have saved another jewish life!!
This is an inspiring story, what also inspiring is that we breath and gods giving us bread and water and clothing this is not less inspiring then this story that happened with Andy we just don’t realize it because it’s happening to us on daily basis.
Thanks dan for sharing this magnificent story with us.
# 47 is a sample how it looks someone hoo served in the Isreali army r’l how his mind runs
Wow. What a story.
Truly amazing!!! Very inspiring
Thanks for sharing.
This kind of thread really irritates me. Ive read the responses from the top and am disgusted as well at the total lack of respect or comment left for the families until a similar comment to this was made. Typical selfish self centered behaviour ive come to know from the orthodox jewish community and im glad to be out of it! No one even knows what happened to the plane yet , there are families in greif going through hell but you cant wait to jump on the chosen-one bandwagon. Its shamefull that a praying comunity doesnt offer prayers to those who need it. If this was an israeli flight I’m sure there would be prayer messages left! Think about how you as a people are perceived from this thread. Racism works both ways.
@David:
I included my prayers in the post. And I fail to see how this is racist. Like I said, there were other Jews on the plane.
Post-9/11 there were many stories of survivors who should have been in the towers but were miraculously (or coincidentally if you insist) not.
Does that mean their stories should not be told because so many others perished and suffered?
Amazing story! I bet this man will start keeping the laws of shabbos. Unfortunately since we are in galus we (jews) don’t have an understanding of who we are as a nation. When we had the kingdom miracles would happen every day and there was no way not to believe in a higher power (G-d) since we don’t have that today people’s beliefs are lost. That is why people here debate this story. SAD …. very SAD
I”m yearning for the ultimate redeemer who will bring us as one in all areas of life.AMen
@malka: indeed it is
@Non fanatic Jew: When the Lubavitcher Rebbe told Arik Sharon not to go on the airplane back to Israel and the plane was hijacked, someone close to Sharon asked the Rebbe why he didn’t just save the whole plane…
Anyone know the rebbe’s answer? I think it talks to your concern.
@Sari:
You go girl!
The ultimate reward for mitzvot is mostly hidden in this life. But occasionally, we get a glimpse of their transformative effect on our life and our neshama…
Truly amazing, the power of shabbos. Leaning toward foul play, for all we know this plane could be part of a much bigger plot. Hope we find it real soon.
Wow wowowowowow
@Non fanatic Jew: There are some good psychologists and psychiatrists out there. Perhaps you should seek them out. Might cure your insecurities and self-hate.
@Dan: Look at comment #144 and try and understand how a non Jew might see this as only caring for Jews. I don’t believe that was the intent on the comment but I am not your average non Jew.
@HM:
And that was not your average commenter.
At any rate, it the story itself racist in any shape or form?
thanks for sharing Dan! as always proud to be a yid!
@Dan
Please erase @NFJ and @David commont. I can’t see jewish people writing like this on jewish sites. Its a shame. Perhaps they are waiting for answers and they need a little התחזקת they aren’t writing cuz they don’t believe in god, but because they want people to answer and explain them.?!
It remines me when the rav haroshi had a debade with yoer lapids father if there was a god by the holacost. Lapid started shouting how horible it was no god etc. He was screammming. When he calmd down the rav haroshi said if you really think there is no god you wouldn’t scream like that for nothing. Its that you admit there is god but you have complaints why he let the second w w. ×”× ×¡×ª×¨×™× ×“×¨×›×™ ×” we don’t know why 1 yid died and one happly escaped death. But one thing is for sure “if you keep the Shabbos, Shabbos will keep you”!
its a real shame how people can read such an amazing story and have such hate.
may G-d help them find clarity in life.
@Dan: No! It shows your deep belief in your faith.
@David: the orthodox community is bad ? Go read the vile & disgusting comments on LL after every tragic movie. & u call this bad ??
@HM: And what’s wrong with that ?
WOW, Im at a loss of words.
Wow Tnx dan
Dan, No the story is not racist but it jumps on the chosen one aspect that the orthodox feed on. The posts however are what I’m noy happy with, not one prayer or r.i.p offered. And for “bawling” posters, did they “bawl” thinking there may be 2 infants sat at the bottom of the ocean? It doesnt appear so. Reminds me of a holywood movie where it doesnt matter who dies as long as the star is saved then we can all leave the theatre happy. Its just wrong and looks very bad on here.
If this story is true — and it sure looks true to me — it is one of the greatest “how I cheated death” stories of all time.
I look forward to seeing the travel agent and the traveler on all the media outlets in the next few days. It’s a story that must be told.
@David: You are a depressed person, who fails to find light among the darkness. What happened was terrible to all involved. But somehow, you manage to find hate among this tragedy. You disgust me.
Dan, thanks for sharing.
Wow a beautiful story. God watches over the people who keep his Torah.
@Jamie: Really? Exaggerate much? Or just unstable?
@HM:
I’ll take that 😀
@David:
I’m not sure RIP is appropriate when relatives still hold onto whatever glimmer of hope.
And people did offer prayers but I think most people just enjoyed reading about a story with a happy ending in a world with constantly bleak news stories.
@iahphx:
Definitely true. I’m friends with the TA and I was sent the original email chain and did the editing myself.
However this TA shies away from attention, so I’d be shocked if you see his face on any media stories.
@Tim: Nothing that I know of.
A good friend of mind has told me there is no such thing as mere coincidence.
Everything in the world is a direct “Kuh-Incident” planned by Hashem. Instead of saying co-incidence we must realise that everything is from Hashem “Kuh-incident”.
Just sharing this with you
@yitz hatred, insults and abuse from any fanatic is expected. @dan prayers were only offered after @not a fanatic posted his views. My comments were directed at those above who offered no thought toward the victims.
I think the answer the Rebbe gave in the Arik Sharon story was something like: I did not see that the plane would be hijacked – I just saw that you should not get on that plane.
Veery nice.nice to hear good things
So the couple of the people here failed to recognize that the travel agent had no idea that something was going to happen to the plane he only had an idea that the traveler wanted to travel on Shabbos
@Jeff:
I don’t think it is outrageous to say that there was a situation where a Frum Jew died from a random act that could have been avoid if they weren’t frum. Think shabbos candles that burn houses or getting hit by a car walking to shul on shabbos
Specifically I recall that a few years back a family in borough park died in a house fire. The fire was started from heat of a blech that transferred through aluminum foil covering counter tops (this happened on pesach)
Using the logic from this story one could argue that this family died because they were shomer shabbos or pesach.
Hey everyone: that guy non fanatical jew or whatever he called himself- HES A SELF HATING JEW STOP RESPONDING TO HIM!! It’s feeding his appetite! Ignore him! Do you think answering him will change what he believes??? Haters gonna hate.. Don’t waste your time
Someone was supposed to fly on Saturday September 8 2001. His Rabbi begged him not to fly on Shabbos so he rescheduled for the next available flight which was September 11. He died. Who’s telling his story?
If my story really happened, would it prove there’s no god? Of course not. So don’t use these stories to prove there IS a god. Maybe there is and maybe there isn’t but these stories are absolutely meaningless even if true. Belief is a leap of faith. Take the leap if it feels right and works for you but understand that it IS a leap and please stop trying to believe that you have it figured out and trying to convince others.
To all ddf readers.
As a proud Jew, and an ex-idf soldier.
@Dan amazing story!!! i like to read through the comments of stories/articles i like, and I the comments on this are very disturbing. from my life experience, bad is the absence of good, while all bad happens for the purpose of good. In my 26 years i should have died (from terror attacks)many times (living in the settlements from 1996 to 2002). and from my army service 2006 to 2009 (Lebanon 2 included). and my health…
in every situation throughout my life, god has changed the out come….. (for the good)
life is not easy, we all know that. jews have a certain responsibility, and yes EVERY JEW even @Non fanatic Jew:
I’m not sorry that people don’t understand physics or math like i like, but i dont put them down or degrade them.
Those lives on the plane, each and every one of them is a soul… is anyone sad that it was short one soul? i hope not!
does one jew have the power to give or take life? no, but god gives them the option to do so, and the strong ones do.
to the rest of the readers, please understand that the ability to give oneself to a higher cause is not easy.
@Anonymous:
Jewish philosophy teaches that Gd is good. So when good things happen, it’s easy to understand and attribute to a good deed. Especially when it’s as clear-cut as this. Had he not been persuaded not to fly on Shabbos he’d be in the same situation as everyone else on the flight.
When tragedy happens it’s also Gds will, but our minds are too small and feeble to comprehend the ways of heaven. Ultimately there is a divine reason for it, but we can’t possibly begin to understand or explain it.
When someone dies we bless Gd. Because we trust that He has a plan.
But we wish each other to only know revealed good. Because things are better for everyone that way, even among those who don’t wish to believe.
It’s amazing the confirmation bias (look it up) that people have. When Christians lives are same through similar flukes do Jews believe it was Jesus? When Muslims are saved do Jews attribute it to Allah? What about all the people that have been killed or injured while traveling somewhere to make it in time for shabbos? Or what about all the tragic accidents that don’t have any stories like this? Neither shabbos nor God had any roll in this dude missing his flight
@Dan:
Is the storey racist? No, but it can be seen to value the lives of non Jews and non frum Jews as less.
@yid: I know many people who served in the IDF who would completely disagree with this character so please lets not discredit the IDF whose members put their life on the line every day. There are two extremes so don’t be the other extreme with a different kind of faulty reasoning and put yourself in the same boat as non fanatic Jew.
what did he mean by “ticket will be sent within 24 hrs” who sends tickets anymore…sounds fishy
@incendia:
That’s a very jaded read of what I wrote.
Try reading it again without those glasses on, it’s just a nice story of someone who lived to see another day.
@Hugh Cohen:
Obviously you’re not in the airline ticket business.
When you book a ticket (especially with multiple airlines) it goes through processing until an E-Ticket number is issued.
At that point a travel agent will email the passenger the full ticket details with an E-Ticket number.
NFJ must be someone who tried avoiding death but failed and therefore cant stand the fact that Andy was able to do so… i really believe that im making a mistake with responding to this nonsense but… 😉 so:
God watches on every single object he created including every person on the missing flight and including you NFJ (whether you like it or not), same he did for Andy in this case in which he sent a loving message to him “please keep shabbos” – we are certainly not sure why he decided to save him and not save others but we are absolutely inspired when receiving such a clear message. Get well soon NFJ
p.s. its ridiculous how such a heartwarming story should get interrupted by depression spreaders. Dan, please reconsider posting such next time, you’re still the best.
@negative comments
First coincidence or whatever you want to call it, if he would have been stuck in traffic you would have to say the traffic saved his life, here you have to admit being more observant in regards to Shabbat saved his life. Period.
2nd point, if your brother or sister or anyone close to you would be on the plane wouldn’t your concerns be for them above the other people and if they would be saved wouldn’t it be a cause for happiness despite the overall tragedy, so what’s wrong if we feel closer to a fellow jew?
Finally, my prayers for all those affected.
to number 47
we obviously feel for everyone else on that flight. every person is is likened to an entire world. and that’s exactly the reason why when atleast one person/soul is saved it means the world to us and forsure for every person more that was saved means so much to us. when something bad happens we generally try to look at the positive..and what we could learn out from what happened In the future rather then to just look at the bad side of things. If even one more person begins to keep the holy day of shabbos then it was worth printing this story and especially since we don’t know how many people this story could had eon then in a positive way.
@incendia: It should be seen to value any human being doing a good deed, For a Jew one of those good deeds is to remember the Sabbath to keep it holy. That’s all there is too it having nothing to do with anyone’s degree of frumkeit. The mere acts of two good deeds by one who happens to be frum and by one who happens to be not frum saved a man who happens to be not frum. What are you talking about ??
Wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow
@CLARITY: well said
@Malka: well said!
and btw 47 etc, why are you so mad that humans are happy when another human was saved??
what do you care that by coincident it is a Jew?
To address NF-Jew’s comment:
You seem to interpret an extra level of compassion between Jews as being equivalent to less-than average compassion toward non-Jews. Your logic is flawed for the following reasons.
(1) How many non-Jews (who did not know the identity of any passengers) would get emotional over hearing that a person they did not-know was saved from death?
(2) A significant number of PUBLIC hospitals in this country (USA) were started by Jews. Jews were highly involved in the fight for racial equality in this country, and Jews are leaders in philanthropy among non-Jewish institutions. Jews are world-class leaders in compassion to people of all stripes.
These and other facts demonstrate that in fact, Jews are more empathetic to tragedy of non-Jews, than most non-Jews are to tragedy’s of other non-Jews.
Still you would ask “Why can’t Jews take that extra level of compassion and apply it equally to every human on the planet? The reality is that it’s simply not possible to feel the pain of every human being in the whole world equally. There is a limit to everyone’s emotional energy and we feel more acutely for those with whom we relate to more closely.”
I empathize with the tragedy of Jews and to the tragedy of Non-Jews, to American and non-American, to family and non-family, and to co-worker and competitor, but I still often feel a closer connection to an American than a non-American, to family than non-family, to a co-worker than to a competitor, and to a Jew than to a non-Jew.
It’s not a function of one person’s blood being redder than another, it’s the degree of connection I feel with those individuals.
There are many reasons Jews feel an extra bond with each other. There is a common history of persocution and grandeur. There is the extra shared obligation to take responsibility for each other as ourselves, in addition to the responsibility care for all people . . . and creatures too.
The bottom line is that Jews care about non-Jews more than non-Jews care about non-Jews. Suggesting any excess care they have to each other is hate is simply a disortion of the truth.
With Love,
A Jew
@Rational Jew: A person told Rabbi Avigdor Miller that he finally came to the realize gods presence in the world. He went on some crazy mountain biking and slipped of a 70 foot cliff. Being sure these are his last few seconds, he cried out “Shema Yisrael..” just before he bumped into a rock that flipped him to fall onto a tree and survived!
In place of saying “wow!” etc. he replied:
“And who do you thing pushed you off that cliff in the first place?!”
Do we always understand why someone dies or why someone is saved? Absolutely not! We don’t KNOW that this person was saved because of Shabbat. All we know is that Shabbat is A saver (this story was not meant to PROVE that), and that this person was saved. You can definitely still say that the saver and the saved just coincided. God might have had a completely different reason for saving him…
@Rational Jew: Actually observant Jews do attribute it to”A” when Muslims are saved or not saved or any one else for that matter, since that is the Arabic name for who observant Jews and observant Muslims both believe is the Creator of the Universe. But regardless this was not supposed to be a theological or philosophical debate. I think Dan intended this to be an inspiring story and chizuk for anyone who may sometimes feel that being bound by whatever lofty principles a person believes in, is a burden and a restraint when it should be seen as a benefit, even when we don’t see the benefit like we did here.
@U.R. Mistaken NF-Jew: well said
Amazing story. Thanks for sharing. Truly inspirational.ðŸ‘
hey Dan thanks for the story bet you didn’t expect this much flak for it lol but gotta say the travel agent is a very brave fellow saying he doesn’t feel comfortable flying another Jew on shabbos that takes a lot of inner strenth
and @?? yes it does say if you keep shabbos shabbos will keep you
@sal:
I just thought it was a nice inspirational story, if not a bit chilling.
Didn’t expect it to go viral and didn’t expect it to be so controversial. Ah well.
Unfortunately, the plane was destined to disappear and we do not know why or what G-d’s plan is.
However, though teshuva, Tefila, and tzedakah, we can erase/change own personal gezeirah/destiny.
So the overall destiny happened, tragically; however this man, through keeping Shabbos, was able to change his.
@Sari: I disagree with non-fanatic jew as much as you do, but how dare you mock his IDF service?!
During the Yom Kippur war, Rabbi Chaim Shmulevitz (then Rosh Yeshiva of Mir) gave a speech to his Yeshiva, saying the following:
As we sit here doing our duty defending the jews with our Torah study, we shall keep in mind the soldiers on the front who are putting their lives in harms way for our sake!
He went on to compare them to 2 people of whom the Gemara Bava Batra Daf Yud says “Ein Kol Briya Yechola Laamod Bimchitzatam” for being Moser Nefesh Letovat Haklal!
In whatever Matzav this veteran here is, Rabbi Shmulevitz did not exlude him of the above.
Whatever bad things he might have said or done, his service in the IDF is something out of our scope!
Don’t you DARE mock that!!
Argue his point (for I agree, there’s a lot wrong with what he wrote), or don’t argue at all (as I do, for it doesn’t even need arguing).
Wow. Chazakh Oubarookh. am israeal chai…..
@David etc.
If you would rather, take this moral of the story.
The Travel agent might have thought that he could be losing a customer by being a Shomer Shabbos. It turns out that he saved his customer by being what you call “fanatic”.
Go ahead try joining the bandwagon and you won’t only be chosen, but you will feel chosen as well.
And by the way I AM PRAYING for those whose fate is unknown as well as those whose faith needs strength.
Thanx wow
G-D does run the world. He watches our every step how much does he love even the ones that are so far from him.
Amazing!! Bought tears to my eyea
S!!
WOW!!
I had chills running up and down my body while reading this amazing story.
@Dan I am surprised you allow some of these negative comments through. You allowed this blog to turn a beautiful story about keeping shabbos into a debate on Judaism and belief g-d. Let them blog about their belief (or lack of belief) in Judaism elsewhere.
@Mo:
It’s really a no-win situation.
I can turn off comments but that’s boring and stifles expression.
I can more heavily moderate comments but then people start sending me hate mail about how evil I am for only allowing positive comments in. Or only allow comments that agree with me which is not my intention.
In fact I did have to moderate some comments on this post and people have expressed their displeasure. But if I let those go through I’d start getting blocked by the internet filters…
Perhaps though it would have been wise to turn off comments for posts like this and for the Pesach post as the negatives seem to outweigh the positives.
Something to think about.
@Dan:
it was great and brought tears to my eyes. If we only knew how much shabbos does for us we would do more to honor it.
@Anonymous:
First thank you Dan
@ Anonymous: The Sharon/rebbe story is total bunk. Here’s the link you cited:
When the general was in Kfar Chabad to convey the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s greetings to his Chassidim, he related an interesting anecdote. As Sharon was about to leave 770, the Rebbe had asked him not to board the plane he was supposed to take back to Israel, but to switch to an earlier flight. The general did not understand the Rebbe’s intention, but he did not wish to refuse his request and he agreed.
“A few days later, after Sharon was safely back in Israel, that same plane – the one he was originally scheduled to be on – was hijacked to Algeria. All of its Jewish passengers were taken captive, while the non-Jewish ones were allowed to leave. According to some women who were released, the Arab hijackers were looking for ‘someone important,’ and they were angry when they realized that he wasn’t aboard. As was later revealed, the entire incident was a carefully planned operation to kidnap the most reviled object of hatred of Israel’s enemies, General Ariel (Arik) Sharon, whose military exploits have long been a thorn in their side. Unaware that he had already returned to Israel, they had hoped to snatch him off the hijacked plane.
There never was a plane leaving from NYC that was hijacked. The plane involved left from London. Sharon was leaving 770 in BROOKLYN and supposedly on the Rebbe’s advice he delayed his flight. Right. All the security arrangements, all the seats on the flight for his group, new hotel arrangements, etc etc had to be rearranged because the Rebbe told him?
This is the second time in a month I saw this story. How can you propagate complete lies? And to what purpose?
I don’t get it. What about all the people that died? The merciful Hashem?
@Non fanatic Jew:
Are you guys all there? No one mentioned anything about
Racial hate or Judaism being the only way. The only
Implication coming from this is you saying that
The Jew should have perished as well so as not to portray racism.
Just because you clearly have an issue with your religion
Doesn’t mean you should find something on a website to
Trigger it and allow you to launch into a tirade of nonsense
Which has no relation to this story in truth.
Dan, thanks for sharing. Who has time for haters?! More deals & inspiring stories!
Wow. No words. This is so inspiring. Thanks
A decree is a decree!
A tragic decree is tragic!
As well we see Abraham our father begged Hashem to forgive non jews from tragedy in Sedom.
To be saved from this tragic decree needed this special extra strength from a special brother caring for our jewish brother, no matter of our brothers background! We pray for our brothers in the front line all the time and a lost of any Jewish brother pains us all terribly!
Yes! Shobbos Kadesh brings our Jewish family love together. Dan did such a beautiful act because he learnt this love from our Sages of Yisroel. His actions was tough love and it was love for another jew!
With this kind of love, will bring for the end of all tragic decrees for all man kind, With the Bais Hamikdosh being built!
Miracles happen every day but we can choose to view them as miracles or not. The optamistic child see a pile of horse manure and looks for the pony. The pessimistic child see the horse manure, then sits, cries, and figures that that’s what life is all about. It is not what happens, but how we choose to respond to it.
I’ve experienced miracles, in which others were present and participated so I know that either I’m not delusional or that all involved were delusional. Many years ago I had a direct experience with G-d and years later with a couple of G-d’s angels. With each of these experiences, another person was present who experienced all or part of what I experienced. We compared experiences afterwards. Two people with a simultaneous devine experience is hard to argue with. And different people were involved with the first and second experiences. Fairly frequently I notice chance happenings to me and others that I interpret as miracles. Others don’t necessarily make the connection unless it is pointed out to them, and then they may choose to question it.
Who is to say what is reality? For me reality is that transendental experiences have happened to me a couple of times, which is more than sufficient for me to unequivocably believe in G-d and in miracles! Why me? I don’t know! Though I am much more observant than most, I am not truely orthodox. There is no local Jewish community and no synnagog within an hour’s drive. In addition, it is a four hour round trip to buy Kosher meat. But I am convinced that G-d put me lwhere I am for a reason!
I do know that you can choose to believe or not. If you choose not to believe there is a good chance that you won’t notice the Holy light that is shinnng in your eyes. You may also miss seeing much of the beauty in this world. Nevertheless I believe that G-d will still be with you. Baruch Ha’shem! Shalom!
@ Non fanatic Jew
I personally had the same sentiment after reading this article. Now is not the time to be gloating, while hundreds of families are in unfathomable pain.
To everyone criticizing @ Non fanatic Jew:
Take a step back and try to understand someone else’s perspective. Your responses speak to the exact distasteful attitude that @ Non fanatic Jew saw in this article.
Such an inspirational story! Thank you for posting!
Rachelle
Israel
Dan i think this post of yours is premature. Insensitive timing of this gloat story on your part is just as bad as the comments you say you are not happy with. I bet if it had been posted next week there would have been a response more to your expectation.
Chills.
Kudos to the travel agent for standing up for his beliefs.
Everyone is saying how Andy’s life was saved, while 238 nonJews perished- that’s not necessarily true. No one (who’s sharing with the public, by any rate) has any clue as to what happened to with the missing flight- for all we know, all the passengers can be alive and well! Which is why we should still be praying for their safe return.
And Dan- shkoyach to you for not buckling down under the undue criticism you have received. Keep up our great work!
@Your vitriol sounds familiar:
sorry dude…I didnt write that comment. but feel free to delete me as your “friend” on fb…. peace
In this zechus may the traveler be zoche to completely return to yidishkiet and may the agent have much bracha and good mazel
My great grandfather insisted on keeping shabos in world war1 . His superiors agreed and gave him the task of guarding the horses..One Shabbos the entire platoon was killed while he was at base observing Shabbos. Am Mikadshei Shevii..Mi kamcha yisroel..
@Jon: I shall hope u aren’t Jewish. Because if u r, u are a KOFER B’IKKUR to say the least.
Dan, unbelievable story, shows us all who the real boss is and who runs the world! Thanx so much for sharing!
This is a pathetic story. What about the Jew who gets hit by a car on his way to shul Shabbat morning? When it says “More than the Jews have kept the Shabbos, the Shabbos has kept the Jewsâ€, it’s not talking about incidents such as these. We have no idea why these innocents were killed on the plane, just as we have no idea why this person was saved. And there must have been others who might have missed the flight who were not Jews traveling on Shabbat. I am also surprised to see comments from someone from a famous Torah website ready to retell this story.
Sari: I am quite disturbed by your reply to Non frantic as you have stated that he didn’t have ti mention that he served in the IDF because it was obvious from his comment. Excuse me, but I also served in the IDF and sharplt differ with his comment! How dare you speak colletively about the entire Israeli army? Do you know how many relifious people there serving, and how many more there are that may not be observant but beleive in G-d? Do you have any friends in the army, or do you just talk ignorantly? You sent a comment to defend G-d’s name and at the same time slandered many believers in the process.Anyhow, the chance of you changing Non frantic’s mind in the attacking manner that you displayed is like the chance of someone deciding to keep Shabbos because someone threw a rick at his windshield when he was driving on that holy day. If you really are a G-d fearing person then you will apologize and take back your words said against many people who believe in Hashem.
Finally, a voice of sanity
The Medresh tells us that Hakadosh Baruch Hu will always open a “Pischon Peh” for the Leytzonie Hador so they aren’t forced to believe in God. With a story like this, it makes it very hard for the Leitzim to find the Pischon Peh.
@Non fanatic Jew: I think you are God who is trying to help the Leitzanim find the incredibly small opening of doubt, which even most non-Jews I’ve spoken to aren’t buying.
@Dan, could we have an IP check?
Sorry, but I just don’t believe this story. It just doesn’t sound right. The problem about the internet is that people think that things are true just because they are written down and made to look genuine.
“Now is not the time to be gloating”
+1 !
Exactly my sentiment!
Excuse me – can someone please explain why this story is so widely believed without a shred of evidence? If this story were true it would already be picked up by media or at the very least a local Chabad newsletter.
C’mon people – wake up. There’s enough feel good tales in the Talmud to keep ya’ll happy. It’s a nice story but lets not accept it 100% by a once in a lifetime story broken by a 2bit online merchant looking for publicity (no offence Dan)
This was an inspiring story. Thanks dan!!
I know quite well it was meant to inspire, and uplift and knowing the way we are as Jews, our hearts and thoughts are with those who were on that flight and who are missing.
Unfortunately there are those who know deep down that they have chosen a path that is devious from what Hashem would want for them and they are using your blog to validate their wrong life choices. A day will come for all of us were we have to face Hashem and admit to how we stuck to the truth or Gd forbid deviated from the path Hashem wanted for us. I pray that those who are posting such messages to vindicate themselves for not believing in Hashem will do teshuva and open their eyes to the truth.
Dan, I hear your predicament but I think better to turn off all comments than let the scoffers have a field day with your genuine story of hashgacha pratis.
@ Non fanatic jew:
@ Malka: Malka fantstic answer. U exactly hit the Point. I have nothing more to add…
@Non fanatic Jew:
I feel so sorry for you. So much hate, so bitter. When someone is saved from catastrophe, should he not rejoice even though others were not saved? and when he realises that the only reason he was saved was because he kept Shabbos, should not all of Klal Yisroel rejoice?
@Anonymous: Forgive me for saying so, but while well-intentioned, your understanding Hashem’s guidance of His world is skewed. As opposed to what “Thank you” said, G-d did cause this miracle. But He also caused the unfortunate tragedy that took the lives of so many. Did He do it because we humans needed a wake-up? Likely. Does He bring tragedy to those who deserve it? Not our place to say.Plenty of good people suffer, and if you want to find out more about why, check out Aish.com .We don’t necessarily get to see how Hashem works- which is comforting, when you think about it. It means there is Someone beyond our scope of understanding Who is running the world. If any of us tried running it for a day… I don’t like to think about that. While it’s true that G-d is benovelent and created the world to give goodness, it is also true that part of that goodness is to use measures of justice and punishment at times- which is more painful for G-d than for us, since He created us and does not want us to suffer. If you are confused, which many seem to be, it’s time to learn the basics. Look in Derech Hashem (Ramcha”l- Rabbi Moses Haim Luzzato) and Mesilas Yesharim/ Path of the Just (same author). Both are available in English.
And finally, let us use this coming Purim (special time of prayer) to ask G-d for the final redemption, which will wipe away all tears of sadness at last and bring all of this terrible confusion and misguided ideology to an end!
@mentchy: You might be right, but you can be sure that from now on he will much more observant of Shabbos. Mitzvah gorreres Mitzvah
@Jeff:
Well, yes, all those who died in the attack at the Park Hotel in Netanya, on 27 March 2002 would have been saved had they decided not to have a Seder that year.
Somebody needs to make a super duper kiddush!!!
I was an Orthodox travel agent for 33 years. Near the beginning I asked my Rabbi what I should do about booking Jews on Shabbat. He said that it was up to the client and I should just do what they request. I still think that some people avoided booking Shabbat flights with me because I would look down on them.
jeremy.
thank you so much for shairng this true strory of miracle. when i read that ,i am so proud of you and your parents you are truly a bless family. i know is shabbat ,but you will read my commen tonight, you and your family are very , very close in my heart ,proud of all of you.i am very fortunate to have you as nephew..al my love.and i believe so much in miracles.
by my own experiences.
@Dan:
do not change any of the writing!
Never forget what Ibn Ezra wrote:
×›×™ ×שמרה שבת ×,ל ×™×©×ž×¨× ×™ this has always been true and so will be to the very end of time.
Happy Purim to all
Elchanan Sussman.
@Non fanatic Jew: Dude you sound like a Yid who enjoys a little frum bashing, they say the biggest anti-semites are Jews themselves! No one has implied that non-Jews are less important than our non-Jewish brethren however Non_Jews have no law of shabbos and hence had every right to be on that plane and sadly nobody knows just yet what has become of them. We all pray for a miracle, both non Jew and Jew alike that these poor souls are found alive and well very very quickly! All the article implies is that one single Jew (who has the law of Sabbath observance) merited by keeping just one Shabbos he had a reason NOT to fly, a reason no one else on that flight had-sadly! Im sure stories will emerge of potential passengers who missed their flight owing to circumstance and this would either be put down to Divine Providence or not. As for serving in the IDF we are all eternally grateful to you and your comrades for keeping Israel as safe as possible from its enemies. Hashem should shower you with all the blessings that you so richly deserve.
@Non fanatic Jew:
First off go calm down! No one is happy about what happened we are all praying for the loved ones and the missing souls on board.
This is a storY about one yid helping another yid relize the inportence of shaboss.
Andrew relized this and becouse of that was not on the plane.
This has nothing to do with g-d wanting everyone dead besides his jews it has to do with a jew keeping the holy shaboss which in turn ended up saving him from being on this flight which is still missing.
So relax, grab a beer and reconsider your hate that you have to the frum jews.
wow its amazing
Thank you Dan for sharing this beautiful story. Inspirational indeed!
@Non fanatic Jew:
The only obscenity I can see here are your comments. Let’s see if you Mr “non-fanatic” can honestly answer a couple of hypothetical question: suppose one survivor of flight 309 were found today in the sea and was brought to dry land; lets say he was a Muslim or a Christian and thanked G-d for saving him. 1) would the whole world (including mr non fanatic) celebrate his miraculous survival or would everyone say “oh no we cannot celebrate his survival as so many people have died?!” 2) would anyone (including mr non-fanatic) condemn this person for thanking (his) God for his survival – I am certain not. BUT when it it comes to (orthodox) JEWS then according to “non-fanatic” he claims it is “treif” to celebrate survival – as he claims it automatically invalidates everyone else. Rarely have I heard such hateful,fanatical drivel.
Dan can I forward this story to some religious websites like Chabad and breslev?
@Jon:
Dear Jon,
Don’t you know there is NO SUCH THING AS A COINCIDENCE??? Shabbos and observance has and always will save the Jews. If someone tells you NOT to travel on Shabbos – DON’T DO IT!! There are many many stories that prove this exact point.
Good luck and stay safe in the future.
The man may not have flown on Shabbos, but you can rest assured he didn’t keep that shabbos (as a person who would regularly fly on shabbos). He likely didn’t eat kosher either that Shabbos (Malaysia is a Muslim country). That is a lot of reward from god for just not flying on Shabbat. Do the people who posting this all over even realize how absurd it is to claim this as being saves by (keeping) Shabbat!
@dan is david from comment made 10:31 same as david in comment 3:15am?
@Non fanatic Jew: To Non Fanatic Jew:
There is NO Jew observant or not who wishes harm to any other individual. Our hearts (the entire Jewish population and the population of the world) are crying for those lost on this flight and are davening for a safe return for all. To think that by posting this means Hashem only cares about Jews is ridiculous! It is just showing that because this Jew was following his observance and his care of others safety he would not book a flight for him on Shabbos. In no way does this state that we as a people do not care or most importantly that Hashem does not care about all of His children everywhere. Take a deep breath and daven (and by the way – Frum people are NOT FANATICS)
To add to what RF stated from the Holy Scriptures:
×•Ö°× Ö¸×ªÖ·×ªÖ´Ö¼×™ ×œÖ¸×”Ö¶× ×‘Ö°Ö¼×‘Öµ×™×ªÖ´×™ וּבְחוֹמֹתַי יָד וָשֵ×× ×˜×•Ö¹×‘ ×žÖ´×‘Ö¸Ö¼× Ö´×™× ×•Ö¼×žÖ´×‘Ö¸Ö¼× ×•Ö¹×ª ×ֶתֶּן לוֹ ×ֲשֶ×ר ×œÖ¹× ×™Ö´×›Ö¸Ö¼×¨Öµ×ª.
What is interesting though is that the flight’s code MH370: the numerical equivalent of the first letters in the words “שֵ×× ×¢×•Ö¹×œÖ¸×” – as well as the words “ערב שבת” is exactly 370.
Just another pointer…
@DansDeals: I too have a Triangle Shirtwaist fire story for you. Also 103 years ago, my grandmother got a job at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory. She got the job on a Friday. The boss told her to report for work the next morning. She asked if she could start on the following Monday so she could spend one last Shabbat with her family. One for the road, so to speak. That Shabbat, the very day she was supposed to begin her job, was the Shabbat of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. My father was born 18 years later.
Thanks Menachem. I am kind of astounded by the lack of sensitivity here. The public gloating in this instance is more of hilul hashem than a kiddush hashem, as many people have called it. A kiddush hashem, in my eyes, is something that serves to improve mankind, and in doing so the image of the Jewish people. This does the complete opposite, potentially leading to negative feelings among people of other faiths towards the Jewish people. In addition, the tone of this article is disrespectful to these families and victims on the plane. What about the Jewish Russian who was aboard the flight? Are his deeds of no value? Perhaps he keeps Shabbat, although that is also beside the point. How would his family feel if they were to read this article? And what about every other person on the plane – all created in the image of G-d, possibly wonderful people and, for the most part, not commanded to keep the Sabbath? And of course, there are numerous theological and moral issues at hand here which most have failed to consider. If one argues that G-d saves those who keep shabbat, the implication is that there is a direct link between a lack of torah observance and calamity.That is a dangerous path to take, and a link that can be made by G-d alone, definitely not by mortal beings.
@menachem: I’ve read this entire post and every single comment and it’s clear to me that:
1)No one is GLOATING about the fact that this Jew was saved and all the passengers (it appears) perished;
2)The point of Dan’s original post was ONLY to show the protective power that we religious Jews believe Shabbos has;
3)Many ppl here have answered NFJ patiently and attempted to understand where he’s coming from but have been unable to and I’m with those ppl. Perhaps you, who said “@ Non fanatic Jew
I personally had the same sentiment after reading this article.”, can explain it us?
@Non fanatic Jew: what a racist are u!!!! Your hate for ortodox jews make me think is that a jew?? Here wee talk about the one who was saved!!! But before that wee cried about these people who was in that plane wee are people. With heart and feeling not like u who jump on conclucion and hate toward a religious jew because he shared his personal miracle…. u are an losser and a self hate jew but it not surprise here u are a israeli jiloni who was taugh that religious jews are not human but is quite the other wsy and your post show it!!!!!
@yisroel:
It is important to post comment #47 precisely because of comment #62. There are others who miss the point. Read comments #56, #58, and #70, which gently and beautifully express the way to focus on this story. I saw no “glee” at the tragic deaths of the other passengers. We Jews mourn all loss, even that of our oppressors and tormentors. This is why we do not say the full Hallel praise during the latter days of Passover – because the Egyptians drowned in the sea.
If we fail to take note of the daily miracle of life and “nature”, let us at least take pause to reflect on the extraordinary. A man’s life was saved because someone chose to take a stand for his principles, and for his beliefs. That is a beautiful thing, whether or not you shed a tear.
@Edward:
There are other people like Dan and other travel agents who have confirmed that this story is true.
@Non Fanatic: There is nothing to consider when focusing on this specific act when it comes to the travel agent and the passenger. This was an act from Hashem. Why? Maybe reward the travel agent? Maybe the passenger? It’s not our job to understand why, it’s our job to recognize and appreciate the miracle of this specific act. It goes without saying of course our hearts and prayers go out to the passengers and family of the flight.
@Yael: @Yael: Maybe I missed something when I read all 260+ comments but who is GLOATING here???
And like was posted earlier MANY times we as humans CANNOT even begin to comprehend how G-d works.
@NaH: it seem to me u dint read the whole reply from the one who was suposed to fly this shsbos he requested to be booked on a good kosher place to eat that friday so maybe u reread the history?????? And yes this acount is only one who told u that he was saved because of shabos thousand of people have their own shabos miracle and not published ……. maybe u use your brains????
@Slick: Well put
+1
Wooowww there is a lot of hilul ashem yael but u are one of them and the others who atack own people because they. Follow torah and mizvot stop to look in garbage on others eye and focus on your own garbage!!!!!
To #216
The story of the Rebbe and Arik Sharon can be seen in an interview with Rabbi Zev Segal a’h on the living torah videos. Rabbi Zev Segal is Nochum Segal’s (of JM in the AM) father.
Hh this is my 5th post here. Still amazed of the storys 3-4 points. NFJ and associates are just chilonim whoes grandparents where holy abservent jews and deep in hard also see the yad hashem but are ×ž×œ× ×©× ××” on orthodox perhaps because the recent etzers in israel and usa.
But what I’m upsat is on those few fanatic commenters who say this story doesent sound real and who believes is fanatic etc.
YES I’m the real non fanatic person. I don’t even believe the whole story . A flight with 239 ppl went missing? Can’t be found? Ehhh its a lie this whole story was made up. Show me pictures that the aircraft is missing then maybe ill believe… LOL…
Thank you Dan for sharing. Let the haters hate! Who cares!
@Itsyehuda: ein od melevado!!!!!
@ThankYou: If you believe that there is a G-D running the world, then please understand that nothing that ever happens is a coincidence – everything is preplanned by G-D. Sometimes, G-D sends us a wake-up call to strengthen our faith and remind us that he truly is in control. If you choose to hit the snooze button and turn over on the other side, that is your loss.
There is nothing in the world that cannot be dismissed as a coincidence, if you choose to bury your head in the sand. I would suggest you should really think well into everything that happens, perhaps you will realize they truth.
I pray to G-D that he show you the proper path.
@Jon:
You are certainly entitled to believe in coincidence. It’s as sure a belief as is the belief in a higher power running this world.
Belief in G-d has worked for me and many other’s but the beauty is we can chose to believe or deny whatever we wish. Glad you joined this forum.
To those arguing against publishing this story. Say you (by ‘chance’, as it were) narrowly missed an ill-fated flight. Would you feel lucky and thankful for the gift of life that ‘fate’ has bestowed upon you, or would you spend the rest of your life cowering under a rock, wondering “why me”?
Be honest with yourself.
Please be positive
@Yael: Nobody is arguing that people died because they dont keep shabbos; unfortunately, many shabbos observant people have been killed in the past.
As for saying that this article is an affront to the families that had people on that plane, why dont you think that maybe jews not keeping shabbos is an affront to G-D and the jewish nation?
@Non fanatic Jew:
Why does anyone have to be implying anything like that? I am sorry that an awesome story like this one, of how Shabbos protects people who choose to keep it, is offensive to you. I can’t see how it could be offensive to any mainstream media. This is a story of hope amidst tragedy. Nobody said anything about the other passengers at all. We are all very pained at their fate. And someone who is slated to die will die whether he or she keeps Shabbos or not. So it is totally unnecessary to resent shabbos observers. You may be finding it hard to deal with a miracle such as this one because it forces you to have to rethink what you feel about the protection of Shabbos and I am sorry you are having a hard time with that. Good luck.
@YeraiShomayim:
Why WOULD you think that Jews not keeping Shabbos IS an affront to G-D and the Jewish nation?
Because you read it somewhere? Because somebody with a beard told you? Because you learned this at an Aish lecture?
Dan,
I knew we can get a good deal on your site…
Didn’t know i can get a good dose of inspiration to boot.
Dan you rock!
Thank you
This story reminds me of the movie Final Destination.
emotional, this is bringing me to cry,
this is a real “Kidush Hashem” story
@Yakov A: Please explain yourself.
@correction:
@216
That the Rebbe/Ariel Sharon story has been published many times doesn’t make it true. The last time I read it, it provided the flight number and the date. So I looked it up. What do you do with the fact that the flight left from London? No plane was ever hijacked from NY (with the exception of 9/11) and certainly not NY->Israel. The story also makes no sense. A cabinet officer (Sharon was not PM then) can not change flight reservations on a whim.
I think what this thread proves is that what you read on the Internet needs verification. Despite that I too thank Dan for posting it.
@Mo: I have to agree.
@Dan: Dan, interesting predicament.
I usually avoid reading comments for exactly this reason, and they’re usually an insult to my intelligence too.
Every single response i got from friends was “Wow”, “Amazing”, “Inspiring” etc.
Blog comments are largely utilized by the negative, pessimistic minds, unfortunately…
@Yakov A: Please explain yourself.
I was/am born and raised ultra orthodox, shave my head, husband goes to his rabbi in israel every year
So what I’m going to write might shock and upset some if not most people here,
Everyone loves a feel good story, and this sure is one,
Yes at first glance, without actually thinking, it is can seem like a straight message from god, and since it’s something so many of us are always yearning for, we jump on it and share this story with joy
We’re not raised to think, to ask questions, we’re shaped in a certain form, a mould, to follow a life style, and a story like this, instantly validates everything we have every done, and /or kept, we so want this to be the case, for god to send us amessage, you see, everything you have been keeping for all these years, is being accounted for, etc
And that is why most of us, are limited to actually think this through
Excuse my grammar, english is my third language
And as much as I love Hashem,
And love my fellow yiden,
I love every single goy on the planet as well
I am NOT more than the next person, cause he /she doesn’t believe in what I allegedly have to believe in, does not make him any less, I crinch every time my little girl says ” shelechteh goy” however this is what is being taught in our moisdos!
Stop! Think!!!
Even if there is a god out there, which I have a lot of reasons to question that, our way of thinking is pure brainwash, the only way to keep us religious when the whole world around us is mocking us, is a kinda cult leadership, and that’s what we now have!
Yes, frumm yiddishkeit is 100percent a cult, and therefore our brain is wired to love such stories, as of course it makes everything more real
It obviously doesn’t make sense, as like other commenter’s said, he did way more chillul shabbos that shabbos, than he would have, had he actually been on a plane! But if anyone dare raise that thought, he/she gets attacked, because in our cult if anyone asks something or says something that questions it all, we get attacked because. Oy vay voy if there will be cracks in the system…
So yes at first I was also moved by this story, and wanted to share it with my friends, but as soon as I started thinking into it, I realized it’s just a cute hannoch teller story, that makes us feel good inside, but of course is just a coincidence,
Wouldn’t it have been easier for god to just not make the plane explode? Why go to such extreme levels, to try to manipulate that one jew not flying on shabbos should be saved?
And to all those that will call me all kinds of names, yeah the truth hurts, knowing that most of what your keeping is pure made up bs, sucks!
I have to go back to baking homon tashen, and sewing my kids costumes, cause as long as I live in the cult, I don’t really have other choices, but I’m happy to share that there are hundreds of “frumm” yiden that share my views, we still live in the cult so we have to keep a lot of things, for the sake of our family, cause we also are aware that once born frumm it’s almost impossible to leave, unless you want to risk being disowned by family and ostracized by community, but of course we know, the way we live our life now, is not what god had intended for us!
Now let the hating begin!
Yeshiva world has the story.
@surie: Could you please elaborate ?
For andy, this is not a terrible story.
For the travel agent it is not a terrible story.
For everyone who draws chizuk from it, it is not a terrible story.
For cynics, maybe it is a terrible story.
For first looking for the source of the Ariel Sharon story, here is a link
http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/livingtorah/player_cdo/aid/574972/jewish/Behind-the-Miracle.htm
@surie: Calling BS on your story, you are 100% a troll and here is why;
You begin with the typical frum stereotype: “shave my head” “husband goes to his rabbi in israel”. Those that shave their head usually dont go to a “rabbi in israel” two totally different type of groups. (Shave head=satmar/hungerian) (visit rabbi in israel – not even sure what type but most likely yeshivish, all other groups with a rebbe live by their rebbe, only litvaks have rabbis in israel or perhaps sefardi too)
Moving on to “english is my third language”, this does not fit in with the above, if you are a Hanoch Teller reading type of person, then you are probably not shaving your head and english is your first or second language. The only way English is your third language is if you are taught hebrew or lashon kodesh, which unless you are in a real ivrit school hebrew would not be your first or 2nd language.
Most of what you write is based on a mix of totally contradictory stereotypes. (“impossible to leave, unless you want to risk being disowned by family and ostracized by community”)
But you do seem to have some real questions about emunah and bitachon, you basically are writing that you don’t believe in g-d. Which is ok but if you do really want to understand I suggest you speak to a Chabad Rabbi, you can email anonymously using the ask the rabbi on chabad.org http://www.chabad.org/asktherabbi/default_cdo/jewish/Ask-the-Rabbi.htm
Read this too:
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/622117/jewish/Why-Do-Bad-Things-Happen-to-Good-People.htm
@Thank you: nothing in this world is coincidence, it all comes from G-d!
@surie:
“I was/am born and raised ultra orthodox, shave my head, husband goes to his rabbi in israel every year”
Next time try googling better for ultra-orthodox sterotypes before you pretend to be ultra-orthodox. No one says “goes to his Rabbi.” It’s a Rebbe. Also, shaving head is a chassidish thing, so you would say you were chassidish, not ultra-orthodox. Nice try though….
I dont understand what is so hard to believe here:
It would seem that Sharon was supposed to go from NYC to London and he ended up taking the next flight which then delayed his whole schedule ending up with him missing his schedule London-TLV flight.
@Dan: Thanks.
@Non fanatic Jew:
reply to “Non fanatic Jew”: there is nothing in this story about non Jews – this story is about one Jew, I don’t understand why you got so “fanatical” – no Jew is happy when other people get killed no matter their religion. G-d has his reasons to cause this plane catastrophe – we don’t know them (if you are dying to know, He will explain it to you once you get there hopefully after 120 years, otherwise if you keep nagging to know, you might cause yourself to go earlier than your time, which I don’t advise). To me you are either mentally sick or angree – and you can’t hide your hate of Judaism. I feel sorry for you! May Hashem heal you! Amen!
there seems to be a basic fact missing here.
we keep mitzvos (shabbos, tefillin, mezuza, kosher) because Hashem commanded us and said this is how u will relate to me. by keeping them, we will have a relationship and My plan for the world will be fulfilled. For a Jew it’s 613 mitzvos (we can only actually fulfill around 200 today because we don’t have a beis hamikdash), for a non-Jew its the 7 noahide laws. G-d never said if u do this no harm will befall u and if u don’t a thunderbolt will strike u on a sunny day. Mitzvos are how we connect to him, period.
A secondary point of a mitzva is its ablility to protect and help a person in his physical life. The Lubavitcher Rebbe once said regarding mezuza protecting a home that it’s similiar to a helmet for a soldier. Not a soldier who wears a helmet gets saved, and not every soldier who doesn’t gets killed. yet a soldier who doesn’t is considered crazy. if u put your babies in a car without a carseat and belt, are u a murderer? no, but it’s not a smart move. Having a kosher mezuza (or a good lock & alarm) does not mean u won’t have a home robbery. but it can be the helmet that can help protect you.
Unfortunately, most of us (me included!) want the brownie point system. we feel hey if i do ABC G-d will give me 123. Part of growth in Judaism is trying to minimize that condition, and realize the beauty in a mitzvah as it is, and not the reaward we want or think we deserve. it’s a long path to get there, and that’s part of serving Hashem today. Interestingly, the only mitzvah where this payout system applies is charity, where Hashem says in the novi “ubechonuni noh bezois”, test me on this. Give charity and i will pay u back in multiples.
IMHO, this is where the back and forth conversation is missing the point. He made a decision to not travel on Shabbos because the travel agent awakened the idea in his head. Did he actually keep last Shabbos perfectly? made kiddush, avoided driving, electricity, etc? Probably not. But he made a recognition that Shabbos means something to him, by flying one day earlier. and he was lucky to see in his life how it saved him. it’s a classic kiddush Hashem, similiar to Daniel Pearl HY”D whose last words were an affirmation of his being a Jew, even though he did not live it and affirm it most of his life.
and to all the negative posters. I have yet to see one comment gloating about this. Gd forbid to dance on someone’s grief and pain. I think you’re reading into it what u want to believe about religious people since it fits your picture and self justification. Live your life, but live and let live.
@Non fanatic Jew:
You will never know the ways of Hashem. Why did he not save the 6 million Jews? Why does anything bad happen? The question is if you believe in Hashem or not. Once we pass that question then we can discuss further.
There is a discussion the Talmud regarding standing in a place of danger, and the question is raised; is not the life of each person set each year at rosh hashanah?, so why should someone not be in a place of danger. There is a whole discussion but in short we are all destined to live a certain amount of time. But if we are in a dangerous place we sort of can get caught up into the danger. But on the other hand in such a situation if you have an “os” it can help protect you. Shabbos is an “os” and it protects you. So if Hashems plan was for the plane to crash, the plane will crash and all will die, but if a few people for some reason had something protecting them then they were saved. This person honored shabbos, the other person who may have been supposed to fly he did something else..
But what about the rest of the passengers? There was probably someone escorting their old parent. Should that have not protected him? So that goes into the age old question of why do bad things happen to good people, and the short answer is that we will never know the ways of Hashem.
You can choose to believe in Haashem or you can take the easy road out and just say “I do not believe in him”.
Just remember that you are not Hashem and you cannot understand his ways.
@surie: Its a real shame that you think that way. Do you know that you couldnt be more wrong? In fact Judaism encourages questions because there are answers for everything. Judaism is the only religion ever which has had a public revelation happen (Har Sinai). That is impossible to make up. The most basic proof to that point is that there has never ever been a religion/cult/group that has claimed a mass revelation. That should tell you something (if you think with a subjective mind). Once you have that down, you can start asking other more specific questions (ie. why would a plane disappear).
You should definitely find someone to speak to as they can definitely answer all your questions.
For all their bitterness, NFJ and some of the other commentators have a valid point al pi machshava. About two-thirds of the way into his Navi shiur on 10/5/2013 (“Peeking through the cracks”), Rabbi Reisman tells the story of one of hi baalei batim who missed a flight due to traffic on the Belt.
Rabbi Reisman asked him, “and what if you had found out that the flight had crashed.”
The man responded, “I would have given kiddush!”
Rabbi Reisman answered him, somewhat tongue in cheek, “Rasha Merusha! 300 people have to die for you to believe in hasgacha pratis”
“The creator of heaven and earth couldn’t find any other way of letting one person know that they shouldn’t fly on Saturday other than killing hundreds of others?” -Rachmuna
Who is forsing you to be religeus? Get divorced and remary a goy! Or go to your local chabad shiluach to talk over your thoughts he will explain you everything! No words for a 2 facing person. I can assume you live in williamsburg or kiryas yoel.
I love how people nit pick and take out the non important stuff
I guess you never heard of vishnitz, which is what my husband is, and goes every year to israel for yom tov, so yes I’m chasidish and shave my head
And I grew up in Antwerp, but we had a library with english books so I read hannoch teller books!!! I love how people decide facts for other people just cause in their head it doesn’t add up, everything I wrote is 100 percent true and authentic I might have used some wrong english terms, but the bottom line is that, it’s all BS! God does not sit and make these kind of cheshboinos! But of course no one wants to hear that, so. I will leave it at that, just like you have prove that god is who we were told he is, I have prove that the world is millions of years old, I belive in evolution, cause that’s my truth, I respect your truth, but please understand that other people have different opinions! There might or might not be a god, I’m honestly not sure and for that uncertainty I decided to believe there is, cause just in case there is one, I don’t want to be in “triouble” for lack of better term, however all the rules that we keep is utter made up bs! In my humble opinion
I was inspired by the story. Period. My heart still goes out to those missing…Yes, i have room inside me to feel both.
I’m a 2 facing person cause I’m stuck in a situation?
Divorce isn’t an option as we have a big family
However I’m by far not a double lifer
Most my friends know my opinion
Even my husband does and he actually is starting to agree with me, on most of my opinions
If you would all just stop to think for yourself instead of just being like a monkey you will see there is some truth to the story, I asked my son why he went to Manhatten this Sunday for the rally he said cause his rabbi told him to do so, no, no one thinks for themself!
@surie:
I get it. You can criticize our beliefs and we can’t criticize yours because you gave a disclaimer “i respect your truth.”
Dan, please stop this thread! while comments from “Non fanatic Jew” may not be within most of your readershops views the debates may help him and others seek true hashkofah guidence.
however, the comments from Surie(IMO a troll) and Luzer Twersky( google his name) are pure venom and hatred spewed from rotten individuals that are within our community and they are the reason for some of the trouble in our youth. so please stop the forumn now before it becomes an anti charadie blog
I post this comment because I WANT!
It gets posted because DAN WANTED to let it thru!
————
An airplane explodes possibly from a terrorist who wants to kill other people because he can’t stand their beliefs!
Someone changes his flight because HE WANTS to be frum and stays alive!
————-
Some of my brothers and sisters give out their frustration on this blog because THEY WANT to kill their inner feelings of regret in the path they are going!
But,the choice is theirs- stay on this path and they can kill their soul, or CHANGE COURSE AND START LIVING!
————-
Yes, The creator of heaven and earth gives us the real choice.
Uvachartu Bachaim!!
You talk from your deep depreesness. I bet you are not happily married! I’m also from antwerpen. I know 3 suries who married vishnits bnei brak do you want me to tell your hosband how FORDORBIN DE BIZT? Sheigatz! Dank you well for writing “apikorsishe zachen”!!!
I did not go to rally and I’m ashamed! Do you think you are smarter then all gedolim? If yes maybe you are smarter then…. god smarter then… 95% commenters!
But I will be you dan lkaf zchus. Maybe you need a little chizuk. You can call eitsa or even tag they’ll advise you from there. If you just don’t believe in god you are mentally dissabled!
Surie
Let’s make a deal. You ask your husband to let you grow your hair and you start believeing
I Have 1 Question to all of you, If there will be BREAKING NEWS soon, The flight was found and everybody is in good condition and everybody who was on the flight will receive 1 Million dollars. What would you say?? The reason for not really believing in hashem is because you don’t see the end. Everything is for the good. %60 of things that go wrong in my day I see after words why it happened, so I believe that the %40 I don’t see the end is good as well.
Let me be the first to accuse this of being A) Fake and B) Stupid.
People will always believe what they want or what confirms their beliefs. In my opinion, believing in stuff like this also allows people to believe in the converse: “Jews were warned about 9/11” as an extreme example.
This story is on the same level as chain letter spam that most here I would think wouldn’t give a second thought to.
Good day.
@mike:
Hi Mike,
I know the travel agent very well and he is a very honest person who shies away from attention.
He sent me the original unedited exchange and I’ve heard from the traveler as well.
I have verified every detail and this story is 100% legit.
Hagomel…!!
Amazing!
@surie: To Surie:
Without knowing you personally, I feel with you, I hear a lot of pain between the lines.
Without being judgmental and jumping to conclusions, it is obvious from your words that you come from a place of suffering.
Someone (or something) might’ve caused you a lot of pain in the past.
It’s a shame that the ‘comment section’ on a ‘deals’ website has to serve as the venue for such important feelings and discussions. A lot of the points that were brought up in your comment are worth responding to. There might be a lot of hateful response to you. But don’t despair – you are entitled to ask and voice your opinion regardless of what you perceived in the past.
I want to comment on one of your points:
Not all frum yidden are brought up with the “Shlechte Goy” mentality.
I personally send my kids to a Chassididhe Cheder in Boro Park and have never heard my boys parroting those sentiments. We can justify some of these comments as biblical not necessarily literal. (Pharaoh, Haman etc.)
I can identify with that mentality and understand where you are coming from.
Not all people are cynical and evil in this world there are many good people that can truly help you clarify you’re feelings and thoughts. Find yourself a good mentor or friend that accepts you unconditionally. And finally, keep the faith you’ll do yourself the biggest favor.
Stay strong!
Thank you Dan for allowing all of this!
@Non fanatic Jew: How being happy for the one that was saved means that we’re not sorry for the unsaved ones?! strange logic.
@Luzer Twersky: Are you really that unintelligent? No one is saying the plane disappeared because this one person needed to get a message. The people on the plane would have had the same thing happen to them regardless. It was supposed to happen to them. The only thing being discussed here is what can be read out of this one person’s story.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for Surie and all those needing enforcement in their emunah. FREE (if it’s free take it) download for an excellent series of lectures on emunah by Rabbi Dovid Sapirman. Fundamental question he points out “Do you believe because you’re frum? Or are you frum because you believe?”
http://animaamin.org/news/free-10-hour-download/
@surie: I read your posts and I was filled with not rage not anger but SADNESS.
I find it so sad that you were never allowed to ask the questions that you have.
I find it so sad that you never got the answers and clarity that you so desperately crave.
I find it so sad that you were never able to taste the richness and beauty of Judaism.
And I find it sad beyond any measure that you feel that Judaism is all a farce.
All of us have questions and it doesn’t make us bad people. Having questions means that we’re HUMAN and that we WANT and STRIVE to understand yet sometimes we can’t.
I live in Yerushalayim and learn in a kollel here and I have questions just like any other person. The difference is that I asked my questions, to rabbis who were CRAVING my questions so that they could give me clarity. None of my rabbis were ever afraid of being asked questions. On the contrary, they encouraged us to ask ANY questions that we had. And through asking, we learned. And although I still have questions, I now fervently believe with all my being that there ARE answers to all my questions. And I’m sure that there answers to yours as well
I beg of you, surie, for the sake of your family, for the sake of your husband, for the sake of your son who listened to his rabbi, and most importantly for YOUR OWN SAKE AND YOUR OWN HAPPINESS, find someone who can answer your questions. I guarantee you that there are rabbis out there who will gladly listen to all your grievances against Judaism. And they will gladly answer your questions.
I live my life full of happiness and purpose and so do all the people that live around me. You, too, deserve that happiness.
Wishing you only happiness,
casualchurner
It is YOU that is the one that is hateful.
NO ONE here was “gleeful” AT ALL about this tragedy.
Everyone is just thankful for the way this act of being SHOMER Shabbat turned out to be SHOMER for the life of this individual.
As inspiring as the story may be, I have a problem with the implied theology–that this person was deserving to be saved while those on the flight were not. There were stories about this after 911–like the guy who missed the flight from Boston because he went back to get his tefillin. Righteous people die all the time in accidents, and shomer shabbat people have been in plane crashes. This was a fortuitous coincident.
@Ari N.: +1000000000
@Non fanatic Jew:
hi its obvious from the strong tone of Jon’s note the writer has many unresolved issues. I suggest he sees a good therapist to help him resolve his past traumas.
@Barbara: Why is it hard to understand this concept? There are tragedies all over the world. The people who this is supposed to happen to will have it happen to them. Those that don’t deserve it will be spared. This does not mean that one person is better than the other. For whatever reason the people on the plane deserved this. We dont know them, and even if we did we wouldnt really know why. That is G-d’s calculation. This person would have been there had he not decided to do something good. Maybe that is what saved him.
As for the fortuitous coincidence thought process – People will see what they want in any situation even if something hits them in the face. I guess if people could believe in random evolution then they could believe anything.
It’s a nice story…but millions of Jews have died for being Jewish. Ultimately, Jews do not observe the mitzvos (commandments) to be “saved” from death…on the contrary…millions upon millions have died for observing them.
Was this story verifeid with Rabbi Shimon Freundlich?
@Jonathan:
sorry to tell you this…. but read up why the Holocaust happened according to rabbi avigdor miller
http://www.simchashachaim.com/featured/a-divine-madness-rabbi-avigdor-millers-defense-of-hashem-in-the-matter-of-the-holocaust/
@Non fanatic Jew
I pity you, sir.
@Anonymous:
The Rebbe replied that it is absurd to suggest that he knew the plane was going to be Hijacked. The Rebbe said, “He said to me that he has to run to catch his flight back home and I said to him not to go.”
I have never been called a chillul hashem before. There is always a first. I guess being respectful to one another isn’t as important as keeping shabbat
1) This is inspiring
2) We’re not neviim, let’s not pretend that we know why anything does or does not happen
3) Number 2 in no way takes away from the inspiring nature of this post.
@NaH: G-d didn’t save the Jew, the Jew saved himself by not including himself on that Shabbos flight. Why is it so hard for people to understand this?
@surie:
Surie, I will tell you the truth, when I read, NJF’s post, my blood was seething and I wanted to respond in a nasty way. B”H I didn’t, and I see that many other responded beautifully and in a caring way. But in response to your comment, I am not angry at all, I really pity you and suggest you speak to someone who is knowledgeable about yiddishkeit and chasidus (cuz it sounds like you do lead a chasidishe lifestyle). I’m sure you can get some clarity from that. Hatzlocha Raba
@Gabi:
Re: Dina & Gabi, comments 43 & 44.
The TA did not have to worry that he was going to lose this customer over Shabbos. It is apparent that they have had this conversation before and the customer did return.
That said, the TA may very well have lost other customers in the past, as Dina pointed out.
Changing the subject:
Someone mentioned that the comparison to the Shirtwaist Triangle fire was unfair. I agree. In that instance, many were people who would otherwise keep Shabbos, but were unable to withstand the pressure.
People would light candles Friday evening, make Kiddush, go to the 7 o’clock minyan so they could be at work by 9, come home and make Havdala.
We, of our generation, cannot conceive the Nisayon that our parents and grandparents went through — no money, no job, no safety net. Can’t pay the rent? you’re homeless. Can’t pay for food? go hungry. Stay home on Saturday? don’t come in on Monday.
Hats off to those kept Shabbos under such circumstances.
the biggest miracle is the fact that we are still getting those encouraging messages from above! even if we misbehave!
This was Ku-Incident – the Yad Hashem.
Period.
@Non fanatic Jew: Well, of course the difference between a racist and an ‘upstanding individual’ is whether they served in the army of one small country in the world. The travel agent is Australian, find out if he served in the Australian army
And the beauty of this story is the recognition that every bullet has its target. We don’t know why God does what he does, but when he parts the curtain ever so slightly, we see that it is never random and there is Someone is charge.
kudos to the travel agent for being so machmir and unbending about booking a shabbos flight
im a t/a and have this shayla every so often and my posek told me after trying to dissuade a non religious jew from flying on shabbos being hes able and capable to to book it himself im allowed to book it as well
@Jon:
in this world there are no coincidences. g-d makes it appear as such.
@Non fanatic Jew: are u crazy !!!!
Dan, there was nothing controversial with what you said. A few commenters said some controversial things, either because that’s what they believe, or just to rile everyone up.
Well done dan.
Dan, I don’t think this addition was necessary…the message was clear from the start along with your sincerity and pure intentions. I know that this page has been going around all over Facebook and group emails and has inspired so many. As you know from past experience, there will always be haters, looking for the worst and looking to cause an uproar…they are sad and quite frankly bored individuals who don’t deserve a second thought…keep doing what you’re doing and don’t feel the need to defend pure actions 🙂
Amazing Story!
wow.. i see it as 240 families and friends will for ever remember this mar 8 2014.. i am so happy for this 1 man who was luckily saved and still cry and pray for the other 239.
I wish it hadn’t been necessary but having read all the comments here and on the forums (and partaking in part of the discussion on there), I do think this addition was needed. Not because you didn’t say it all in your first post, but because some people are too ignorant to understand message in your original poignant but succinct ending.
@Non fanatic Jew: This story was nothing short of amazing. I cannot fathom in my wildest dreams how someone can take it the way you did. One miracle has absolutely nothing to do with the sad fate of the rest of the passengers. You are a serious fanatic with a religious jew complex if you can take such a story and turn it into something disgusting. G-d bless you and thank you for your service.
Correlation does not imply causation!
Please feel free to discuss your beliefs amongst your close ones (Jews or Gentiles) but to imply , on a community website, that the reason anyone did or did not go on that flight was a result of anything but randomness lacks integrity.
@Menucha: Those people will continue to be ignorant. Nar bleibt nar
@Joe: Very true. And what a fool to think that it is ok to hide behind the anonymity of the internet and berate a man who is just trying to share an inspiring story with the world.
DAN THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR POSTING THIS ARTICLE AND FINDING OUT THAT IT IS TRUE. Please do not listen to the haters and keep posting what you feel in your heart deserves to be posted. Do not give in to this “point fingers” society where people will use any excuse to call you politically incorrect.
One of my favorite lines about “open minded” people is: “Do not be too open minded or your brain may just fall out… Oh there it is on the sidewalk.”
Lots of fun reading these posts. Based on some of the mindless praising going on, are you sure some of you were not evangelical Christians in your former lives?
Surie, you nailed it: people who didn’t like what you said sure are piling on.
Big question is whether or not Mr. NFJ will ever reappear.
I am popping some popcorn in anticipation.
@Non fanatic Jew:
Ahem…are we trying to reconcile atheism with religion here? Hate to be the one to break the news – but these debates have been going on for a while now – you will not convince anyone by your posts here.
Any rational person would understand that the owner of this website is free to write what he wants. But starting hateful arguments against Dan, while hurtful, increases the traffic – which is good either way.
As far as gluttonous consumerism – are you calling the kettle black? What did you personally come to this site for? For hearing others confirm your atheistic and simplistic dogma? This is not the venue, brother. I respect asceticism, but this site is hardly the venue to preach it.
Meanwhile, why don’t you go and keep one Shabbos at your local Chabad – perhaps what you are afraid of will actually take your negativity away and help you heal. A gutten shabbos!
@<a href="http://www.da@Non fanatic Jew: nsdeals.com/archives/41764/comment-page-4#comment-571251″>practical:
& @ all others who are trying so hard to let go of this inspiration.
Every incident in life can be looked at in a positive or negative light. It all depends on what you are trying to accomplish. If you are trying to prove that everything happens by chance – you will never see the way of g-d. (He can nuke the world & leave you standing & you’ll say it was by chance.) However if you are looking for G-d you will find him everywhere.
Thank you Dan for sharing this info for those of us who are looking for G-d. It is a true inspiration.
If it were a story about skipping an important meeting at work to watch your child’s school play on 9/11, people would be cool with that.
But throw in this Jewish and Sabbath business and some people start losing their pretty little heads.
Haters gonna hate. The loss of this flight is, at the moment, beyond human comprehension. The misinterpretation of this story and post is beyond stupid people’s comprehension. C’est la vie.
Dan:
Truly Heartwarming!!!
#300 thats the right and strongest answer so far!
@dan1 this is a family we all on here are one really big family if u don’t like what our brother dan posted don’t come on to this website anymore! Not for news tips ideas or savings ….. We all believe in dans integrity sorry
Dan:
You are glorifying Gods name keep up!
@Dan: I’ve learnt a long time ago that there will always be those who will find something negative to say about something that appears so overwhelmingly positive. Thanks for taking the time to clarify your intentions, though I believe they were clear from the start. Now hopefully you won’t have any commenters complain..but hey you never know.
Yasher Koach, Dan. Beautiful story within a tragic envelope. We were inspired.
I love you all BUT let’s not lose focus here…any cheap flights to Eretz Yisroel for Pesach? JK
Thank you for your smart explanation!
Anyone wondering why Moshiach has not come, you have your answer
As usual we have another ‘miraculous story’ without real names attached, which makes it unverifiable. A genuine news story would have the names, especially if there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.
I agree with everything you wrote, I have no idea what people complain about? Why would anyone fake this story? It’s not like anyone is forcing you to observe the Sabbath.
Amazing Hashgacha!
Disgusting. You don’t want to fly on Shabbos yourself, don’t. But don’t treat your Jewish clients differently from your goyishe ones – that’s called discrimination. And don’t pressure others to be more observant. It’s obnoxious.
This is a very moving story, and I feel blessed to have come across it.
Further:
1. If this had been a story about, for example, a Buddhist monk who had changed his mind about travel on the spiritual advice of a friend because the travel date fell on a day when he had a commitment to observe a religious practice, or if it had been a Catholic who, on similar spiritual advice, had chosen not to travel because the date was a “Day of Obligation” and he was advised to attend mass, I (and I’m sure many commenting here) would be equally happy for that person, that he’d chosen to follow through with his religious observance.
2. Such rejoicing, both in a life saved and in a person’s spiritual merit, does not in any way imply that others’ lives are worth less or others’ inherent goodness is worth less. I did not get the impression upon reading this account, that any such implication was being made.
And, a 3rd observation: I think it is of great merit to rejoice in lives saved, even while grieving that other lives are lost, and to rejoice in people’s good spiritual practices. That is what makes this story especially beautiful, that the person’s life was saved because of following an obligation of religious observance, and not due to merely changing a travel date. Blessings on him and his travel advisor.
Amazing. Speechless.
Who can deny the hand of Hashem in this story?
Prayers for those missing and the grieving families.
Dan, thank you for sharing this story.
@A casual (Buddhist) observer: Agreed!
@rikki: agreed
@NJMACMAN: Agreed!
je suis tellement impresionnees que je ne trouve pas de mots…mais je prie de tout mon Coeur . qu’in jour il y aura le miracle que le machiah et…. la ….c’est emouvant je suis heureuse d’etre ce que je suis et je prie pour vous amen …..pardonnez moi….
Thank you Dan! Very inspiring. The very fact that you got these few detractors who went out of their way to post those comments which really dont make much sense, proves what a valuable lesson this story actually is!
Dan I’m very happy you gave an update, not because I need it just because all of this sites what like to criticize on frum jews……..
The story is just WOW!!!! And IT “”DOES”” SHOW TO THE WHOLE WORLD THAT THERE IS SOMEONE ABOVE!!!!!!
Wow. Amazing story
@Non fanatic Jew:
What if your brother was ‘Andy’? For sure you’d be singing a different tune.
The story obviously paints a (slight) silver lining on an otherwise extremely tragic event. And we all aren’t so ignorant to believe that other major tragedies don’t have similar miraculous stories of survival – they all do. What makes this one different in my view from the others is that ANDY decided his own fate here. Yes, the travel agent is viewed as a hero because it was his suggestion (which from the email was in no way coercive – he didn’t plead with Andy, by any means) to not fly on the Sabbath.
I attended a financial conference in California over 9/11. I arrived the afternoon of 9/10 and had a large slate of management meetings slated for the the next 2 days. Company CEOs and CFOs were flying in from all over the country to attend. The next morning, the conference was cancelled as the news of the attacks rudely greeted everyone attendee as they awoke that morning at the hotel.
One company, a software ‘firewall’ firm, whose management I would be seeing for the 2nd time, had executives flying out on the doomed Boston-L.A flight. However, while the CFO made that flight, the CEO was two minutes late at the gate due to a security check-in hassle. With the plane still attached to the jetway, he demanded to be let on the flight (in contrast to Andy, who chose his own fate). They wouldn’t let him on.
I met with this beyond-lucky CEO at another conference many months later. While I didn’t dwell to long on such a private, personal event in his life, I’ll say that he certainly was more than humbled by the ‘divine intervention’.
WOW, that was really a miracle. It would be a amazing kidush hashem if it went out to all news stations!!!
Dan – Very nice update.
Dan it was all worth it for this person;
http://www.algemeiner.com/2014/03/11/jewish-traveler-saved-from-lost-malaysia-flight-by-orthodox-agent-insisting-on-shabbat-observance/#comment-4024733
@Eli:
which of the ikarei emunah (as the rambam wrote them in his peirush hamishnayos to perek cheilek) does his statement violate?
Dan, the story is amazing, so thanks for posting. However, this isnt a website designed to foster or cater to theological debates. We all have questions, we all try our best as limited human beings. But if i wanted to read up on theology and religiion and get involved in debating basic fundamentals, I would have gone to facebook. i come to your website for a totally different purpose, and i think it raises more questions for some who may not have them. I strongly believe comments on this thread should be taken down. Let them take their debates to another forum. But remain true to your goals in operating this website.
@Silly billies:
Sorry, but why on earth would seeing it on other websites make it more believable??????
A lie repeated a thousand times is still a lie.
You yourself say that just because something is online you don’t need to believe it…
Believe it because Dan
What is this, go-off-the-d . com??? everyone is entitled to ask questions and all those questions deserve answers. But helllooooo- there is a time and place for everything.
Now this is a very nice take on the story: https://www.facebook.com/mendytv/posts/10153967326120341?stream_ref=10
Dan please take down this whole post.
Its disgusting to see how people who we wouldn’t trust with a dollar are able to share their values on such BIG issues.
Dan please keep your forum clean of the shmotz
Dan, i just want to understand. Kfirah is assur. How are you going to answer for the fact that you are posting all of this ? (and dont tell me this is one of the comments you have to moderate out of the discussion). Passing on and giving a voice to all of this is all going to be put before you- yes, you believe people should be given a voice, but at what point is the boundary drawn?? Do you think you;d be able to tell the heavenly court that you wanted to give people freedom of expression? you are a frum man. I just want to understand. I;m not coming from a hateful, cynical or critical perspective. I just really feel that this is all totally inappropriate for the beautiful site you maintain. Keep the story. Keep the update. The comments are totally out of place.
@stefan:
Well said. Agreed
“Based on some of the mindless praising going on, are you sure some of you were not evangelical Christians in your former lives?”
*
Shabbos didn’t seem to help poor Schlomo. Nice way to insult an entire religious group of people; I happen to be an evangelical Christian. INCORRECT Schlomo – the praising is not at all mindless. We worship him in Spirit and in truth. I notice not a peep from Dan or any Rabbi…and the post remains. I guess it’s simply good for a laugh or two.
*
Yesterday I was not so lucky when Dan removed my post. I gave my point of view, based on my religion. I thought I would be welcome here, as your Torah is the first five books in my bible. Boy was I wrong. Yesterday was a real eye-opener for me. A few of you I suspect worship with your lips, but your heart is far from Him.
*
All I did was try to be a peacemaker; to put an end to the religious bickering that happens on Dan’s Deals. I also see it quite frequently in Dan’s forums, where it seems to be even more prevalent. I ended my statement by saying to forgive, and just move on. I guess that was taken as bad advice?
*
The damning against “Non-fanatic” continues, over 350 posts now. It’s been declared open season on him. Come out come out and prove how holy and perfect thou art! Again I bid you, Shalom.
*
Let’s see if my post does not get removed this time…
This wasn’t about saving money at all. It, to me, was about honoring tradition. To the former Israeli Soldier, I don’t understand your anger.
It’s about respecting a friend and honoring his traditions and rethinking one’s own.
Your anger tells me about your own inner conflicts. For that, I am truly sorry.
To Andy, this experience is nothing short of miraculous. This is a life changing event for him. The story needed to be told.
@Non fanatic Jew: @Travis: If by “discrimination” you mean a distinction, then what’s the problem? Ask Andy if he minded being the object of his travel agent’s “discrimination.”
Who’s pressuring whom? The story speaks for itself. If it makes you feel uncomfortable with your own level of commitment, perhaps you should take it up with G-d.
@Dan Fan:
interesting points you have, and i would be inclined to agree. however, looking at the el al flight timetable from a few months after the July 1968 incident here – http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/ly/ly68/ly68-3.jpg – you can see that there there was generally one nonstop flight from NY to TLV per day. Unfortunately, the above timetable doesn’t apply to the date of the hijacking, so it’s hard to know specifically, but it is very possible that the one nonstop flight was too early for Sharon that day, and as such he planned on taking a route with a connection (which often involve NY–>London–>Rome–>Lod as you can see on the timetable). If anybody can get their hands on a summer 1968 timetable that would be great.
Unfortunately, the 1967 timetable (available on the same site) isn’t any more helpful.
Thanks for posting this article. It’s a remarkable story.
For me, its the travel agent’s sticking to his core beliefs is the inspiration.
What a lot of b.s. So, God saves a quasi-observant Jew but lets 230+ innocent people (non-Jews, some of whom may have been very observant of their own religion)to DIE ? That’s your miracle from your just and loving and all-powerful god ? Are u all nuts ?
LOOK EVERYONE, humans are diverse, it is the spice of life. Conflict cannot be avoided and opinions will fly forever, without anyone being 100% right or wrong. The lack of ability to co-exist with others’ opinions and inability to even TRY to understand where they might be coming from (especially simply by reading a post or 2) is what causes wars, destruction, death. Don’t you get it? My country, my oil, my religion, my needs are more important than yours. Try to take it away and I will bomb you, nuc you, enbargo you, WE WILL WAGE WAR.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
No no no, that is not the way my friends. The best thing to do now is to put yourselves on the other side. Compliment each other, avoid negatives, harmonize. Find it in you, you can do it. You will be better and we will have a happier planet/universe/kingdom (and we won’t have to read any more bickering posts). MOVE ON!!! Please.
WHY?
No one can answer that.
And no one can answer why this tragedy occurred to all these poor people.
However, my take home point is if one person—-Jew or non-Jew survived-that’s a small victory in the darkness.
I remember 9/11- one of my friends came to work at world trade a little late to miss the first plane to hit the towers. 3 other friends went the scene as part of Hatzolah. When the buildings fell-they were there…..and they all came home to tell us about it. I never heard them ask WHY.
So, FORGIVE ME IF I hear the story of a person who’s still in this world who may not have been if not for a caring person——I’ll cheer for that.
In no way am I saying how horrible I feel for the families who still wait for their loved ones to return home safely.
I would cheer for that to come to pass with God’s help.
@Non fanatic Jew: You are a idiot period.
he’s a great man that dansdeals.com its so much fun
While I would love to hear that the mitzvah of keeping shabbos save the life of a fellow yid
I am always skeptical of the stories floating around the web and and all the whatapp groups (forward this blah blah story to ten people it may save their life someday 🙂 )
This story as well had me wondering if its true or false
So I researched every possible fact in the e-mail screenshot to see
If there is any inconsistencies with the facts provided
Well after checking every time date stamp in e-mail , flight # & schedule departure and arrival for all legs of the journey , they all seemed solid and its possible this it not a “copy and paste job” To fool the public
I was about to give up , and then I saw it
Can someone from the 300+ people who responded in this post answer me
Why the flight itinerary screenshot from Sydney Australia March 1 10:20 pm lands in Hong Kong 5:00am March 23 ?????? and why are the pm portions of a international airline in 12 hour format as supposed to 24-hour clock ??
@george: Reading comprehension FAIL.
@Non fanatic Jew:
@non fanatic Jew: please note i served in the IDF as well you (you seem to think its relevant to this story. The blogger here simply shared a story; perhaps even a miracle. How is it disgusting exactly? I also didn’t see anything offensive in the article but you are so filled with hatred towards others you are blinded by your own racist views. The agent here gave up a sale/commission/$$. How do you find that offensive exactly??? (Fyi: i am not religious and I do fly on Shabbat if necessary. Who knows i may re-consider my saturday plans).
Dans deal: thank you for sharing this incredibly inspiring story
@ Dan – While your story might be inspiring to some and appalling that you posted it to others the main point you need to realize is that it was completely inappropriate for this forum . It belongs in a Artscroll book or a Camp Gan Yisroel play not here. This site has morphed into something for the mainstream masses and by now you should have learned your lesson to steer clear on any religious or philosophical topics but apparently you still haven’t.
In tears…!!! Thank you for sharing this Dan. It’s an absolute Yad Hashem. Our prayers go out to the families of the missing.
@Herb: Dan writes a blog, hence the usage of the possessive form “Dan’s” in the very title of the blog/site. Dan picks the topics. Dan lives in U.S.A. Not USSR. Herb chooses whether to navigate to, read, and/or comment on those topics.
Dan has a responsibility? and should have learned his lesson? to keep within a certain range of topics in line with the site as you put it “morphing into something for the mainstream masses” ???
Dan’s site did not become successful by him limiting his topics within a narrow “mainstream” field based on instructions and censorship standards of Romaine lettuce, horseradish, or any other bitter Herb.
@yk:
Geeter Kasha.
Although considering my self appointed position, my gut is that there is a very simple answer to this that someone familiar with the travel industry would know. If Dan is still reading through the dizzying array of comments from the whole range, from the instant bawlers who are immediately overcome with inspiration and hasgocho and simultaneously being chozer b’tshuva while cancelling their flights and internet, to the very angry, angry folks with torches and pitchforks who are canceling their free Dansdeals subscriptions, perhaps he will reply and essplain.
@Menucha:
Well said.
@A casual (Buddhist) observer:
Thanks for chiming in!
@HM:
I hoped those messages were pretty implicit but I guess I was wrong.
@Dan fan:
So you vote for deleting all of the comments or going through and just deleting the comments that disagree with me?
@Chaim:
Spot on.
@stefan:
At what point is something kefira?
It’s hardly clear-cut.
@george:
Did you read the update?
Gd didn’t save one and condemn 239 to die.
One man saved another man by telling him not to fly on the sabbath.
Whether you want to believe it was Gd or coincidence, that’s up to you.
@yk:
1. That’s a common matrix flight display error.
I’d be more than happy to show you hundreds of those from flights I’ve booked that arrive on a different day than departed. Sometimes it shows arriving days earlier, weeks later, or even a year later when it’s just a day later.
That’s nothing more than a glitch due to the date change between departure and arrival.
2. Go search for any flight on any US based search engine and it’s AM and PM.
I’ve examined the full unedited email chain and timestamps, there is no funny business going on here.
@Herb:
I beg to differ.
It’s an aviation story and flying is my passion.
@Jake:
Amen.
If this thread hits 500 comments I will start keeping sabbath
so lets keep the comments coming!
Just Wow!
It’s a pity to what happened to out internet. In the old days people would just read or listen a story and Enjoy!!
Doesn’t look likely in these days. Every story people “need” to find negativity… just a shame.
Awesome. I too am crying about this open (revealed) miracle from G-d. Thank you for sharing it.
@ Surie You cringe when your daughter says “shlechte goy” but you don’t blink an eye to bash an entire religion just because you can’t understand its meaning? Living a lie is okay? We each have our own truths, and we can each choose our own connection to G-d. Take the time to find yours
Unreal!!!! GD must really have great plans for Andy! How lucky the travel agent was to be this shaliach.
@ Morris really? That’s what will get you to keep Shabbos? :/ little confused if ur for real or just want to keep this bickering going?
Facts are facts. Feel good, feel bad every reader can personally make whatever they want of the facts, but facts are facts. To me the facts speak for themselves. The best reporters stick to the facts. Dan I am not holding you to Pulitzer standards but without the prefacing commentary there is no controversy. Regardless, job well done on bringing these amazing facts to light. Let every individual make of it what they will. Thanks for the story!!
Dan,
I have a great idea!! Bring the newly chozer btshuva to your next seminar and he can say the story in person. After seeing all the comments here, I hope he doesnt have a Q and A after….
I know I am late the game, but major thanks Dan for sharing!
@Dan
This story was certainly worth posting. I don’t believe in coincidence but am often cynical when I hear some of the feel good stories people tell to try to illustrate some biblical message (i.e. in a d’var torah). This story, however, hits closer to home and gives me the chills. Thanks again. I need these to keep me going.
@morris
It was worth posting on here just on the off chance that your post is genuine. Glad to help.
Dan, please take a look at this, concerning the missing plane, and tell me if you think it would interest the public.
Thanks and keep up the great service you offer so many.
Bracha VeHatzlacha!
http://mysofer.co.il/the-missing-link/
@Non fanatic Jew: what a sad miserable sac you are!
@Non fanatic Jew: you are an arrogant fool buddy.
This one’s for Morris
this is no coincidence. H*BH takes care of everyone and one. what a privilege having Shabat!
Dan, thanks for this story! I was almost crying, and I almost never cry in my life.
re the T S Factory – We can not judge anyone. I can only talk for my great grandparents, they struggled in NY with barely any food to eat but they did not work on the Sabbath. I you believe in God, it may be hard but not a struggle. If you work for a ravel agency and your boss tells you “do not come to work tomorrow, we are closed for MLK’s BD, I will pay you your full salary as if you came plus a bonus” would you say “no, I am coming, I am afraid you may forget about me”?? Of course not! God is the creator of the world and our King!
Andy apparently kept the first Shabbat of his life, he did not even send email like some “non-fanatical” and he is still with us!
Surie, get offline and stop learning from your “rationalist” friends you found on blogs etc. Kol hakavode for not bowing out and ruining your family, keeping up the commandments of God even if you have questions. Now you can get answers to ALL your questions that you couldn’t ask, and you should be zoche to rebuild kedusha in your home, with simchas hachayim and ahavas Hashem.
@Gitty: I have to agree…!
Amazing, inspiring story!!
Shabbos, Heiliger Shabbos!
S’Iz Du a Gut in Himmel!!
Dan-
” I hope that sharing it inspired more than it offended.”
Doubt you’re still reading these comments, but if you are just wanted to let you know that I assure you, you have inspired far far more people than you have offended. Kol hakavod.
@Non fanatic Jew: wow! To have such a perverted twist on a story you must have a tough life! Our prayers are with you too.
@Non fanatic Jew:
Non-Jews are not required nor even permitted to keep Shabbos; so why do you think anyone has anything against them.
We feel sorry for their tragedy as human beings.
But that does not change the fact that Shabbos observance for Jews is obligatory and and here the reward is clearly seen.
If you weren’t so cynical, you might experience the beauty of Shabbos for yourself.
@NaH: right, why would god save anyone ever?
@Anonymous: Your idea of bechira is way out of wack. G-d runs every aspect of the world and no one dies before they are supposed to. Shabbos doesn’t save anyone but rather the merit of Shabbos serves as a reason for G-d to save someone. As for the inane comments of Non Fanatical Jew, I’m quite unsure as to why anyone should even address him since that would only give some legitimacy and credence to his obviously foolish words.
@yisroel: For the same reason he posted your comments. Don’t we live in a democracy? Whether I agree with him or not, doesn’t matter. What matters is I know I don’t believe in censorship or your desire to do so.
To all those responding to @Non fanatic Jew, he is likely not reading it…. Best to ignore these ignorant fools. These types of ppl log on, hide behind a computer, spew their hate, and walk away as they are not interested in the truth…. Alot of these haters say they served to give themselves credence but rarely did. I volunteered in the army. I am not religious even though I was FFB. The story is very nice, regardless if you are religious or not. If you are secure with your beliefs you shouldn’t get stirred up by these ppl who are just sad, pathetic, insecure, and feel so alone in life…..
@yisroel: For the same reason he posted your comments. Don’t we live in a democracy? Whether I agree with him or not, doesn’t matter. What matters is I know I don’t believe in censorship or your desire to do so.@CC: You are a MORON
Dan;
This is a beautiful story of how a man’s religious observance saved him from what will surely turn out to be a tragedy. How you presented your post originally was straightforward and beautiful. Nothing you originally posted detracted from the sadness and tragedy of the victims. Throughout life there will always be tragedies, and there will be always be a select few that have been saved by a stroke of luck, or whatever force you might want to call it. In all religions and cultures, we hear stories of how one persons actions resulted in another set of circumstances that can only be described as an act of the one above. Only because this story is about Jewish religious observance ,do the self hating jews out there say “dont talk about it that way”. To all the naysayers, I say, IGNORE THEM! There will always be detractors, haters, and those that say “what about the everyone else that sufferred, etc.
You Dan, are the sole proprietor of this blog, and as such feel free to speak your mind and say what you want. In all the years, I have never seen you post anything inappropriate, and neither is this post. If anthing, it is beautiful and inspiring.
Keep up the good work!!!
@CC:
I am in no way condoning such a response by Non Fanatic Jew but it is absolutely absurd to to conclude from such a post the Charedim should therefore not serve in the army. Do you not generate your own thoughts? Are you unable to believe what you want? Don’t claim that the army makes people unreligious or warped. People that serve in the army are literally risking their lives every day they serve, in order to let all precious communities of the land sit in whatever tranquility they can manage. And, there are tons of religious Jews serving in the army, protecting Jews and defending the land God gave to our Forefathers. That Charedim feel like they are too good too participate in a necessary facet of a country, then they should get the heck out. And if they don’t, then stop taking welfare money from the government. Can’t have it both ways. It is such a pity that the government supports people who offer nothing back to the country; who don’t even attempt to show solidarity to a Jewish nation. We are a nation constantly on the brink of war. How can everyone not help? Think about the Biblical precedence. The Torah lists several people who are exempt from fighting because they would not be in a proper mental state. It doesn’t say anything about young, healthy yeshiva students. The following is a story which relates this point: Many years ago, the Baal HaTanya was learning in his room. In the next room, his grandson, the Tzemach Tzedek, was learning and in the third room a baby slept. Suddenly, the baby woke and began to cry. The Tzemach Tzedek continued studying. The Baal HaTanya got up, walked passed the Tzemach Tzedek into the room with the baby. He picked up the baby and comforted it. When the baby was quiet, the Baal HaTanya said to his grandson, “If you learn Torah and don’t hear a Jewish baby’s cry, there is something wrong with your learning.” While Talmud Torah is of incredible importance, in fact it is described as K’neged Kulam, this is certainly not a total categorical expansion of the Mitzvah but a hyperbolic expression of its incredible importance. Sometimes other values must take precedence. And, if you are so concerned, I have a friend who made sure to learn at least an hour a day in the army. You only work 4-5 days most weeks. Make sure to take advantage of that time. Lastly, there is no greater chillul Hashem for 50,000 Jews to gather in NY and protest something going on in the Jewish state. If we don’t like each other, no wonder others hate us too. These past few days call for some serious introspection and reconsidering.
@Yanki:
I did not read your whole post yet, but 1. thanks for taking the time 2. I was in the IDF and everyone agrees it is not good place for relig, ppl. It is asur to go, I went because … but does not change fact. 3. army does not need or want haredim so stop parroting your thoughtless creed. You’re more haredi than them, too too, just for good luck!
All the best!
@Non fanatic Jew: You missed the boat completely! You either don’t understand english or you are just an anti semite and used this as an opportunity to let out your hate. What are you crazy??? Where in the story does it say that god wanted to kill only the non jews all it says is that because one guy didn’t fly on shabbos he was saved from death its that simple shouldn’t be too complicated for you if your IQ level is higher than 5 but it obviously sin’t.
@Non fanatic Jew:
Not only do you willfully misunderstand what the point of this story and people’s response to it was, you are willfully ignorant about reality. What group in Israel has the highest percentage of participation in Tzahal? I’ll give you a hint, it is NOT the secular community. It is the Dati Leumi community. You should be proud of the fact that you served, just as I am proud of my three sons who have and are serving, and all of their rebbeim and chavrutot who served, but that does not give you the right to be cynical, judgmental and mean-spirited. You are far more of a bigot than the majority of people who post here.
“The bigotry of the nonbeliever is for me nearly as funny as the bigotry of the believer.”
— Albert Einstein
I don’t believe the story and think it’ll be a chilul hashem when the hoax is demonstrated. I don’t blame Dan for the hoax but do blame him for being naive and posting without verifying (such as by seeing a copy of the guy’s itinerary). The travel agent thought he’s making a kiddush hashem with this story but it will be the opposite if it’s fake.
Amalek is that force within the psyche that attempts to cast “doubt” on our belief in Divine Providence and tries to “freeze” our hearts, preventing us from becoming fiery or excited about spirituality.
@Non fanatic Jew:
i feel your pain, you’re basically feeling guilty because you don’t keep Shabbat “yet”…my condolences
This must be on its way to the DDF record number of replies to a post within 48 hours of the OP!
@Eli: So does this show that our community is still more inspired by seeing Hashems Hashgacha more them a good sign up bonus or deal??? YES IT DOES!!!
Regarding the comment of the non fanatic Jew – apparently there is an element of fanaticism in his hatred of Orthodox Jewish observance.
Can anybody blame the Jews for being insensitive to human life? Is it not our Israeli doctors and soldiers who ran to Haiti & Turkey after their earthquakes to save lives? Are we not the ones who brought humane behavior to the world – they used to sacrifice their children to their idols.
Is there one nation that has been targeted for killing and plundering as we have been and yet we still fight for justice throughout the world. Apparently serving in the IDF did not suffice to teach our friend that we are the most humane army in the world and religious or not these ideals came from the Torah.
Next time you want to post some rubbish think it through first!!
@surie:
I think you must be from the “Lev Tahor” really nuts indeed.
The rest of us are happy Yidden.
@dan, I am a Yeshiva student in my upper twenties. People in my age group and demographic are generally considered a tad cynical and desensitized to heartwarming stories. Not so here. As I read the email thread I began to cry. Yes, cry. That final email is THAT powerful. Dan, the story is almost as astonishing as it is beautiful. If nothing else, this email has brought thousands across te globe a tremendous sense of pride that this Shabbos that we speak of is ours! We get to reap the benefits! And in a time where so many are attacking Orthodox Jews for their beliefs the least we can use is a bit of inspiration! There is zero controversy here! Shabbos saves lives. Shabbos saved this mans life! End. Of. Story. Dan, with all do respect, you should never have answered the rhetoric spoken by that commentor. His remarks were not worthy of a single letter being type.
Lev Tahor “CULT” is what I meant to reply to # 289.
@Dan
I was puzzled by your comment @ me #409. My intention was only to debunk the Sharon/Rebbe story. When I saw the comments criticizing your original posting, I decided I had gone off topic and the best way to support you was to stop posting.
Which I did. I did not author #384. Check the IP. Frankly Im appalled that someone would continue the conversation in “my name” and cause you to refute it. it gives you a good idea of his ethics.
I have gained much from Dan’s Deals, and more from your sincerity and efforts. I am sorry my post was co-opted and I will not continue posting to give #384 a chance to smear us both!!! Thank you for what you do Dan.
@Anonymous: That is why it should be called Ku-incidence. I heard this from the famous Chazan Michoel Streicher
@Los Angeles Yid:
REPOST!! 🙂
@Carrie:
Wow Carrie, you are SO SMART! You figured it out, way to go for you!
@Malka:
Well said !
this storry is going VIRAL. wait a few days till they find signs of crashed airplain, then this story will go out to the entire country! entire contenent! entire world! entire universe entire galaxy!
leider we are in golus and many sites rip of this story cuz they cannot admit how a travel agent wud agree to lose money for his religion. (besides eisov sona…)
http://www.algemeiner.com/2014/03/11/jewish-traveler-saved-from-lost-malaysia-flight-by-orthodox-agent-insisting-on-shabbat-observance/
http://forward.com/articles/194280/jewish-traveler-cheats-death-by-skipping-malaysia/
sorry… thats why i didnt wanna put in other links. but thoes two links admire the story
sory dan. please erase my 2 comments. thanks
@Doniel Yehuda:
Good point !
It always makes me SMH when I see a bunch of people giving praise to God when something positive happens, but then making excuses for when something negative happens. (e.g., “it is not ours to understand how and why he works in his ways.) C’mon! If God is in anyway responsible for the good, why do you cut him slack for the bad?
It’s nice for many of you to think he was saved from that flight because of his observance. It confirms what you already believe, doesn’t it? 😉
@CC:
I like that , you scored big time !
http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/1.579373
@Yanki: The Zionists provoked the Arab world and they want us to fight their wars…!
Take care of your own issues and leave us out of it…!
Second: the 50,000 (100,000) Jews didn’t come to ‘Protest’ in Manhattan, they come for an Atzeres, which is defined as a pryer vigil..
So don’t distort reality…!
@David:
What this story seems to show is that if one secular Jew does in good faith an important Mitzva such as the keeping of the Sabbath , it more than likely seems G-d wants to acknowledge that persons {andy } leap of faith or goodwill with an immediate payback ! God appreciates us if we appreciate him by keeping his Shabbos !
G-d also has free will and he chose to show his kindness for some reason to Andy obviously we don’t know why Andy had the merit but one thing we do know is that Andy decided not to fly on the Sabbath , even though he normally might have flied on any given Shabbot .
great story
@Non fanatic Jew:
You didn’t read all the material carefully. The parties repeatedly expressed condolences for the lives lost. In no way did they express the nasty feelings you posted.
Moral of story: fly a good airline. don’t try to save $$; that’s why i no likee jetblue, frontier, air afrique, oh n that united partner flight to ..oh yes, colgan, etc.
-no matter how cheap.
@ Morris we are almost at 500 so I would like to invite u to come spend a Shabbos at my house please let me know if ur interested
@Harry: the agent did mention that it was his personal preference not to book Jews on shabbos, not that it was halachically forbidden for him to do so. But as you mentioned, his actions saved a life, even if it was halachically permissible to do otherwise.
Alright, my turn to add my 2 sense. This is an incredible story and I have so much respect for the travel agent who wouldn’t book his Jewish client a ticket on Shabbos bec it was against his ethos. However, the timing for this story to go viral was inappropriate. Would you publish a story about an Orthodox Jew who was saved from the Twin Towers bec he went to minyan that morning, while the building was in flames and people were jumping to their deaths??? The plane was missing for hours (48?), the pain of the passengers families so excrutiating, when I read this story and instead of being ‘wowed’ I kept seeing images of the family members who’s loved ones vanished. 2 infants were on the flight, along with over 200 other mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. Baruch HaShem a million times over that this man – our fellow Jew- was not on that flight. But let’s show our compassion to those who were.
@Non fanatic Jew:
This must be particularly painful for a man who spent his time defending penny pinching,gluttonous,chauvinist,self absorbed and most likely sexist,orthodox fanatics.Our sympathies lie with you,brother.You had better send your next letter to the IDF telling them off for their implicit approval of the deleterious orthodox.
Best,
AY
DDFers! We must make sure this thread hits 500 so Morris starts keeping Shabbat – after all, as we’ve seen, it’s truly a matter of life or death… and he who saves a life saves a world…
B”h
Wow!! Amazing!! the mitzvos are so special, and Hashem’s hand can come in the blink of an eye!!
Just by observing the mitzvos, one can gain so much!
“The more pain, the more gain!”
My heart moved, when I read it!
Boruch Hashem!
Sincerely,
Esther
@Morris
Go for it. You’ll soon find out what you were missing out on all these years!
@Yanki:
We,the Torah true community thank you,Yanki,for validating us and our value to the state of Israel.Although your letter may not have painted us in the brightest of colors,it certainly underscored the value of critical thinking-something highly valued in,and well ingrained by Yeshivos- by its conspicuous absence in your epistle to the orthodox.
Many thanks
This ones for Morris
@Dan
Well said on @Kol Mevaser!
Just one question. Don’t you speak Yiddish?
@Non fanatic Jew:
Apparently,critical thinking is not the IDF’s strongest point
Anyone who criticizes this beautiful story should be ashamed of themselves.
Nice interview on Kul Mevaser. THanks for sharing!
dan, did he end up spending shabbos in chabad? if yes, can you contact the chabad shliach to share his reaction to the story?
wow this is a great miracle and i think people should keep rude comments to themselves
Malaysian Airlines is a great airline! It’s sister, Singapore Airlines, is a great airline too (they used to be one company).
C’mon Morris!!!
@Non fanatic Jew
You need help; you are obviosly a self-hating Jew….whatever your life experience. Your moniker says it all…..anything overtly Jewish, pro-Jewish, religious, is for you “fanatic”. I know a good travel agent for you that might help with seeing the light. No, I am not Orthodox, Haredi, etc.
יותר ממה ×©×”×¢× ×”×™×”×•×“×™ שמר על השבת – שמרה השבת על ×”×¢× ×”×™×”×•×“×™!
@יצחק: it is right
H andy I’m so happy u did listen to ur inner voice.it would be wonderful if u could keep shabbes forever.this is such an inspiring story u made a big kidush haschem happy purim
More for Morris!
“Just One Shabbos and We’ll all be FREE”!!
It was nice to finally get to hear your voice on kol mevaser!!
@Non fanatic Jew:
Non fanatic Jew,
I’m really sorry to hear all the pent up hate of your own people in your reply.
The Army must have been very tough for you and in the future, when you hear of such open miracles, better that you try to work out your vented hatred towards your own people, than to send such an unjustafiable reply
We are all praying for everyone on board that flight and hoping that they will resurface unharmed.
The Jew always carries Rachmonus towards any denomination, not just Jews, and if we can save others then ourselves, you know we’re going to give it all we got.
So lighten up, and be grateful that this Young Man was spared and that the Travel Agent wasn’t looking to gain any financial benefits from his action.
Got to your local Beit Knesset and speak with the Rabbi, relax and enjoy the blessings around you
hey morris! this shabbos will be a first for you! look where were up to! you better stick to your words!
Simply Amazing!! Thanks Dan!!
Inspiring!
@Travis: No one is forcing anyone to do anything. All he said was that i cant book the ticket for you. Amazing outcome!
C’mon Morris we’re almost there!
@Non fanatic Jew: please calm down. This article doesn’t have an ounce of hate in it. It’s simply pointing out a ray of light in this sadness. When people tell miracle stories of 9-11 or the holocaust, they are by no means celebrating the loss of others, rather they are there to remind that there is hope in this world. Please change your perspective in life. You will be much happier if you were truly proud of who you are.
@CC: I also served in the IDF,and I think this is a beautiful story. However, you and Non fanatic Jew represent the sad extremes of Israeli society.
Ok Morris – Who will have the honour of hosting you this Shabbos?
Morris!!!!! We made it!!!!
@Morris
Speaking about Divine Providence, all the back and forth will now make another Shabbos observer.
“It would be a dangerous mistake to say that a Jew was saved from disaster after deciding not to fly on Sabbath – no matter how the story goes. ”
http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/the-lighthouse/.premium-1.579393
Reading and scrolling through these comments has given me an even stronger feeling of Jewish pride. Although life can seem superficial and just a daily cycle at times, its refreshing to read these kinda things where people express their views and depth refuting that which goes against what they believe in and our proud of…Although we may seem similar on the surface, we all have got our backgrounds, histories and opinions. It’s amazing and incredible to be a part of a nation like ours. Why has the redemption not come yet??? Thank you Dan for publicizing this miracle, it has been a major Kiddush Hashem, really honoring Him and His shabbos. I admire the strength of character that the travel agent possessed to be able to suffer monetarily for the sake of sticking to what he believes in. thank G-d that this man was saved it was because of his decision to come closer to his heritage that he was not on the mystery flight. I am so sorry and feel for the 239 people aboard the missing plane. Their families and friends must be experiencing such turmoil and pain for the loss of their loved ones….may they be found, by some miracle, safe and well…
& Morris I would live to host u for a Shabbos if your willing ( what state are you in?)
@berliner:
berliner, you make a point no one else made, that andy chose his own fate. I like the story you told which shows the difference vs. the september 11th story. Was the ceo you are referring to barry bycoff?
Beautiful story!! Just wondering, how did the agent know Andy was Jewish in the first place?
DAN, I believe you left out an important detail from the story. Why was this Jewish businessman from Boston using an Israeli travel agent? Even-though he was not a Shomer-Shabbat, it appears his Jewish sentiments, Ahavat Israel, was in tact. Sometimes this is enough to merit a Jew the gift of second life via Hashgacha Pratit, like in this story. It would be interesting to find out why he uses this particular Israeli Travel Agent.
@Amnon:
Huh?
The traveler is not from Boston and the travel agent is not Israeli, he just happened to be there.
@Non fanatic Jew: what an idiot… Number 1, in no way is this story implying in any way shape or form that G-d wants the death of non jews…. if that is what you took away from this story, you either have a massive inferiority complex, or you have some real anger issues with Religion/G-D… Number 2 it was Jews like you who thought we needed to integrate in to German and Non Jewish society in the early 1900’s…. where did that get you?
Since I heard that there was standby on that flight (I hope I am wrong), it meant that Andy’s seat was taken by some unfortunate individual.
@Selman:
B.S.
The Malaysia 777 has over 280 seats.
@DAN
I stand correct, the passanger originating flight was in Sydney, not Boston, and you are from Cleavland, not Israel. (I thought you were located in Israel and the booking agent, being your friend, was also Israeli.) I am curious to know where is the travel agent from, Australia? What country?
Shabbat Shalom.
P.S. Do you approve comments with the attitude expressed by Saddened above? I would expect you to delete his post, because if allowed, I could respond with more offensive words than “non-fanatic idiot”. We really have a sad case here of a retard who doesn’t understand concepts like “Hashgacha Pratit” and “Ahavat Israel”. He is attacking his own convoluted idea of what he imagine I intended to say in my above post.
@Amnon:
Curse words are censored but that’s about it.
It is that time of the week. A well needed rest for most here. Enjoy your special day!
is there any more news on the missing jet?
@DAN,
Roger. What country is the travel agent from?
@Amnon:
He’s from NYC.
@ Dan
Did I deserve an aggressive response? “B.S.”?
If I was wrong, I would have apologized, however, after a search, I found this on MSN news.
“Four passengers not onboard MH370 replaced by standby passengers:
The mystery behind the four passengers who checked in but did not board the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH 370 was finally “cleared†after it was revealed that four standby passengers had taken their seats.”
@DAN,
My insight may still be valid if the saved passanger indeed lives in Sydney. It would be interesting to find why he uses the services of a Travel Agents from NYC instead of Australia.
@Selman:
Well that story is BS then as well. Nobody took anyone’s seats as there were dozens of empty seats.
@Amnon:
Not too many travel agents can get that good of a price…
@ Dan
You’re right … everything is BS except for you Dan. What a pleasure to have conversed with such an informative, educated person.
No point in discussing further.
@Selman:
I’ve spent an entire week reading Op-Ed after op-ed slandering me, cursing me out, and attacking me for sharing what I thought was a nice story.
Pardon me if I’m on the edge. People have actually sent me other inspirational stories of coincidence but I have no current plans of sharing them at this point.
@Dan
Thanks for your reply. :o)
Pardon accepted.
You’re a good man.
Have a nice weekend.
It’s actually fitting coverage for Purim.
Nothing like Amalek to cool off people inspired from a nice story. Shame is that the Amalek in this case has exclusively come from within.
What an amazing story, Shabbat saves lives.
@you dah man: It was reported in last week’s edition of Yated.
@Dan:
Just fyi, despite many available seats, there were Passengers on standby, as many seats ( sources say approx 50) were blocked out/ restricted due to heavy cargo load…
To non fanatical Jew, as an Australian Christian I have great trouble in actually believing you are Jewish. There was no gloating, simple as that and if you find it offensive when ANYONE, Jew or Christian, praises God for His Statutes causing another to be saved, then you have a major problem with your theology.
The problem, as I perceive it, is that in this Godless age, people hate to be reminded of the power and glory of the Living God, because it shows up their vulnerability.
I praise God for his Statutes causing this man to be saved.
I can’t help but feel like this story is fake. So ArtScroll-y.
WOW: I can’t help believe it’s a miracle because God said in the last days HE will show himself in many different ways to those who believe & to strengthen their faith. This is one of them & to know that HIS SABBATHS are still being honored by many Sabbath keepers. I pray that those who doesn’t understand the Sabbath can read this & be inspired to take a second look. Thanks for this inspiring miracle. God be with those who have lost ones in the missing MF370. So sorry, I still hope they find it safe somewhere. GOD BLESS AMERICA & ALL.
Thank you Dan for posting this story and spreading the Hashgacha Pratis – I read it on Aish. I hope that the Chizuk generated by your post will outweigh the negativity.
My prayers are with all the individuals on the plane, however that does not stop me for feeling such happiness that one life was spared because of Shabbos.
Please keep the stories coming!
@Yoel: Actually Rabbi Schudrich, the Chief Rabbi of Poland was saved exactly the same way when the airplane carrying the Polish president Lech Kaczynski crashed on April 10, 2010. Rabbi Schudrich as invited to attend the Katyn memorial celebration and declined because the flight was scheduled on Shabbos.
I think you missed the point.
This has nothing to do with the traveler of sparing that travelers life because he deserved.
It is all about the travel agent who created a powerful outcome for this traveler because of his conviction of observing the sabbath
I think you missed the point!
This has nothing to do whether the traveler’s life deserved sparing because he observed the sabbath.
It is all about the travel agent who created a powerful outcome in saving a life due to his conviction of observing the sabbath.
@Non fanatic Jew:
Not quite share whatyou are hacking about – OF COURSE WE ARE ALL VERY SAD about the rest of the people on the flight – you had negative prejudices before reading the article. IT IS VERY SPECIAL THAT ONE LIFE WAS SAVED – and yes it was because of SHABBOS!!! these stories of how shabbos saves lies happen all the time!!! and as much as we feel so sorry for all those mothers, fathers, children and evryone who has lost a member on that flight, we are grateful that Andy’s family are not missing him..
Honestly, If it was YOUR life saved through such an incident, how would YOU feel?????????
@Non fanatic Jew:
We are not gloating that one Jewish life was saved versus all the rest of the people on the flight – (did we brag and post this story all over the world and in all the non-jewih papers? no!) we are telling a story, a powerful story, as a reminder to us jews that we should strengthen our commitment to shabbos – an extra push to motivate us to stick to our convictions because look how shabbos saves physical lives, never mind the spiritual rewards that will be enjoyed later… these stories give chizuk – don’t be a killjoy!
One more question to be answered honestly – if the story would have been that Andy was saved because he did a super difficult act of kindness for example would you feel the same way?????
There may have been others saved from this flight too because of other good deeds done! (example selflessness – one family member ill so just cancelled his flight) – in this case it was Shabbos but all good deeds reap reward – sometimes we see, sometimes we don’t. In this case we were lucky to be able to see the Hand of G-d clearly, and the power of sticking to your convictions which in this case was shabbos…
Be Happy!
@Trev:
Thank you Trev! you’re most right! there is another reason why people don’t like to hear miracles which prove there is a G-d becasue then it behooves us and obligates us to behave the way that G-d tells us. And people don’t like to be obligated…… 🙁
@morris:
hey there – this thread hit 539 – we would love to invite you to stay with us for shabbos!!!! Comment 500 was reached on the 13th MARCH so this should be your second shabbos you will be keeping! If travelling logistics make coming to us for the shabbos impractical (we live in England) then please let me know where you live and I will arrange the greatest shabbos for you ever!! Brocha V’Hatzlocha
@Samuel: YOU BRILLIANT!!! I don’t beliee the story too – yeah someone prove to me how in this day and age an entire plane can vanish for 2 weeks with NO TRACE!!! impossible! prove it! LOL
@Joe: This is a Jew by name only with no feelings or faith in Go-d and his power to spare someone life a Jew or none Jew, as we can’t question G-d ways.
The Comment “a Jew by name only” meant for the none fanatic Jew, Thank you!
wooow awesome story….. 😀
@yisroel: @Yisroel Why censor? Let all comments live…not just on this site, but everywhere! I disagree w/Non Fanatic Jew. But so what? We have a cerebral cortex for a reason…to reason.
@Sari: @Sari & @Anonymous (#153), I think we can all learn a bit from @Malka, #70…
@Dan: @Dan NO! Don’t censor. Please! Please! Please! I was just praising you for not doing so, and for your thoughtful and kind; yet grounded responses. That you are truly working to actualize your mission/tikkun is highlighted by allowing those you disagree with a seat at your table, showing them and the world, that they too matter not because of their ideals or accomplishments but because they exist (w/all their flaws, and yet with a spark of God). Period. We can take our cue from the South African community and their project: theshabbosproject.org. How can we expect a “house for all people” free of sinat chinum if we can’t bear the sound of all people? Harmony (Shalom) is not the total absence of dissonance, it’s the organization of dissonance. What better place for our various chords to find some seder (through thrashing it out and passionately explaining our rationales and ideologies) but on your wonderful (and very helpful, I must say) blog! Thanks Dan!
Why doesnt this non fanatic jew respond?
@Steve Morris: I am actually working on a production that relates the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Tragedy, and will be very interested with your Grandmother story.
Can I have some more details please?
We are pointing out the Shabbos Miracle of Rosa Goldstein…
@Malka: Thank you for your very respectful & thoughtful reply to the non fanatic.
That is freaky indeed.
RIP
Did Andy start keeping Shabbos?
WOW!