HERE!!

Stories from my journey...

When I checked in my luggage, I asked for an aisle seat. Now, usually I get either an aisle or a few open seats next to each other whether I ask or not. But this time something possessed me to ask. The lady answered הטיסה מפוצצת - אין מושב במעבר. Literally - The flight is "blown up" [idiomatically it means 'full'], there are no aisle seats. I am not sure that one should use the word מפוצצת when talking about a flight in our crazy times. I am glad I am not Amelia Bedelia, otherwise I would have taken it literally and dropped out of the flight [if I took THAT literally I'd also be in trouble:-)].

So she makes a phone call and says something about "Ellen Char-less" [ the way she pronounced the name on my passport - maybe checking if I have a criminal record or have been caught trying to jump out of an airplane] and hangs up and tells me that I have a special seat right next to the escape door which means as much leg room as I want. Only a sardine would be able to stretch out on an airplane [in economy - chashuve roshei yeshiva usually fly economy. That's what I was trying to convince myself anyway] but I was fortunate and got this special seat for which people normally pay a lot extra. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! GE-SHMAK!

I normally assume that secular Israelis don't like charedim. From a secular perspective, the charedim look funny, dress funny, talk a funny language and don't serve in the IDF or work. Well, I often see that it's not true. Many don't feel any enmity towards charedim at all. Case in point: I look pretty charedi [and arguably - pretty] yet she did me this huge chesed and got me [without my even asking] this very comfortable seat.

[I will skip the part about realizing that I had forgotten my hat in the airport after I started walking in the tunnel to the airplane. Next time a certain friend tells me I am absent-minded I must remember to agree. Happy ending [in modern Hebrew they say "heppyend"] - I retrieved it.]

When I sat down there was a family behind me that looked very 'settler'. The husband was a big tall man dressed very simply, with short hair, peyos, a huge knit yarmulke, tzitzis out etc. [you know the look]. The wife was also dressed simply, wearing a tichel, long skirt etc. [ditto]. They also had, I think, three very small children [ages three and under, with at least ten more on the way]. At the outset he apologized for any trouble his children may cause. I assured him that it's OK. Hitler killed a million and a half Jewish children. Every time we see a Jewish child we should kiss him or her and dance. עוצו עצה ותופר דברו דבר ולא יקום כי עמנו אל - They tried to destroy us and Hashem foiled their wicked plans. [I didn't tell him the Hitler part. Just that kids are great and that it's fine]. The kids did make a little noise but unfortunately I didn't get up to dance with them. Hard to dance on an airplane. Plus, sometimes stewardesses can be VERY uptight. [They have a tough job though so I should be more understanding]. I LOVE children and hope you all have lots. I hope I do, too. AMEN!

Before the flight a lady sitting in my close proximity started BAWLING. The stewardess tried to calm her down. She related that her father passed away a month ago and that it had nothing to do with the flight. The stewardess kept offering her water and tissues. I'm thinking "She doesn't want water or tissues. She wants her father." This lady brought a book she read during the flight written by a former atheist ["former" because he is dead and now a believer:-)]. I wanted to tell her that if she wants to feel better about her father, believing that there is no G-d won't do the trick. Maybe I should have...

During the flight I was overwhelmed with exhaustion so I put my head down and fell into a deep sleep, until... I was woken up by a stewardess who insisted on serving me breakfast. I guess she looked at my very thin frame and decided that I need food more than I need sleep. I beg to differ. But it was too late.

I have really changed. So many people around me were watching the Olympics and I could not have cared less. When I was a kid I was really into it. Now - the size of the nail clipper used by the Italian Foreign Minister wouldn't interest me less. Men in their undergarments having a race. SO WHAT! I KNEW what was going to happen. They were going to run around a track as fast as they could and one fellow was going to finish first followed by another who was going to finish second followed by another who was going to finish third. And that's EXACTLY what happened. All of the runners were very skinny men, perhaps because on the way to the competition the stewardess didn't wake them up to eat. That would explain how they ran so fast. They had energy because they were well rested. I wasn't so lucky. But at least I get dressed when I appear in public.

Instead of watching I read some material I took with me on the plane for my entertainment and edification. A lomdishe sefer on maseches brachos, a gemara zvachim and a טיפא [deep] 'mymer' of the Alter Rebbe on Parshas Ekev.

Riveting. Real page turners.

No cell phones, Internet, people knocking at my door etc. etc. Just Hashem's Torah.

ברוך אלקינו שבראנו לכבודו והבדילנו מן התועים ונתן לנו תורת אמת וחיי עולם נטע בתוכנו.

I was mamesh MAMESH in the clouds...

AHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Love and blessings sweetest friends:-).

Hope to see EVERYONE! We have BIG PLANS.