A Chilling And Awe-Inspiring Malaysia Air Flight 370 Story

kiwi strawberry

Tue, Mar 11 2014, 2:25 pm

Barbara wrote:

Not only do I doubt it (travel agents tell people to make their own reservations? -- uhh, doubt that), I truly HATE those types of stories. 239 people are missing, presumed dead. They have parents and spouses and kids who love them. I don't know why they died. But I'm not going to gloat about one person who allegedly avoided the flight, when so many others are gone.

They are not mutually exclusive. You can rejoice for those who were saved and mourn those who perished.

Fox

Tue, Mar 11 2014, 2:56 pm

I don't think that such stories necessarily detract from the kovod of those who perish or are otherwise negatively affected by disasters or tragedies . . . as long as we understand that the purpose is not to encourage magical thinking, but rather, to emphasize that Hashem is constantly acting in our lives. Sometimes, He is simply maintaining the derech teveh -- the "normal" way things work. Other times, He acts in both major and minor ways to help us or give us guidance. And, of course, "help" may not be connected with a positive or comfortable outcome at the time.

The real goal, however, is to increase our sensitivity to Hashem's role so that we are cognizant of His presence in stories of day-to-day life -- not just life-or-death scenarios.

That's why I think many people feel uncomfortable or at least ambivalent about these dramatic stories. If you tend to be a sensitive individual who devotes a lot of thought to Hashem's presence in day-to-day life, such stories seem to be like 2x4s across the forehead. They lack subtlety and dimension.

All that said, there is an important inyun of publicizing seemingly miraculous occurrences. In fact, I heard a survivor of 9/11 speak at length on this topic based on advice from a number of talmidei chochumim. When someone is spared or otherwise benefits from a seemingly miraculous occurrence, he uses up many, many zchuyos. By re-telling his story, he may regain at least some of those zchuyos.

So the point in re-telling such stories is not to crow over someone's good fortune at the expense of others. Rather, it is supposed to serve as a reminder to everyone that Hashem can and does save and assist us -- and remind us to look for less dramatic examples of this in our own lives.

Isramom8

Tue, Mar 11 2014, 3:10 pm

I stressed to my kids a few things:

1. As Lubaussie wrote, "he made it seem as if it was HIS - the travel agent's - problem - "gee, you know I don't like flying Jews on Shabbat." I thought that was worded very neutral, subtle and non-pushy."

2. The travel agent had guts in his commitment not to fly Jews on Shabbos. He is risking losing money for keeping a mitzvah.

3. Kudos of course to the traveler who humbled himself enough to correct a mistake he was making in flying on Shabbos, and listen to his neshama.

All these choices are successes in their own right - independent of the miraculous outcome.

werty

Tue, Mar 11 2014, 3:44 pm

Barbara wrote:

Do you also hate when holocaust survivors praise Hashem for saving them?

Barbara

Tue, Mar 11 2014, 4:09 pm

werty wrote:

Do you also hate when holocaust survivors praise Hashem for saving them?

Do you tell stories that suggest that all of the people who died in the Holocaust were bad Jews, if not bad people, because if they'd only followed halacha, and tied their shoes the "right" way, or decided not to fly on Shabbat, they wouldn't have died?

That's exactly what stories like that are saying. That Hashem saved the good guy, and let all the rest of those worthless excuses for people die. Its a way of rationalizing the irrational.

Is that what you say when you go to a shiva? "Hey, too bad Hashem found your loved one wanting. Maybe he didn't tie his shoes the right way."

The people who died ... chances are they were good people, too.

MaBelleVie

Tue, Mar 11 2014, 4:13 pm

Barbara wrote:

That's totally not how I read the story. I read the story as, God saved this man using shabbos as a vehicle. Now he is taking this as a sign that shabbos can have other positive impacts on his life.

tigerwife

Tue, Mar 11 2014, 4:19 pm

Barbara wrote:

There is a concept that when you do a mitzva, you create a malach that protects you.

There is no concept of when you DON'T do a mitzva, a bad malach is created to harm you.

Why are you deliberately mixing up the two? There are obviously many good people who die or have terrible things happen to them. If one person is saved and maybe realizes a zechus for that, it has absolutely nothing to do with the people who unfortunately were not as lucky. Please don't take these stories like that.

lubaussie

Tue, Mar 11 2014, 7:05 pm

MaBelleVie wrote:

That's totally not how I read the story. I read the story as, God saved this man using shabbos as a vehicle. Now he is taking this as a sign that shabbos can have other positive impacts on his life.

This. Like I said before, the point is not about who " deserved" to be saved and who did not. The point, when hearing such a story, is simply to say, "Wow, look at the power of Shabbos." (as opposed to, "X was saved because he kept Shabbos." - and yes, there is a difference.) Beyond that, we cannot reason further about life and death. There is simply no rhyme or reason. It's an abstract inspiration, not a black-and-white equation (hey that rhymed Tongue Out

)

potatoes

Wed, Mar 12 2014, 12:05 am

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.

DrMom

Wed, Mar 12 2014, 10:01 am

grace413 wrote:

I don't know but the Air France plane that went down in South America wasn't found for 2 years.

I suppose... but that crash happened in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. This Malaysian plane was last heard form in the Gulf of Thailand -- a much smaller body of water largely encompassed by land. Where the heck did it go???

I get chills just thinking about this subject.

groisamomma

Wed, Mar 12 2014, 12:54 pm

Barbara wrote:

Interpreting the reactions to this story in this way is indicative of twisted thinking IMO.

amother

Wed, Mar 19 2014, 5:46 am

I'm uncomfortable with the publicizing of these types of stories.

On March 6, 2008, I was in Kiryat Moshe outside the Mercaz HaRav yeshiva. I was not religious. I was with a secular group and we left the area. Thirty minutes after my group left, a terrorist entered the building and started shooting in the library. 8 yeshiva students were killed and 11 were wounded. I put a link to the wikipedia article for background and links to reflections from the mother of one of the victim's that were published on Aish.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M.....sacre
http://www.aish.com/h/imd/48965201.html http://www.aish.com/h/imd/48965201.html
http://www.aish.com/h/imd/The_.....=mbaw http://www.aish.com/h/imd/The_.....=mbaw

Whatever the reason was that the shooter came at 8:30 and shot students inside the building and not at 8 to shoot bystanders outside the building, it was not because I did more mitzvot, or that I would go on to do more mitzvot at least in the short-term future (I did not become "religious" for a long time afterwards, when I did, my decision was not directly motivated by this incident, and even now, "religious" is a funny word; I'm not a typical BT). I do not feel comfortable saying that I was spared because my life was worthier or more valuable because I think every human is created by G-d, every life is worthy and valuable, and I do not think I can or should judge which lives are more valuable. I'm happy and thankful to be alive, but it pains me that the lives of these young boys were cut short.

I hear the rationale for celebrating the lives saved in the face of tragedy. But I feel like the telling of this Malaysia Air flight story now, immediately after the disappearance, when there are still no answers, no sign of the plane and the families of the 239 people are worrying/grieving/clinging to hope etc. to have a story of this survivor who didn't go on the flight due to Shabbat go viral just feels insensitive to their pain. It's the type of story where even if we say we aren't going to make comparisons and decide which lives are worthy of saving, we inevitably do.

Amother due to the identifying details.

PinkFridge

Wed, Mar 19 2014, 7:34 am

Amother, that's why there were the disclaimers before the story. Though I know, they came later. If anything, I think it's the timing that's most disconcerting.
Sometimes in life we get direct messages, and if we hear them it's a good thing. Someone, I think R' Binyomin Pruzansky in one of his books, tells the story of a fellow who saw an open miracle happen to his friend, who was saved from a boa. The friend heard a message in this and became a BT. The fellow who relates the story, on being asked, and why not you, said, But it didn't happen to me.

(I'm not sharing this story to reflect on your personal - and moving - narrative, just saying that it's good to be open to, as Rabbi Frand says, Listen[ing] to Your Messages.)

amother

Wed, Mar 19 2014, 9:12 pm

The timing of the telling of the story relative to the actual event is definitely one reason for my discomfort. I reflected after reading this thread and I realized that the WTC stories like the man who didn't get on one of the flights that hit the WTC because he didn't have his tefilin don't bother me in the same way. I think it's because I didn't hear the story until long after the initial shock and grieving.

Still, the problem with direct messages in stories is that it works very well when there is a clear, direct positive message. It's wonderful that we can look at the WTC story and say, look at the power of tefillin. It's wonderful that we can look at the Malaysia Air story and say, look at the power of Shabbat.

Let's go back to my story again. The yeshiva boys were killed and I - the young woman hardly keeping any mitzvot, drinking excessively, smoking pot, dressing and behaving promiscuously, ignoring my family, having no sense of mission or purpose - I was saved. If we were to go back to 2008 and look at my story with the same lens of a simple, direct message, the message might have been, look at the power of self-destructive, irreligious behaviors! Or even worse, that the mitzvah of Torah learning wasn't powerful enough to save those students.

I think it's better we not attempt to read into events and assume we know Hashem's plan for why things happen the way they do.