Thought for Shabbat

Do you believe in miracles? If you didn't before this Wednesday, you can't help but believe now. A co-pilot stabs another pilot and takes control of a plane, placing it into a deep dive with nowhere to go but down, with a plane full of Israelis on board.

Between the pilot who was stabbed and some Israelis aboard, they manage to subdue the co-pilot, correct the flight path of the plane and administer medical help to the stabbed pilot, eventually landing the plane safely in Saudi Arabia. And did I mention that the person who pulled the plane up from its dive knew what to do from watching an episode about plane crashes on TV?

For those who watched the videos, the Saudi Arabians administering aid and compassionate comfort to traumatized Israelis, who just a short while before had been reciting the Shema in anticipation of their deaths, was a sight to behold.

We marvel at miracles. We look, we point, and in modern times, we post. How much time do we spend wondering how the things that seem to be impossible happen anyway? And how much time do we spend understanding the role that God plays in these events? And finally, how much time do we spend thanking?

There is a bracha/blessing that is recited at the Torah when an individual experiences a miraculous event called Birkat Hagomel. The reason for the prayer could be anything from a car accident to a medical emergency. In that prayer we thank God for the miracle having happened. But there is a second part as well, when the congregation responds to the blessing by wishing that God grant the person making the blessing continued good fortune, perhaps inviting additional miracles.

Tomorrow, when we parade our Torahs around the synagogue, we will be jointly reciting a similar blessing. In this prayer, as a congregation, we will thank God for the miracle we as a people have experienced, a miracle that saved us from a communal grief that could not have even been measured. Instead of feeling hopeless, we feel hopeful. Instead of immense grief, we feel joy. And we will give credit where credit is due. To the heroes on the plane and the Eternal God.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach

Rabbi Yaier Lehrer