On the wings of an eagle

By Meir Weingarten

Issue of Sept. 26, 2008

The price of a ticket to Israel is always a popular subject for an (after) shul shmooze or for small talk on the Friday morning line for challot. These days the price of fuel is hiking airfares to unheard of highs, making the topic even more exciting for shmoozers from all walks of Jewish life.

The following is a true story. The names have been changed because I never knew them.

Waiting on line at my favorite Brooklyn bakery, Reb Asher was excited about his trip to Israel next week. (If I had to categorize Reb Asher based on his look, and I do, I would say that he belongs to the “frum yeshivish” sub sub-division of right wing Orthodoxy. Not to be confused with the “modern yeshivish” sub sub-division and surely never to be even close to the Modern Orthodoxy division, which sometimes calls itself centrist, but not always.)

“Can you believe that I paid over $1700 for my ticket?”

“It’s crazy,” agreed Shmuel, the man behind the counter. “If this is the price now, imagine how high it’ll be for the coming holidays, not to speak of next Pesach.”

“Don’t worry yourself,” Reb Asher counseled. “By Pesach time, Moshiach will be here.”

A loud “amen” reverberated throughout the shelves of kokosh. Everyone figured that yet another conversation had ended with the coming of the Moshiach.

“Excuse me,” I mischievously interjected. “Why do you think prices are going to be lower after the Moshiach comes ?”

I may as well have said: “Martians have landed and are now checking the Flatbush eruv.” Reb Asher, now joined by other gasping challah consumers, could hardly contain himself.

“What are you talking about ?”

I repeated my provocative question. “Why does the crowning of the melech hamashiach entitle you to a free ticket? Who’s paying for your tickets?”

“HaKadosh Baruch Hu is taking us. Va’esa etchem al kanfei nesharim, I bore you on the wings of an eagle.”

“Yes,” I replied, “but notice that it doesn’t say va’esa etchem al kanfei nesharim, b’chinam. The promise isn’t that I will carry you on the wings of an eagle for free!”

“Moreover,” I continued subversively , “next week, you’ll be on that eagle.

Another quizzical look.

“G-d promised us that He will fly us through the air, in safety, to our homeland. One hundred and fifty years ago, no one knew what that would look like, but now we do.”

Frustrated, Reb Asher walked away, mumbling to himself, Hashem yirachem, G-d have mercy.

Like almost all else in our tradition, there is now a difference of opinion as to the meaning of Reb Asher’s pronouncement. There are those who say, he asked G-d to have pity on me, to help me see the light. Others say he was asking G-d to take pity on him. All these years he’d been counting on a free ticket and now he realizes that he’ll just have to pay.

After beseeching G-d for 2,000 years, it is astonishing that we refuse to recognize that He’s already given us what we want. I can just imagine G-d’s reaction to requests that we repeat often during the upcoming month of Tishrei.

Return us to our land, we say – done that.

Gather us from the four corners of the earth – check.

Allow us to ascend to Jerusalem – got that one, too.

Please, carry us on the wings of an eagle to Israel – I’ll give it to you and I’ll throw in video screens at each seat, but you’ll have to shell out some cash.

Shana Tova.

Meir Weingarten is president of Ariel Tours, a leading tour operator to Israel. He is also a public speaker and commentator on Israeli affairs heard on Kol Israel's Reshet Bet, on the nationally-syndicated Mike Gallagher Show, and internationally on JM in the AM with Nachum Segal.