Chassidic Story # 273

(s5763-18) 4 Shvat 5763
AIR FRIGHT
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AIR FRIGHT

A wealthy chasidic entreprenaur was in San Francisco on business, when suddenly he was informed that market developments required him to fly to Japan. As he was the type of chasid that always obtained a blessing from his rebbe before every undertaking, he immediately telephoned to the office of the Lubavitcher Rebbe in Brooklyn to request approval and blessing for the long journey.

He soon received a return call with the expected blessing, but the Rebbe had added to it a surprising instruction: "Do not depart until you have received a certain package from New York. It has already been sent to you. When you receive this package, then --and only then-- you can leave. There, in Japan, you will already know what to do with it."

The package arrived the following day. Burning with curiosity, he hastened to open it. Inside was a manilla envelope which contained...two copies of Tanya, the primary book of chasidic thought.

After he landed in Japan and went to his hotel, he found himself with some free time. Being completely unfamiliar with the country, he decided to go around and see if he could discover any traces of a Jewish presence. After many enquiries and much searching, he discovered a location that was sometimes used as a synagogue.

The door was open, so he entered without hesitation. Inside, the first thing that drew his attention was a man sitting in a corner of the room, with a very sad, depressed look on his face. The chasid promptly approached him and gave him a hearty "Sholom aleichem." The two began to converse casually, and after a while the unhappy man revealed what was weighing upon his heart.

He was a sales agent for a well known large corporation. His work required him to travel frequently and long distances, all around the world. On a recent trip he had been involved in a tragic terrible accident, when the plane he was on collided with another plane. Many passengers on both planes were killed. He, thank G-d, had not even been injured.

As a result of that shattering experience, however, he felt tremendous anxiety and fear before each flight he had to take. He made every effort to overcome it, but failed miserably. With each successive flight he became even more afraid. He shook with terror every time he realized he would have to fly again.

He gradually reduced the frequency of his trips until he had stopped flying almost completely. His livelihood became endangered and his mental health began to deteriorate.

Some friends advised him to seek counsel and blessing from the Lubavitcher Rebbe. He decided to do so even though he was far from being a chasid. He wrote a letter to the Rebbe in which he described his unhappy situation in detail.

Two weeks later he received a letter in reply. The Rebbe blessed him to be able to overcome his fear and recommended that whenever he traveled, he should always take a Tanya with him. He followed the Rebbe's advice and found that the blessing was fulfilled: he had conquered his fear to the extent that he could fly again and work as before.

"But today," he concluded his story, as the expresion of anguish returned to his face, "I lost my Tanya. How will I be able to get on my flight tonight? How can I possibly acquire another Tanya here in Japan? From whom? Where? Will I have to remain here in Japan so far from my home and family until a new book can be sent to me? I simply cannot face boarding the airplane without it."

The chasid pulled from his suitcase one of the Tanyas that the Rebbe had entrusted him with in a rush of joy and excitement and extended it to the astonished salesman. His new companion couldn't believe his eyes! Nor could he believe his ears when the chasid told him the story of the Rebbe's "strange" instructions, including that he would know by himself what to do with the Tanya when he was in Japan. It was the most thrilling moment of his life.

The chasid of course reported to the rebbe about the remarkable fulfillment of his mission. He took the opportunity to also ask the Rebbe about the one detail he still didn't understand: what was the purpose of the second Tanya?

The Rebbe's reply: "It is for you. A reward for your trouble."

 

[Translated and freely adapted by Yrachmiel Tilles from V'rabim Hashiv M'avon. The story was told to the author by Rabbi Chaim Faro of Manchester, who heard it from the chassid of the story.
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Copyrighted © by Ascent-of-Safed, 2002

Biographical note:
The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson
(11 Nissan 1902 - 3 Tammuz 1994), became the seventh Rebbe of the Chabad dynasty on 10 Shvat 1950. He is widely acknowledged as the greatest Jewish leader of the second half of the 20th century. Although a dominant scholar in both the revealed and hidden aspects of Torah and fluent in many languages and scientific subjects, the Rebbe is best known for his extraordinary love and concern for every Jew on the planet. His emissaries around the globe dedicated to strengthening Judaism number in the thousands. Hundreds of volumes of his teachings have been printed in the original Hebrew and Yiddish versions, as well as dozens of English renditions.

 

Yrachmiel Tilles is co-founder and associate director of Ascent-of-Safed, and editor of Ascent Quarterly and the AscentOfSafed.com and KabbalaOnline.org websites. He has hundreds of published stories to his credit.

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