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# 449(s5766-39/3 Tamuz) First Class to Tokyo When he asked the Lubavitcher Rebbe to bestow on him a blessing for a good livelihood, the Rebbe's surprise answer was: "Go to Japan." First Class to TokyoA Lubavitcher chasid in the USA did his best to find a consistent source of income in order to support his family, but despite his efforts he was unable to attain any noticeable results. After numerous attempts to find a worthwhile job without success, he asked the Lubavitcher Rebbe to bestow on him a blessing for a good livelihood. The Rebbe's answer was not long in coming: "Go to Japan on a first class ticket." He wanted to follow the Rebbe's advice immediately. However, his financial situation was bad and he had to take the time to borrow the money for the first class flight ticket. Within a short while he was able to pack his suitcase with his personal belongings and set out for the trip to Japan. After the plane took off, when it was time for the first meal to be served, he realized that he had forgotten to order kosher meals. As you would expect of a Chabad chasid, he did not touch anything on the tray that was set in front of him. The Japanese man sitting next to him asked him why he did not eat anything. He replied that he was Jewish and this kind of food was forbidden for him to eat. The Japanese man tried to persuade him to eat by explaining that the trip to Japan would take a very long time and he might end up being very hungry. However, the chasid did not agree to eat any non-kosher food. During the trip, the Japanese man spoke to his Jewish co-traveler and asked him why he was going to Japan. The chasid told him that he had been advised by the Lubavitcher Rebbe to go there in order to find a suitable business opportunity for himself. The Japanese man told him that there is going to be a big business fair in Tokyo, and he should consider attending. He also intended to visit that big event. Before leaving the plane, he gave his business card to the Jewish man. The chasid spent a great deal of time at he fair, trying to get a job working as a business representative for a Japanese company in the USA -- but without success. On the last day of the fair he remembered the Japanese man who he had met on the plane. His business card was still in his pocket and he managed to contact him. He told the Japanese man about his wish to be the representative of a business company, and the man told him that they were just about to open a new line of merchandise. As it happened, his company was looking for a suitable person to introduce their new merchandise on the US market. The Japanese man said that he was very impressed by the chasid's self discipline demonstrated by his refusal to partake of the food because of his religious principles, despite the long hours of traveling. Such a person would certainly meet their requirements of honesty and strength of will, and would be capable of fulfilling the assignment in the best possible way. Thus the chasid found employment with a good salary, and everything happened due to his following the Rebbe's advice of flying to Japan on a first class ticket.
Biographical note:
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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