Destination Unknown,Ayelet

Sometimes in life we wonder why we end up at certain destinations. At other times, the reason is abundantly clear. Perhaps the answer is always available, while sometimes it's easier to understand, and at other times it's left to the imagination.

During a recent trip, I needed to make my way from New York to Toronto to Los Angeles and then back to New York. While visiting my friend Leah, I realized that my travel dates were quickly approaching, and I still hadn't yet booked my flights. I had no choice but to use her slow dial-up Internet server and find a travel itinerary. I hit the best Internet sites, seeking the lowest possible airfare to conveniently accomplish my goal, with the least amount of travel necessary. I happen to hate flying, yet I have to do it for work several times each year.

To my surprise and excitement, I found an amazing flight on Expedia.com, with a terrific price and all direct flights to and from each destination. And though I knew it was a great deal, I looked further for an even better price.

The next best thing was a flight for even less, but this one would take me from New York to Toronto via Boston. The song began to play over in my mind "Over the hills and through the woods, to grandmother's house we go" Boston was not exactly on the way from New York to Toronto! And not only that, but there was a full hour-and-a-half layover in Boston, delaying my trip even further.

I realized that the first deal was unbeatable, and went back to book it - but to my shock and disbelief, it now came up at a much higher price.

As I continually tried to get back my low fare, Leah's seven-year-old son Yehuda cheered me on with excitement. After realizing that nothing I was doing was making any difference, I turned to my secret weapon - prayer. I always know that if there is something I need and want, the only One who can really help is G-d Himself, for whom Expedia.com is no match.

I managed to recruit both Leah and Yehuda, and the three of us proceeded to say Psalm 73 with intense concentration. You might be wondering why this one exactly - what's the significance of Psalm 73? The reason we said it is because that's the one to which I opened the book. (And although here I may have said "randomly," I don't believe anything in this life is random, but it is all a series of Divinely-inspired events.)

Fully placing all of my trust and faith in G-d, I knew that if it was meant to be, I would surely get back my low fare and have my easy travel with direct flights. But if not, I would accept that the answer was "no". I decided that I would not allow myself to be persuaded into feeling regret or remorse, nor a tinge of anger towards Leah's slow Internet provider, may they soon be blessed to move into the 21st century!

My flight plan was now in the hands of G-d. He would decide for me where I would be going. I checked one last time, and apparently the first itinerary was not meant to be. With a smile and no hard feelings, I said to Leah and Yehuda, "Hashem said no". And I truly felt at peace about it.

Rather than spending all the extra money it would take to get back the direct flights, I booked the lower fare via Boston. I knew that for whatever reason unbeknownst to me, I needed to be there.

As I boarded the first leg of my trip in New York, I passed a woman in the seat in front of me, holding a small baby. (I'm not sure which one of them seemed more frightened to be on this airplane.)

The woman stopped me, and in broken English, she asked me if I speak any Hebrew. I told her that I am fluent, and she sighed with relief, asking me for help to find her way around Boston. I apologized for having no way of assisting her and proceeded to my seat.

A flight attendant came by to let the Israeli woman know she would have to change seats, because the one in which she was sitting had no oxygen mask for her baby.

The woman indicated that she spoke no English, and before I had the chance to translate, an American woman seated nearby began to repeat what the flight attendant had said, only this time louder and slower. I stifled my laughter and imagined next she might try some sort of spur-of-the-moment sign language, so I jumped in to translate.

Thoroughly confused, the Israeli woman reluctantly changed seats with her husband, who was seated across the aisle from her.

I was then informed by the flight attendant that since this woman and her husband spoke no English, I would have to translate the safety instructions into Hebrew for them. (Lucky for me, my top two comedy routines are all about airlines, and I do an excellent impersonation of the safety announcements.)

As I explained the safety measures to the couple, while trying my best to keep my jokes out of it, I quickly realized that there was a lack of understanding, but we managed to get through it and the flight took off.

My curiosity got the best of me, and I began to talk to the Israeli woman to find out her story. After all, it seemed she had never flown before, and certainly couldn't navigate a trip in the United States very easily, so why was she here?

The baby she was holding had been born with cataracts, and he needed emergency surgery. She and her husband had never in their lives flown before, and had just gotten off a flight from Israel, where all of the crew spoke Hebrew with them, and put them on the flight to Boston. Now they were on their own, in a foreign country, where they had never been before, and didn't speak a word of the language. They had never even been to baggage claim before. There was no way they would be able to even get themselves through the airport without some Divine assistance. And now I knew where that Divine assistance was coming from. It was through me.

I had been chosen for a very special mission, and given the opportunity to make my Boston layover a meaningful one.

When we reached Boston, I helped the couple pick up their baby stroller, and we began to make our way to baggage claim. And then I realized just how important my Divine mission really was.

Because they had a stroller with them, this couple would never have even been able to follow the crowd to baggage claim. They needed to maneuver their way around the airport, using elevators, which were not always conveniently located. I needed to then guide them around the corridors of the airport, while following signs and trying to make our way out.

Eventually I got them to baggage claim and helped them get to their taxi, which would take them straight to their destination.

With tears in our eyes, the couple thanked me profusely, and I sincerely told them it had been my pleasure. As grateful as they were to me for my help, I was ever so much more appreciative to have been given such an amazing opportunity. I was chosen to perform a Divine mission at a destination, in which I didn't even want to be in the first place.

What had I done to merit this privilege? I know that this couple would have been sent another messenger had I not been there. It wasn't me who had helped them - after all, I was only given the opportunity to do it because I was sent there. If I hadn't been there, surely someone else would have been given the chance, and they would have been helped somehow.

In the story of Purim, Queen Esther was given the chance to save the Jewish people from the evil Haman. But at first, she declined the offer to be the one for the job. So Mordechai told her that, if not you, it will be someone else - the Jews will be saved, and you have the chance to be their messenger. But it's your choice. If you choose not to take the opportunity, someone else will surely do it.

For some reason, I must have merited my own little Divine opportunity. Perhaps it was my acceptance of the loss of the easier flight plan for myself, or the fact that I let it go and placed my trip in the hands of G-d. Or maybe it was something I did last month or last year. Who knows? All I know is that I feel honored and privileged to have been given a Divine mission, and I am ever so grateful for the chance to have performed such a deed of kindness for a stranger. It's not every day that such opportunities cross my path. Or maybe they do, and I don't open my eyes to them.

Either which way, I am open to the possibility that from now on, every destination is an important one, even if at the time it's unknown.

Read Comments (1)

Yahser Koach!
Date 08:05, 05-15, 06

Ayelet, great story... I was actually able to visualize you standing in the isle of the plane translating the safety measures...
Your Olam Haba is getting bigger everyday! May you always be a shaliach of mitzvot...
So proud....
Henny