There was a story in the news a couple of days ago about two Israeli Rabbinic figures,the Gerrer Rebbe and Rav Aharon Leib Steinman, who purchased all first class tickets so that they would not have any women passengers and asked El Al to only post male stewards on flight so they do not have to see women on way to America.
Frankly I don’t understand. Why can be there be no women on board? Why go to that length... to expend extra money and cause the kind of negative media attention that makes it seem like our leaders belong to in the same camp as the Taliban with respect to Tznius standards? There is certainly no Halachic need for it. And I doubt that these rabbinic figures have ever asked for such accommodations in the past... at least not Rav Steinman who flew to Chicago last year did not request it then. Why now? I suspect that the initiative is the Gerrer Rebbe’s since the Tznius standards of Chasidim are somewhat extreme. But even so, why do something like that. Is the extra level of Tznius worth the level of ridicule it brings? I cast no aspersions on either of these people but I do not understand the behavior at all. Is the ridicule caused by such behavior over-ridden by the self imposed Tznius Chumros?
This incident reminds me of another one which is a Musser Haskel for us all and makes my question even stronger. If I recall correctly, Rav Shlomo Zalmen Auerbach* used to sit in his seat while Davening Shmoneh Esreh during overseas flights so as not to create a Chilul HaShem. Contrast this with the number of poeple who, without so much as asking permission, would walk to the back of the plane (even if it isn't El Al) and create a Minyan, disturbing the cabin crew, who are usually busy back there, blocking off the lavatory entrances, and just making one big commotion which disturbs the other passengers. (Can you imagine what some of the irreligious or non-Jews are thinking? Instead of thinking how wonderful the Orthodox Jews are, they are probably thinking how selfish, noisy, and disruptive they are.)
RSZA understood the importance of Teffilah B'Tzibur and standing during the Amidah prayer. Yet he sat in his seat. Why do you think he did that? Was he not as Frum as passengers who commandeer the rear of a plane to make a Minyan? Of course he was. But he was more concerned Chilul HaShem.
So once again, I ask... Why did they do that?
* After I published this post, I was informed that RSZA never left Israel and was never on an airplane. If that is so, then the Gadol in the story was someone else. But even though my recollection of who the actual Gadol was may be incorrect, I can assure everyone that it was someone on RSZA's level and of his genertion. If I can find out exactly who the Gadol in question was, I will correct the post.
Sorry about the error.
