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| Screenshot (Matzav) |
The following headline appeared on Matzav last Friday:
El-Al Pilot Threatens to Call Police and Render 500-Shekel Fine To Jews Davening On Plane, Claiming “Covid Concerns”
That was followed by a couple of videos that showed a group of Chasidim gathered together davening in a Minyan on a flight. I have come to pretty much expect this on flights that contain a lot of religious Jews. Which usually happens on a flight from New York to Israel. This behavior is not limited to Chasidim. I see all kinds of Orthodox Jews joining such a Minyan.
This always troubles me. There is not a doubt in my mind that the flight staff does not like it. It is probably against the rules. It is dangerous; hinders the flight attendants from doing their job effciently; and inconveniences other passengers since these ad hoc Minyanim usually take place where the bathrooms are located. Making them virtually inaccessible..
But these issues don’t seem to matter to those who insist on doing this. They think their obligation to Daven Tefilaah B’Tzibur overrides any and all objections. But I doubt that are many Poskim that would agree with them. It is not OK to violate airline rules for this purpose. They are fulfilling the Mitzvah of Tefila B’Tzibur with a Chilul HaShem. Which in my view negates the value of davening Tefila B’Tzibur. Yotza Sechoro B’Hefseida. What ever they think they gain is more them lost by the Chilul HaShem they are causing
I don’t know whether the concern expressed by the flight staff of COVID being spread by that Minyan was a realistic concern or not. But it doesn’t matter. If that is the policy of the airlines, violating it is wrong. The flight crew is in charge of the flight. Anything they say must be adhered to. Religious looking Jews that brake the rules is generally not considered a Kiddush HaShem. Certainly not in this case.
What seems evident in the videos is that the response by the Chasidim in that Minyan was to completely ignore the directives by the flight crew to stop the Minyan; go back to their seats; and finish Davening there. They could not care less about the rules are or who is demanding they be followed. It is the kind of arrogance that has long become associated with the more extreme elements of the Chasidic world. An arrogance born of the contempt they have for any authority outside of their own world.
That is why this is no longer news when it happens. But what makes this instance more notable is the way Matzav reported it. As though this was just another instance of secular 'antireligious' authorities persecuting Charedi Jews. Matzav sees it as anti religious secular pilot protesting Davening.
Did it not occur to Matzav that no one was being stopped from Davening? That they could have done it from their seats? I am absolutely sure that – had they done that, they would not have been stopped. And more importantly the flight attendants could do their jobs unhindered; and the passengers would not be inconvenienced. Not to mention avoiding any possible danger that a gathering like that might entail.
What about losing the opportunity to Daven with a Minyan? My answer to that is to ask, are they more devout than Gedolei Yisroel, like R’Yaakov Kamenetsky and R’ Shlomo Zalman Auerbach? ...both of whom davened in their seats while in flight? If I recall correctly they did so in spite of the Minyan that was forming!
Matzav reaches tons of Charedim who will likely read the story the way Matzav reported it - as an attack against Charedim. That is not what happened. That needs to be made clear every time an incident like this is unfairly reported. And that’s what I just did.
