1549
Yesterday afternoon I was sitting and doing work with the radio on. Call me crazy but sometimes I leave on news radio for long periods of time, even though the stories repeat every ten minutes (and I'm not in traffic, and I don't care for sports). It was then that I heard the first report about a plane hitting the Hudson river.
My first reaction was to be a bit miffed at the station but sounding a bit like vultures, almost like they wanted this to be a tragedy. They took calls from people, grasping at straws - some people saw fire/others didn't, some heard an explosion/others didn't, a woman saw the plane go down. What was she seeing now? Nothing, she was long gone, getting home in the Bronx.
I listened, as the story unfolded. I don't know for sure how long it was, it feels like it all happened in a bout an hour. Eventually, it was announced with certainty that everyone on the flight had gotten off the plane. Thank G-d.
There was talk pretty early on about geese and how that seemed to be the cause. An expert explained, with the right timing it was possible that geese could fly into both engines and jam them up. By the end the pilot was being heralded as a hero.
While it was all fresh and new, they said that the pilot had walked up and back twice, after everyone was off the plane (which was going to Charlotte and then Seattle - I believe - and spent six minutes in the air, running into trouble after three). It came out later who he was;a man with forty years of flying experience.
In the age we live in people will have plenty to read about and view on this occurrence (while the rescue was taking place I went on Youtube and found that people had already posted video footage, and of there is a constantly updated entry at Wikipedia under Flight 1549, which at the moment includes the full story plus two photos, 37 footnotes and links to US Airways' Latest Announcement, the flight path via google earth, a myriad of flicker pictures, and more).
Despite the steady flow of coverage I feel compelled to write about this. I think it is miraculous. I was struck by the anchor-woman on WCBS radio saying the word amen twice this morning, perhaps not realizing the connotation. The first amen came after an interview with Steve O'Brien. Mr. 'Brien, who was on the flight - heading back home to Charlotte, said that he wanted to thank the pilot, and that his children thanked him and that 155 people thanked him and that he didn't quite know what to say to someone who saved his life. The other amen came after the business reporter quoted someone from Wall Street saying that in today's work climate younger people are favored and that this story presents an important example of a long time worker that drew on years of experience to handle things in a calm, professional manner and to avoid catastrophe.
I think that the miracle aspect can't be stressed enough. And I think that this is an example of the importance of the combination effect of hishdadlus - human effort, and bitachon - trust in
G-d. Who knows exactly what happened here, what the story is with the geese, how and why all this happened. What we do know is that 155 people survived what could have been a tragedy, and that along with Divine Providence the many people who helped others were at the top of their game.
Fate is fascinating.
Why does G-d have a horrible event almost happen and then have everyone come out alive? Does the role of the geese in this event shed light on the many possible factors in unexplained crashes of the past? How many possible things could go wrong, that usually go right, at any second? Why were the people that ended up there all there on this plane? What is the reason for the way in which each of the many individuals who were touched by this story were and will be effected by this event? Do you believe in miracles?
Mayor Bloomberg said that New Yorkers had an "indomitable spirit" and that the city "got away with a miracle.'' That's a funny turn of a phrase that I don't recall ever hearing before. And yet I feel compelled to respond to the mayor's words by citing the anchor-woman from CBS radio this morning, "Amen to that."
posted by rabbi neil fleischmann @ 11:13 AM
10 Comments:
Why does G-d have a horrible event almost happen and then have everyone come out alive?
This is exactly the question I'm thinking about!
Imagine if 155 people are changed for the better because they were touched by a miracle. How about the millions who heard about it? How much more goodness can come into the world because of this event? How great is G-d?
Maayan
Thank you Anon-Maayan for your thoughtful (as always) comment. I'll need a post to reply properly. I'd like to write more about this...
Amen. And I like Maayan's comment here too. The most non-religious guy at my office turned to me and said sincerely, that it was an absolute miracle, from G-d.
'And I think that this is an example of the importance of the combination effect of hishdadlus - human effort, and bitachon - trust in G-d." I really like this idea.
It can be hard to keep faith strong in the face of tragedy. Thank G-d for events like this one. Otherwise it might be hard to do the hishdadlus.
Amen, :)
Thanks for the thought, much appreciated. As I said, there is more to say. This has got me feeling and thinking quite a bit. I really like what you contributed here, it's going in the hopper with the rest of what I'm processing...
I have nothing profound to say, just that they should start shooting these damn geese. They're a menace. First they chew up everyone's lawns, now they're blowing up planes.
Which reminds me of the joke I'm sure you all heard:
A woman fed a bird some bread crumbs last week. The bird rewarded her with a tip: "Don't fly this Thursday."
I don't honestly believe in miracles that are so literal. It is wondrous indeed that the 155 people on that flight survived, but their story owes everything (in my opinion) to luck -- a windless day, calm water -- and the pilot's steady skill.
The miracle, to me, is that in spite of the terrors of this world, we people continue to hope, to have faith. The miracle is that G-d is with us even in the worst of days if we but let Him reveal himself -- perhaps, as Maayan says in the first comment here, in the ripple effect of a happy outcome; or in the selfless and passionate response of human beings when they see strangers in need of rescue and succor.
Wow, your blog is very meaty these last few days!
Kishke, thanks for reading and commenting.
Anne, I see miracles in all the aspects - what hapened, how available Gd is in general - as you said so well, and the ripple effects of such an eventfor us.
Two years ago a student asked me what I would do if I won the lottery and could quit my job. Another student quickly chimed in - he would teach! I said that if I could I would love to have the freedom to write more and maybe do that professionally. I love writing and the reason why the "blog is very meaty these last few days" is, in my mind, because I've had more time to breathe and think and devote time to writing substantially and well. I have several other major essay type posts in mind (one of which has been in the works for months) that I hope to get out there as part of my treating myself during my vacation.
I look forward to your longer essays (posts). And I know what you mean: The dry spells in my own blog generally coincide with the weeks or sometimes even months when I feel overwhelmed with work and day-to-day demands of raising kids and other homely tasks. I had two weeks of vacation over the holidays, and I could feel the creativity seeping back into my brain as the holiday rush receded and I left workplace preoccupations behind temporarily.
Anne:
Nachmanides teaches that every instant of everyday existence is a miracle, albeit a hidden one. We're surrounded by miracles! Surely the survival of all passengers in this crash - which must be a unique event in aviation history - should qualify as one.
"Why does G-d have a horrible event almost happen and then have everyone come out alive?"
See Rav Noach's famous story. In the intro class, a guy says he is close to G-d and doesn't need yeshiva. He explains that he was riding up a mountain road on his motorcycle, and a truck came at him. He went down a 200 foot cliff, and just a few scratches. So, he concludes, G-d is with him and he doesn't need yeshiva.
Rav Noach just asked: "so Who was it that sent the truck" Maybe G-d was trying to get your attention?
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