Stewardess Story

Rav Dovid Grossman of Migdal Haemek, told a fascinating story of how he was instrumental in helping a stewardess become an observant Jew.

The stewardess confessed to the rabbi that she knew she was Jewish, but was totally ignorant of Jewish practices. She was under the impression that religious Jews ordered special meals on their flights, because they were very health conscious. She did know anything about Kashrut laws.

Rabbi Grossman explained to her that there were very clear laws from the Torah defining what a Jew was allowed to eat.

He gave an analogy of the difference of the kind of gas used to power a truck or a private vehicle. If the wrong fuel was placed in either of these vehicles, they would not run well.

The Jew’s strict observance of what he was allowed to eat, was the necessary fuel needed for him to live a more pure and holy life. Eating meat from unclean animals, would have a detrimental effect on the Jew’s spiritual well being.

This explanation resonated with the stewardess. Rabbi Grossman gave her the names of rabbis who could teach her in her home town, and she was on her way to Teshuva.

Sometimes it helps to take a step back and appreciate the wisdom of our Torah from the perspective of one genuinely inquiring about the truth and beauty of our religious practices.