Posted on 03/11/2014 5:34:51 PM PDT by Former Fetus
The popular travel discount blog Dan’s Deals is circulating a story that a Jewish passenger who was supposed to be on the missing Malaysia Airlines plane was switched to an alternative flight because his Orthodox Jewish travel agent in Israel refused to book him on an itinerary that would have him traveling on Shabbat.
Under Orthodox Jewish law, facilitating someone else’s Sabbath desecration — boarding an airplane — is as forbidden as desecrating the Sabbath oneself.
Here’s the email exchange on January 13 and 14 between the passenger, identified as Andy, and the travel agent. The emails were posted online by Dan’s Deals with the identifying details removed.
Andy: One amendment, I need the KUL-PEK flight a day later. I need the extra day in Kuala. once that is set you can lock in.
Travel Agent: I wish I can give you a day later, but you know I just don’t like flying Jews on Shabbat. I can take that leg out if you want and you book yourself.
Andy decides to book the flight himself but later changes his mind:
Andy: I reconsidered, you are right I should be more observant, I’ll manage without that day in Kuala. Since I’ll have an extra night in PEK Any recommendations for a good Friday night dinner in Beijing?
Agent: Ok, glad to hear. Try this: http://www.chabadbeijing.com/
Then, on March 8, Andy writes:
Holy God,
You sure heard what happened to MH370
I cannot stop thinking about this.
This is a true miracle for the books. You are a true life saver…
I cannot think anymore! We’ll talk later this week. Don’t know how to thank you enough
When I tried to verify the authenticity of the story with Daniel Eleff of Dan’s Deals, he sent me this message:
“At this time the travel agent and the passenger are opting to remain anonymous. There has been a fair amount of negative feedback and they are choosing to wait until the fate of the flight in known to determine if they’ll go public.
“I have personally verified the story and can vouch for its authenticity. The emails I posted with time stamps are unaltered except to remove identifiable information.”
Wonderful!
I know the guy is lucky to be alive, but I have never seen anything in the Bible that says there is anything wrong with boarding an aircraft on the Sabbath.
The rescheduled passenger in indeed a very lucky man. I’m not sure I would go so far as to call it a miracle that he is alive and 230 other people are [probably] dead.
Exodus:
29 Bear in mind that the LORD has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where he is on the seventh day; no one is to go out.”
30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
Jews knew!
The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath...
I’ll bet they all stayed home from work that day!
We all know that the real Sabbath is Sunday, so this guy must find another explanation.
Me neither. All my overseas and international flights I book myself and never used a travel agent. Heck, I’ve never used a travel agent in years..
The Sabbath for Jews is on Saturday. They are God’s chosen people and Christians have been adopted into the family of Christ by accepting Him (A Jew) as Savior.
Sabbath has always been on the last day of the week labeled Saturday. Hasn’t changed in, oh, 3000 years. Even the Christian’s rabbi celebrated it on Saturday like a good, Torah-observant Jew. It never changed and will never change.
Like the rabbis say...
If you keep the Sabbath, the Sabbath will keep you.
The observant dont pick up telephones on Shabbat.
Please check your ethnocentricity at the door. It is not appreciated.
That's the Biblical perspective, from Paul in Romans 14.
Fine. We don’t do the New Testament, so it’s nothing to me.
I suspect you overlooked the meaning of that. There are Christians who observe Sabbath on Saturday. To the Lord they observe it, and give thanks, therefore it is acceptable. The same is true of observing Sunday. We as Christians are not to judge our brothers who observe differently, so long as they’re doing so unto the Lord. I realize you are Jewish and do not hold the New Testament to be scripture. However, you’ve been given a misleading impression of this Saturday-Sunday issue. Christians argue among themselves over it, but should not, according to Paul in Romans 14.
They get that involved huh? Well, the collection agencies won't make much progress will they? The Bible does not mention airplanes or telephones. Maybe He expects us to use common sense and good judgement about exactly what we will do. Throughout my Air Force career and my career with the Cal Dept of Corrections, I worked Sunday's for decades. It just came with the territory.
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