[Tucker39]

“If thy ox falleth into a ditch on the Sabbath, pull him out.”

Even under the Law, there were common sense allowances for true emergencies.

[wideawake]

Your ox falling into the ditch meant that he might die and that you would not be able to plant your fields and your family might go hungry.

Somewhat different than a delayed international flight.

At the same time, this flight was not due to the Rabbi's poor planning - it was due to the civil obligation that Putin had effectively imposed on him to attend that Belgrade event.

Had he refused to go, it could have had negative implications for his community.