Earlier this week I had the opportunity (thanks to a great deal from JetBlue) to fly to New York for a quick visit to pray at the Ohel (the Rebbe’s resting place). I arrived at 6:30am Tuesday morning and by 5:30pm that same day I was already heading back to Folsom.
And that’s when I was confronted by the paranoid reality in which we live.
I was checked in and through security, waiting (impatiently) at the gate to board the flight. There was some time left until the flight (surprisingly, usually I’m running on at the last minute) and I needed to excuse myself but I had a problem: My tallit and tefillin bag.
The tallit and tefillin cannot be brought into a restroom (unless wrapped in some other bag). So I turned to the guy quietly reading his book next to me and politely asked if he could keep an eye on my stuff while I excused myself for a moment.
He looked at me and responded, “Oh, no! I can’t do that. I don’t think it’s legal.” Really? Do I really look that suspicious? We’re in a secure part of the airport; if my bags contained drugs or bombs I’d hope they would've been detected. “No, can’t do it,” came the firm reply.
I was surprised but figured he must be overly paranoid, and I’ll just ask the next guy. Three different people declined. The agent at the gate informed me that she’s not allowed to watch my bags. I was stuck.
My problem was finally solved in a way that inspired me.
Earlier, while waiting on line at security (for about 30 minutes), I had met a group of non-religious Jewish girls who were on their way to Australia for a friend’s wedding. (They blended well in the crowd, but my JewDar picked them up anyway. It helped that one of them was wearing a sweatshirt with Hebrew writing on it.)
I approached them, and ask if they would mind watching my stuff for a few minutes. “Of course, just leave it here.” No hesitation whatsoever. Their response, without hesitation, inspired me - of course we could focus on our differences. Their level of religious observance is obviously different than mine. But when it came down to it, they had no problem watching my stuff for a few minutes.
Especially at a time of so much discord, it is more important than ever to focus on the things that unite us, rather than on what divides us.
You know that I will find a way to relate this to this week’s Torah portion - this week we read an additional portion (the first of four for this season), Parshat Shekalim. It discusses the obligation for all the Jewish people to donate a half shekel to the constructing of the Tabernacle.
Why half a shekel? Why not just one complete shekel?
The half shekel reminds us of our fragile existence, which in reality is incomplete without the other. Our life is truly but a fraction without the completeness provided by our connection to others and our connection to G-d.
So whether you would agree to watch my bags or not, look for ways to connect with others in your life, despite the differences that may exist.