We Have a Friend in the Skies

By now, you most likely know the amazing details of the tremendous miracles we experienced aboard the Flydubai flight to Israel. You have heard about the extraordinary courage of the Israeli civilians, about the extra pilots who “happened to be on the plane,” and the Divine protection that saved every single person aboard.

You must have heard them because the details are truly amazing. But stop for a moment and think about what could have happened differently.

Today, we could have been watching livestreams of more than a hundred funerals taking place across Israel. We could have been looking at pictures of children who would never see their parents again, and parents who would never hold their children again.

Instead, we watched families reunite. We watched Jews singing on the plane about how good G-d is, giving thanks for being alive.

We are seeing Jewish courage, Jewish togetherness, and Jewish pride soaring. What could have plunged our people into mourning has given us an extraordinary reason to celebrate.

One of the things that continues to amaze me is how the Torah reading speaks to our lives. Again and again, we discover that words spoken thousands of years ago are an uncanny guide to what we are experiencing today.

This week, we are learning Moses’ final blessing to the Jewish people, which we will read as we complete the Torah on Simchas Torah. The morning after that plane was saved, the daily Torah reading included this verse:

“Israel-Yeshurun, there is none like G-d; He Who rides the heavens is at your assistance, and with His majesty, He rides the skies.” (Deut. 33:26)

Isn’t that amazing? As we collectively celebrate an extraordinary rescue in the skies, we open the Torah and hear Moses’ strong and soothing voice telling us:

Israel, you have a Friend in the skies.

The G-d Who rules the heavens is there to help you. His majesty reaches into your life, into your struggles, into the moments when you desperately need Him.

Imagine being among the people hearing this blessing from Moses himself. Their beloved leader is about to leave them, and they will soon enter a new land and face unfamiliar challenges.

Moses wants them to carry this knowledge with them. That they have Someone Above to turn to, and they must remember Who has been helping them all along.

Thousands of years later, we need to hear those words once again!

But what exactly does it mean that G-d “rides the heavens”?

Rabbeinu Bachya explains the image through a rider and a horse. The rider directs the horse, guiding its movement and determining where it will go. Similarly, the heavens, with all their immense power, remain under G-d’s direction.

We look at the world and see forces so much bigger than ourselves. Nature, nations, armies, and circumstances that we have very little ability to control.

They seem like powerful horses running at great speed. Moses reminds us that above all these forces is a Rider.

All of nature and its powers remain under the direction of G-d Above. Even when we feel powerless, we have a Rider Above to turn to.

And not just any G-d.

The verse adds one more critical word: “At your assistance.”

As Rashi explains, the very same G-d Who rides the heavens in all His majesty is the G-d Who comes to our assistance.

Think about that. When someone becomes powerful or important, it often becomes harder to reach them. You need an appointment, you speak to an assistant, and you hope your concern is important enough to get their attention.

And here is Moses telling the Jewish people that the Master of the universe is attentive to their needs.

To me, this is the heart of this blessing. How G-d’s greatness and His closeness work together.

The One Who sustains the heavens cares about a mother holding her child again. He cares about a family sitting together around the holiday table. He hears the prayer of someone in need of help.

My friends, we have a Friend in the skies. A Rider and a Helper. All-powerful, yet all-caring.

And we found this reminder by opening the daily Torah portion.

So, if I may make one practical suggestion for the new year: Make studying the daily Torah portion part of your day. The weekly portion is divided into seven sections, corresponding to the seven Aliyahs, giving us a portion to study each day of the week.

There is so much wisdom, comfort, and direction waiting for us in the daily/weekly words of the Parsha. But only if we make the time to learn them.

And to internalize them.

Because, we can read a verse we have seen many times before, and suddenly our own experiences help us appreciate what it means. And then that very same verse now helps us understand and process our experiences more deeply.

This coming Sunday, on Simchas Torah, we will finish the Torah and immediately begin again with Bereishis, Genesis. We will return to the creation of the world, the creation of the human being, and the beginning of our relationship with G-d.

Let us make that a new beginning for ourselves too. Let us commit to studying the daily Torah portion.

And as we learn, let us pause long enough to ask what its words mean for our own lives.

When we read that G-d created the human being in His image, what does that tell us about the person standing in front of us? How should it affect the way we speak to our spouse, our children, or someone with whom we disagree?

When we read that G-d brought light into the world, where can we bring some light? Who could use an encouraging word, a helping hand, or a little more patience from us today?

This is how learning becomes personal. A verse enters our mind, then finds its way into our decisions, our relationships, and our response to whatever the day brings.

Choose a regular time to learn. Use the Daily Study app on Chabad.org, get yourself a good translation of the Torah, or listen to the many classes online that explain the parsha, including my very own Parsha Podcast, a short synopsis of the entire weekly Torah reading that can be found here. (I will post the new weekly recordings each week).

Study the explanations, especially Rashi, and take one thought with you into your day. You will find you now have a regular source of inspiration and guidance for dealing with life.

This is the entire underlying premise of my weekly Monday night “Me in the Bible” class. We don’t just learn the fascinating details and stories of these ancient Biblical characters. We explore how their struggles, choices, strengths, and weaknesses speak to our own lives.

My goal in preparing these classes, free of charge in person at the Chabad Jewish Center, or live on my Facebook and YouTube page, is for us to leave each class not only knowing more about our heroes but also knowing more about ourselves.

Understanding how we can bring these famous Jewish heroes into our own homes, relationships, and the decisions we face that week.

And then, when you hear about an attempted hijacking, you will also hear the Bible telling you that we have a Powerful Rider and a caring Friend in the sky above.

May we find more direction for living meaningfully in His Torah, may we recognize His many kindnesses in our lives, and may we have many more miracles to celebrate.

Happy Simchas Torah!

Rabbi Yankie & Chana Denburg