Rebbitzen Esther Jungreis - Inviting G-D into your life.
 

      Those of you who follow my column regularly know that, very often I
share the experiences I have visiting our brethren in other parts of the
world. However, when I recently returned from South Africa, the Mel Gibson
film was just premiering, and I felt the need to comment on it, so my South
African story was put on the back burner. Although only a few weeks have
passed since my return, so much has transpired that it seems like eons ago
that I visited that amazing Jewish community. Nevertheless, the warmth and
the graciousness of the people does not fade from memory. This was the
fourth time that the South African Jewish community had invited me to speak,
and on each occasion I returned home inspired. They are so open to Torah and
chesed, so ready and willing to embrace mitzvot, and this holds true for
young and old alike. I have always maintained that at the root of this
genuine Jewish commitment are the founding fathers of this kehilla - bubbies
and zeides, most of whom came from Lithuania and staunchly clung to their
Torah legacy.

      The trip to South Africa is long and tiring. Additionally, prior to
our departure, we had some complications with our tickets - South African
Airlines called to tell us that the flight had been over-booked and that to
be assured of seats on the flight, we would have to get to the airport extra
early. Consequently, our traveling time was increased by several hours, and
by the time we arrived in Johannesburg, we were, to say the least,
exhausted. and anxious to get to our hotel. But as things turned out, it was
not so simple. At passport control, my friend Barbara, Executive Director of
Hineni, who always travels with me, was stopped. In the last few months we
have traveled across continents and visited many Jewish communities, so
Barbara's passport was totally covered with stamps - there wasn't a single
blank page in it! (My passport had recently been renewed, so I had no
problem).
      "You cannot enter South Africa," the woman in the glass cubicle
announced matter of factly. "You do not have a single blank page in your
passport for me to stamp."
      "What do you mean, I cannot enter?" Barbara protested. "If those are
your rules, why didn't someone indicate that when I boarded the plane at
JFK?"
      "I'm sorry, those are the rules. If you don't have a blank page in
your passport, you can't enter!" she reiterated. And with that, she
proceeded to call her supervisor who confirmed what she had just told us.
      "Follow me," he directed, and led us to a holding area where he told
us to take a seat.

      So there we were, tired and weary and knowing that our hosts were
waiting for us on the other side wondering what had happened to us made the
situation even more tense. Looking at my watch, I realized that the
afternoon was quickly passing by, and if I didn't want to miss mincha I had
better daven then and there. So off I went with siddur in hand to a corner.
No sooner did I begin to recite the Shemoneh Esrei (silent devotion) then I
heard the booming voice of someone who turned out to be the super-supervisor
behind me re-confirming everything that the others had said. In vain did
Barbara argue that she couldn't possibly have known, that no one had made
her aware of this regulation - he wouldn't budge.
      Then he must have noticed me standing in the corner reciting Shemoneh
Esreibecause I heard him say: "So the lady is praying. Now that's something
I respect! Prayer always helps. You know this is really the airline's
 fault," he went on, making a one hundred and eighty degree turn. "They
should have alerted you in New York. Give me your ticket - I will make a
copy of it and penalize the airlines." And sure enough, a few minutes later,
he returned. "It's all settled," he announced. "You can go."
      But I was still davening. "We will wait until the lady finishes
praying," he announced. When I finished and turned around I saw a tall white
Africans man who told me that he hadn't been scheduled to work that day, but
for some reason he did come in, and now he understood what that reason
was... G-d wanted him to help us, because that's what prayer is all about.

      Prior to my departure for South Africa, our host, Rabbi Shmuel
Moffson, requested that I e-mail him a list of topics on which I would
speak, but I suggested that he choose the subjects and inform me of them
when I arrived. One of the topics which he selected was "Inviting G-d Into
Your Life", and among the many anecdotes that I related in that presentation
was this story. "When I stood up to daven mincha," I asked the audience, "do
you think that I did so because I wanted to invite G-d into my life? Do you
think I davened because I was afraid that we might not be permitted to enter
South Africa and I was seeking G-d's intervention?"
      The general consensus of the audience was yes.
      "No," I told them on both counts. "Jews do not invite G-d into their
lives. G-d is in the life of every Jew. From the moment that we stood at
Sinai and G-d's words pierced our souls, our very hearts became an altar - a
mizbeach for the service of His holy Name. As a matter of fact," I went on
to say, the term "Jewish atheist" is an oxymoron, an impossibility. We are
Jews only by virtue of the fact that we sealed a Covenant with G-d, and it
is that Covenant that renders us Jews. So no, Jews do not invite G-d into
their lives - G-d is in our lives. Even as a wife or a husband does not
invite his or her spouse into his or her home, because it is their home -
they have the key; they have the combination - it is their house. Similarly,
our lives are one with G-d.

      As for davening to seek G-d's intervention, I never for a moment
considered that we would be denied entry to South Africa or that we would be
requested to depart. What transpired at the airport was a nuisance - at
worst, a frustrating delay of several hours... but I wouldn't waste my
prayers on that.
      So why did I stand up to daven mincha when I did?
      For the simple reason that I am a Jew and the clock indicated that it
was time to do so.
      G-d gave us mitzvos through which our every day, our every moment -
our words, our deeds are sanctified and connected to Him. Ashreicha
Yisrael - Who has a G-d as near as HaShem is to you?" (Deuteronomy, 4). So
no, we do not invite G-d into our lives - He is our life.

      We are living today in a time of escalating global anti-Semitism, but
when we live our lives as Jews, devoted to the service of G-d, then the
nations of the world respect us. Ki hee chochmaschen" "For this is your
wisdom in the sight of the nations." (Deuteronomy, 4)