He Missed the Flight—And It Saved His Life

Let’s imagine a dear Jewish man whose boss is constantly pressuring him at work, demanding maximum productivity. At the same time, a shadchan (matchmaker) is waiting for his answer about a potential match for his son, and the real estate agent keeps calling—he has a buyer and it’s now or never. So, this man makes a bold decision: “This week, I’m not breathing—not because I don’t want to, but because I don’t have time. I’m not eating either—I just can’t spare the minutes.”

Any reasonable person would laugh at this. That’s crazy! You can’t stop breathing or eating, no matter how busy or pressured you are. These are basic, non-negotiable needs. It’s simply not possible to give them up.

But the truth is, for a Jew, Torah is no less essential. The Torah gives us life—it is our spiritual oxygen. Learning Torah isn’t a luxury; it’s our lifeline. The hours we dedicate to study are the hours that breathe life into our day, that give us meaning and strength. When we open a sefer (holy book) and learn, we reconnect with our Creator. It’s like plugging into a spiritual power source. And just like we wouldn’t go a day without food or water, our neshama (soul) can’t go without Torah.

Let me share with you a true and remarkable story that shows just how real this is.

Yossi A. is a well-known travel agent in Antwerp, Belgium. His office sits right in the heart of the business district, where he built a reputation for reliability, courtesy, and efficiency. He had hundreds of clients and a very comfortable income. Still, something felt missing. A kind of emptiness.

Then one day, a daily Daf Yomi shiur (Talmud study class) opened up near his office. Yossi felt drawn to it. This is it, he thought—this is what I need! A spiritual recharge in the middle of the day. From that day on, he made a firm commitment: no matter what, every day from 2:00 to 3:00 PM, he would close the office to attend the class.

At 1:55 PM every day, Yossi would place a small sign on his desk with gold lettering: “Between 2:00 and 3:00, the office is closed.” When the maggid shiur (teacher) began his deep and engaging lesson, Yossi felt like a new man. The words of Torah lit up his heart. That one hour gave him energy for the entire day.

He kept this practice going for five years. Every day—closed office, phone off, Torah on. His clients learned to work around it, and some even respected him more for it.

Then came Monday, the 9th of Elul, 5758. At 1:30 PM, Yossi’s phone rang. It was a long-time client, someone who had become almost like a friend—a successful businessman who flew frequently. “I need a flight from Antwerp to New York tomorrow,” he said quickly. “And I need to be back Thursday, before Shabbos. Check and get back to me.”

The clock showed 1:53 PM. In just 7 minutes, the shiur would begin.

Yossi quickly checked the flights. The direct route was full, but there were seats via Geneva. He called the client’s office to confirm if a stopover was okay. The secretary answered: “The boss is in a meeting and I’m not authorized to decide.” She promised to pass on the message.

Yossi glanced again at the clock. 1:54 PM. He had a choice: stay by the phone in case the client calls back… or head to the shiur.

For a moment, he hesitated. But then he smiled to himself. “At 2:00, the shiur begins—and I’ll be there,” he decided. “This is my oxygen. This gives me strength. I can’t give it up.” He placed the golden sign on the desk, turned off his phone, and stepped out with joy in his heart.

The shiur was incredible that day. The words of Torah flowed with sweetness and clarity. Yossi felt uplifted.

After the class, he turned on his phone. Seven voicemail messages. Seventeen missed calls.

All from that same client.

Yossi listened with growing concern: “Book it right away—I need it for tonight!”... “Why aren’t you answering? This is urgent!”...

He rushed back to his desk. The outbound flight to New York was still available. But when he checked the return flight—completely booked. All 215 seats gone.

He called the client and tried to explain. “I can get you there tomorrow,” he said, “but I can’t get you back before Shabbat. The return flight is full. I can try to find a different route, maybe…”

But the client was furious. “No thanks. Don’t book anything. I needed this done an hour ago. You lost me as a customer!”

Yossi was hurt. He had lost a valued client. But after a few days, he calmed down. Parnassah (livelihood), he reminded himself, comes from Hashem, not from people. And when you give up for Torah—you never lose.

Then came Thursday night.

At 8:00 PM, a McDonnell-Douglas 11 aircraft belonging to Swissair took off from JFK Airport in New York. Flight 111, heading to Geneva. All 215 seats filled. The flight took off smoothly.

At 9:14 PM—just over an hour into the flight—the pilots reported a technical emergency. Within minutes, contact was lost. At 9:31 PM, the plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of eastern Canada. No survivors.

215 passengers. 14 crew members. All lost.

Yossi read the shocking news. Swissair flight 111 had gone down. Something stirred in him. That flight number—he recognized it. His client had wanted that very flight.

His heart dropped. He checked the records—and remembered. The client hadn’t boarded. He missed the flight... because of the shiur.

Yossi immediately called the client. “You’re alive,” he said, voice trembling. “You missed the flight. Because you waited for me.”

Ten minutes later, the client burst into Yossi’s office, tie askew, tears in his eyes. He embraced him tightly. “Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you for going to that class. That hour saved my life.”

Before Shabbat, a large cream cake arrived at Yossi’s house. Written in chocolate letters: “Thanks for life.” And in small script: “Tell me where the class is—I want to join.”

Sometimes it’s hard to see the full picture. But sometimes—it’s as clear as day. Our real life isn’t business. It isn’t stress or deals. It’s the Torah—the source of our strength, our protection, our eternity. When we connect to it with love and commitment, it connects right back to us—with blessings we could never imagine.