Israel – On Monday morning an Arkia airlines plane took off from Ben Gurion Airport carrying rabbis and kabbalists and flew over the country in a flight aimed at preventing the swine flu virus from spreading in Israel through prayers.
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“The purpose of the flight was to stop the epidemic, thus preventing further deaths,” explained Rabbi Yitzhak Batzri whose father, Rabbi David Batzri had initiated the flight. “We are certain that because of our prayers danger is already behind us,” he added.
During the flight the passengers blew the shofar seven times and said prayers intended for abolishing illnesses.
This marks the third time since 1948 that spiritual leaders hold prayers on board planes circling the country. The first time was during the first Gulf War in 1991, while the second was in 1996 following the wave of terror attacks.
The concept of a prayer flight over Israel was first introduced during World War II by Rabbi David Batzri’s grandfather, Rabbi Yehudah Pattaya, in light of fears the Nazis will invade Israel through Egypt.
Israel has recorded five deaths from swine flu, while about 2,000 people are infected by the (A)H1N1 virus.
The name ‘swine flu’ sounds unclean to observant Jews.
Deputy health minister Yakov Litzman, a member of the ultra-religious United Torah Judaism party, said earlier this year the name “swine flu” should not be used because of its reference to pigs, an animal whose meat is considered unclean in Judaism.
But he failed in his attempt to get authorities to switch the name to “Mexican flu.”
Why is this public,people will just make fun
Good that the name change did not stick.
The remez of Swine Flu is striking!!!
Tomim teah I’m hashem
……..witch doctors do this kind of stuff…L’havadal.
Next, the movie: The Swine Flew over the Coo-coo’s Nest.
Maybe I got that backwards, should be the coo-coo flew over the swine’s nest. No matter.
If this is effective, why only fly over Israel? They should circle the globe. And why only swine flu? Perhaps they could also get rid of regular flu, malaria, typhoid, cancer, heart disease and tay-sachs.
Deputy health minister Yakov Litzman, a member of the ultra-religious United Torah Judaism party, said earlier this year the name “swine flu” should not be used because of its reference to pigs, an animal whose meat is considered unclean in Judaism.
But he failed in his attempt to get authorities to switch the name to “Mexican flu.”
what an idiot, first the flue most likely did not originate in Mexico, and even if it did. would he be happy if a flue started in Isael we should call it Jew Flue or Israel Flue
If if the swine is unclean why not name a flue after it. better than saying a kosher animal
who did he pay off Yakov Litzman to get this job. he does not sound like a bright bulb.
Why don’t the go on a space ship so they can fly over the whole earth and completely eliminate diseases around the world.
Why the need for Arkia airlines? Why not use his magic carpet?
The correct name for the flu is H1N1.
It’s harmless as long as we do our part to try to stop the spread of the bug — including frequent handwashing. To properly wash hands use lots of soap, warm or hot water and scrub vigorously for a full 20 seconds. Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth. Stay home when you are not feeling well and keep your kids home from school when they might be sick.
Intersting Arkia flies every Shabbos in Israel. Not only were they never the object of any protests now they get publicity for this topic.
Strange set of priorities in Israel. Some Chillul Shabbos is permitted and some not. Like Egged and the streets in front of karta parking lot.
maybe we should arrange them a flight with NASA to orbit around earth
the picture shows someone blowing a “shofar”…it looks like a brass horn to me
In our house we call it the “brisket” flu Seriously, however the spread of this kind of illness is caused by poor personal sanitation and little or no industry standards in the food chain around the world.
Let them have their superstitions. Just make sure that public health money is used for public health, not primitive magic.
Better they should spend their time convincing people to follow basic hygiene and get immunizations.
Could they come to NYC and get rid of our tickets?
There was a true story about a rav (I forget who) who stopped a plague by having people recite the ketores part of davening in all four sides of the city and by the bedside of those who were ill.
If one of the health minister’s concerns (even at a minor level) was changing the nomenclature used by the public health authorities for the H1N! strain of virus because some religious types might be upset, he has again demonstrated he is a political hack first and not a public health professional. This hocus pocus about flying over EY and blowing a shofar reminds me of how some of the African countries are addressing HIV AIDs epidemics by resorting to traditional tribal rites and herbal remedies rather than promoting safe sex and other proven public health techniques which would have much greater efficacy for fear of offending tribal leaders and respecting cultural norms.
Yes it is a true story, but you forgot to mention that there was something else that day which contributed to stopping the pelage, you see on each side of the city somebody eat some bread, therefore, eating bread helps eliminate the plague. Same logic
oh my….this looks ridiculas…..this is what we came to beleving in this stuff? the only thing that works is torah tefila and tzedaka….
100 points for comment # 2 hit it rite on the money
to me it looks like its a free for all if everyone gets his way then no one will the question is how far we should go with nonsense like this well on the other hand its entertaining kol tuv
OMG this is the BEST story VIN had in a while. I could not stop laughing !!! I thought the Indians had weird religious practices, but our own are not far behind. Why is everyone in Israel so crazy, from the secular to the Haredim? We should have the Hassidim fly in the NYPD chopper blowing horns over Flatbush and Boro Park just in case the pandemic starts here.
stop making fun!!these mekubalim know what their doing!!!their not doing this for a free flight!!!their doing i for yours and mine and gantz klal yisroels own good!!!part of this whole act relies on emunas chachamim- if we dont believe then it wontwork!!we have to believe and have bitachon!!just like by yericho when they circled it 7 times and blew shofros- that also sounds ridiculous!!but because bnei yisroel had proper bitachon- major nisim happened!!!so to, we also have to believe!!
Everyone here take a chill and remember, the RSH”Olam gave us ways to help ourselves whether its Tehillim, Tzedakah, etc. There is no need to bash or make fun, some of these Rabbanim are privy to information they have from their Rabanim. To poke fun is quite frankly, Immature. Do you part and let them do theirs.
And the next time you say Tehillim ask yourself, is this magic? do I believe in this stuff? Its the same “magic” to people who arent familiar to Tehillim or DAvening.
is it purim already
Is this a joke? Why are ‘rabbis’ making public spectacles of themselves? Isn’t there enough fodder already for anti – semitism? What is it with haredim these days? Why are they so starved for attention? Whatever happened to jews being humble?
Who was the lucky guy sitting right in front of the Shofar?
Was it really necessary for one of the Rabbanim to have his picture taken whilst picking his nose. Not sure how that will help relieve the swine
#24 The rabbi was Rav Acha. After the people recovered, he had a dream that the recovery was only temporary-the people still had to do teshuva, especially in increasing Torah study for young children. (This incident is in a book titled “Taryag Tales” by M. Frankel.
We know far less about the spiritual, extra-dimensional sources of phenomena in our world than did our ancestors. The Gemara records the precise distance of the moon at apogee for example, not because we had access to sophisticated lasers, but a far more profound spiritual technology – the Torah. Those who mocked us for our mitzvot before the Plague outbreaks of the Middle Ages turned against us as we seemed immune – as a side effect of the mitzva of natilat yadayim. The Kol Shofar is far more powerful.
I like the brass shofar, I guess the airline chose that, or al pi nistar a shofar could be any kind of trumpet. Maybe chatzotzros are more effective on the flu? The new trend is charlatan mekubalim are taking over the gedolim business and the serious roshei yeshiva are busy debating which kind of cel phone to use, so how will we stop this plague? In Israel gedolim have started to coe out against these rip off artists
Quite frankly I am amazed by the negative comments here. If the leaders of the Jewish people, and there were many Roshei Yeshivot from Jerusalem on that flight, desire to pray for their nation what is the problem? The flight was privately funded. None of the Rabbanim on that flight ever supported the ban on El Al. There was no magic involved. We recited Piytum Ketoret, Tikkun Chatzot, Selichot and hakafot. This was first employed by R’ Yehuda Patiya the Jerusalem Post Magazine August 14th 1987, had interviews with commanders under Montgommery who truly believed that R’ Patiya’s actions gave them the ability for their miraculous victories that saved countless Jews.
You are right actions do speak louder than words. I am not a doctor, I am not a public official. There is nothing I can do in those areas to help spread understanding about the physical needs to prevent an H1N1 epidemic like the world saw in 1918. I am a Rabbi and someone deeply devoted to Hashem. All that I have within my hands is prayer and its power. If I go out of this world as someone who was known to care so much for Am Yisrael, that I sacrificed my time(others sacrificed their Kollel stipends, I do not recieve one, I am a self made man) to pray for Klal Yisrael in its time of need, that will be great.
This action was sanctioned by all of the Rabbaniim in Israel, Hareidi and Daati Leumi, and both were represented on that flight with equal respect and regard.
Quite frankly I am amazed by the negative comments here. If the leaders of the Jewish people, and there were many Roshei Yeshivot from Jerusalem on that flight, desire to pray for their nation what is the problem? The flight was privately funded. None of the Rabbanim on that flight ever supported the ban on El Al. There was no magic involved. We recited Piytum Ketoret, Tikkun Chatzot, Selichot and hakafot. This was first employed by R’ Yehuda Patiya the Jerusalem Post Magazine August 14th 1987, had interviews with commanders under Montgommery who truly believed that R’ Patiya’s actions gave them the ability for their miraculous victories that saved countless Jews.
You are right actions do speak louder than words. I am not a doctor, I am not a public official. There is nothing I can do in those areas to help spread understanding about the physical needs to prevent an H1N1 epidemic like the world saw in 1918. I am a Rabbi and someone deeply devoted to Hashem. All that I have within my hands is prayer and its power. If I go out of this world as someone who was known to care so much for Am Yisrael, that I sacrificed my time(others sacrificed their Kollel stipends, I do not recieve one, I am a self made man) to pray for Klal Yisrael in its time of need, that will be great.
This action was sanctioned by all of the Rabbaniim in Israel, Hareidi and Daati Leumi, and both were represented on that flight with equal respect and regard.
One assumes that since they felt it necessary to go up in a plane that perhaps G-d is hard of hearing?