Once, an airplane carrying Dovid, a Telshe Yeshivah student, back to Cleveland began experiencing severe turbulence. The young man became quite nervous, but after seeing that his own rosh yeshivah, Rabbi Mordechai Gifter zt”l, was sitting in front of him, he felt secure. “After all,” thought the young man, “with such a tzaddik (righteous man) on board, what could possibly go wrong?”
Suddenly, the captain’s voice was heard over the intercom. “We are experiencing some difficulty with the plane’s hydraulic system and may be forced to make an emergency landing. Everyone please return to your seats, fasten your seatbelts, and follow the instructions of your flight attendants.”
The student quickly leaned forward towards his rebbi. “Perhaps, we’re in danger. I have a Tehillim (Psalms) in my carry-on. Are there any particular chapters or prayers to recite?”
Quickly, Rav Gifter reassured the young man and suggested to him a few appropriate chapters to recite. Then, he urged him to quickly buckle up and prepare for landing.
His advice was interrupted by shouts coming from a frantic passenger who sat next to Dovid. “Stewardess, quick! Get over here! Make me a double scotch on the rocks. Make it Johnny Walker Blue Label! Better make it fast, and better make it good, ’cause it may be my last drink before I die!”
Comment: The transaction in which Eisav gave up his birthright for a bowl of lentil soup was preceded by those very words: “Behold, I am going to die, so why do I need my birthright?” (Bereishis 25:30)
Death is the ultimate motivator. Some people see the transience of this world and say, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” Others, however, look at death and say, “We need to cover ground before the ground covers us,” and spur themselves to change the world...by learning Torah or reciting Tehillim and changing themselves for the better.
