Anyone with lots of El Al’s experience – especially on the Tel Aviv – New York line – knows this well. The flight is full of ultra-Orthodox religious Jewish (“Haredi”) families, which also means many children and a lot of prayer rituals. All of these are known facts, and nothing said (so far) constitutes any criticism.

El Al is not one of my favorite airlines. I would replace the slogan ‘El Al – feel the most at home worldwide’ with the slogan ‘El Al – the trip abroad starts a little later’. Also because of the intentional shutdown of a large and respectable airline almost 20% of the time (during weekends and holidays), also because of the enforced kosher food only (especially during times like Passover), also because of the relatively crowded seats, also because of the high prices. However, when planning to visit family abroad during wartime – you can count on El Al more than other companies. As the saying goes: Your actions will bring you closer and your actions will drive you further away (quoted from the Jewish “Talmud”).

So, I happened to sit next to him on the long flight to New York – an older “Litvak” Haredi guy. “A teacher” – this is how he introduced himself, teaching Jewish religious texts. We had plenty of small talk, and in between he also talked about his family, his other work in some charity organization, and more. What really stood out in the conversation was his perception of how religious texts representing real history and factual reality. For example, regarding holiday of Passover, he explained to me with the utmost seriousness how God intentionally caused the Jew-hating Pharaoh to take care of young Moses, how non-kosher foods affect a Jew and a “gentile” in a different way, and so on and so forth “religious facts.”

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At one point (it happens frequently on El Al), another “Chabad” guy (rival Haredi movement) approached us and suggested that I conduct a certain religious ritual prayer. After I politely refused, we – the “teacher” and I – began to discuss this disturbing Chabad’s activity. “With us [Litvaks],” he said, “education is more internal.”

“Not that I have anything to do with Christianity,” I said, “but it reminds me of the Christian view that only things that come from within a person can defile him” (Mark 7:15) – “Of course the Christians made that up,” my religious partner said automatically, and that’s what brought us to discussing matters of morality.

I tried to give an example with the religious rules of “a slave” that are so detailed in the Jewish religious texts. “What does slavery have to do with us today?” I wondered. It seemed that I had preached to the converted. “If you refer to a Hebrew slave,” he said, “then we are not talking about what a ‘servant’ but about something totally different.” And here he explained to me in detail how this is actually a collection of rules that promote and benefit the “slave” so much, as if we’re talking about some kind of modern-day licensed merchant giving invoices. The message was clear: God created Judaism more moral than anything else, even if some people don’t know it.

“And what about helping a Gentile give birth on the Sabbath?” I asked, being familiar with the religious verdict on this subject, “Would you help her if she were in trouble?” – and here my conversation partner explained to me how we have no choice in this matter, because it is a desecration of the Sabbath.