Story: “You Know That Man?”

Rabbi Levi Cunin, Shliach to Malibu, California, relates the following story of Hashgacha Protis as told to him by his son, who had just arrived home for Pesach from Yeshiva in Brunoy, France:

This past Wednesday my son, MM, began his travels returning home from France to be with us for Pesach. B”H he arrived safe and secure. It has been many months of not seeing each other we had so much to catch up on, but first my son said to me, “Tatte, I need to tell you a story.”

This is what he related:

“This morning, after going through security, already walking on the way to the gate, I was pulled aside to join a group who were selected to go through extra security measures. It looked like they were picking out one out of fifty.

“When I saw what they were doing to the people before me – going through each item in detail, even flipping through pages, book by book – I realized, with the way I packed my bags – many of my books in saran wrap – it could take a long time and I may end up missing my flight.

“When it was my turn, the security official, an African-American, opened my first bag, which contained only sforim.  Behashgacha Protis when he opened the top flap of the luggage, the cover of my Gemara opened with it. When he saw the picture of the Rebbe taped inside my cover, he said “You know that man?”

“I smiled from ear to ear. The security official said “I know that man too! My Daddy got a dollar and a blessing from him! “The security official quickly closed the case and said to me, with a big smile, ‘you can go’!”

When we arrived home from the airport, I asked my son to pose with his suitcase before he removed any sforim. I thank my son for allowing me to share this story. As a Chassid, it gave new meaning to the words I heard the Rebbe say “Moshiach is already here, all we have to do is open up our eyes.”