When You Can’t See the Runway

When You Can’t See the Runway What happens when we find ourselves flying through the clouds — unable to see what lies ahead, frightened by the turbulence, and unsure whether we are even heading in the right direction? A remarkable story told by Rabbi Shlomo Landau about two young men trapped in a small airplane with an unconscious pilot gives us a powerful way to understand one of the great challenges of life: learning to listen to the Voice that knows exactly where we are and exactly where we need to go. The Torah never promises that there won’t be a war. It never promises that there won’t be clouds. And it never promises that we won’t be frightened. But as we enter Elul and read כִּי תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה, perhaps we are being reminded that even when we cannot see the runway, Hashem can. Our task is to keep fighting, keep moving forward — and above all, keep listening.