Go Straight To First Class

I once flew to Chicago on a packed stuffy airplane. There was hardly any room to move my arms or legs. My seatbelt was buckled, my luggage was stowed, and I was ready to go, albeit quite uncomfortable.

Suddenly, the flight attendant walked over to the guy sitting next to me and mumbled something. He immediately stood up and moved up to first class.

I thought, “Why does he get to go to first class, while I have to stay here in economy? Why does he get to sit in a comfortable seat with his legs up, while I am squished in my regular seat?”

I then realized that this is a mashal about life.

Imagine Hashem saying, “Yaakov, please unbuckle your seatbelt and move to the front.”

Hashem gives you a chance to live a first class life. He allows you to unbuckle the seatbelt that holds you down and ties you to small standards and small expectations of yourself. He tells you, “Move to the front row. Move to the first class section, where you can be more comfortable, think bigger and be more expansive.”

What is that extra comfort? What is that expansiveness? What is that freedom of being in first class?

It is being close to our Creator. It is wanting to genuinely grow and get closer to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. It is having yirat shamayim, fear of G-d, which brings you closer to Hashem.

Hashem constantly announces, “Who wants to be free? Who wants to be happy? Who wants to be in first class in Olam Habah?”

Unfortunately, some people say, “I’m happy in economy. I’m happy being squashed like a sardine, with my seatbelt holding me in place.” Some people tell Hashem that they don’t want yirat shamayim. I pray once a week. I go to shul on Yom Kippur. That’s good enough for me.

Why would you do that to yourself? Why would you cut yourself short? Why should you compromise on your seat in this world and in the World to Come?

Think big. Go to first class. Be comfortable and be free. Get close to Hakadosh Baruch Hu.

You have to want to change and get close to Hashem through Torah and yirat shamayim.

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Rabbi Yaakov Rahimi has created a storm in the Jewish world bringing back many unaffiliated young men and women to the pathways of Hashem. He has been involved in the Chazaq and Torah Anytime organizations, among others including NCSY, BJX, and Partners in Torah. He has since returned to his hometown of Lakewood, N.J. Rabbi Rahimi is a graduate of Deal Yeshiva, and learned in Beth Medrash Govoha becoming a very close talmid of Rabbis Yeruchem Olshin shlit”a, and Yitzchok Sorotzkin shlit”a. Rabbi Rahimi partook in the Sephardic halachic project Mishnah Berurah Tiferet. He can be reached at, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..