ELAL security guard detains one of our congregants

Last week, one of my dear friends was on his way to Israel. When he got to JFK airport, he went through the ELAL security. The security guard asked him the regular questions. Who are you? Where are you from? Why are you going to Israel? And then he asked him “Are you Jewish?” He replied yes. 

"Are you affiliated with any congregation?” Yes. “Which one?” Chabad. "Which Chabad?" Chabad Israel Center of the Upper East Side. "Well," the guard said, "which Jewish holiday did we just celebrate?" My friend answers "Gee, I don’t know." So the guard says "Well, which Jewish holiday are we going to celebrate soon?" So my friend answered: "Thanksgiving…"

At that point the guard called his superior and a few other guards and they took my friend to another room where they checked all his bags and clothing from top to bottom…

As Jews we thank G-d daily for everything He does for us. In fact the very first thing we do as we wake up every morning is thank G-d for returning our souls to us. We thank Hashem before we eat, we thank Him after we eat. We pretty much thank Him for everything that happens to us during the day. There is even a prayer we say after coming out of the bathroom, thanking Him for healthy digestion.
 
This is how Joseph, in this weeks Parsha, was able to maintain his sanity. Think of it: He was orphaned at the age of nine. His own brothers wanted to murder him and instead sold him as a slave at the age of seventeen. He was imprisoned at the age of eighteen for a crime he didn’t commit. Ten years he languished in prison, and instead of feeling depressed and embittered at the world he was happy, he was always praising G-d for His kindness. His happiness stemmed not from his external surroundings but rather from within, from G-d. He knew that there was obviously a reason for everything that happened to him.

And not only that, but he also sought to cheer up his fellow prisoners, Pharaohs ex-butler and baker. One day he notices that they were exceptionally down. Joseph, instead of wallowing in his own misery, asks why are you upset? Why are you depressed? And because of that question he was eventually catapulted into becoming the second most powerful person in the entire world. They related that they each had disturbing dreams. He interpreted them, and then two years later this same butler recommends him to Pharaoh, which led him into power.

As Jews we thank G-d all the time. We celebrate Thanksgiving every day, not just once a year. However, when an ELAL security guard asks you which Jewish holiday is coming up PLEASE know that the answer is Chanukah!

My thanks to Rabbi Avi Shlomo for editing this article.