Last Ellul, on the 10^th of September, Flight BA 6219 took off from Johannesburg airport bound for Durban. The flight had been delayed by a half an hour and then and other and another until it was fully two hours late. The pilot explained that there had been a failure in an emergency back-up unit and given poor weather, they could not fly without it. The plane picked up speed as it moved along the runway and we experienced a great deal of shaking as it left the ground. I was sitting by a window watching the colour and patterns of the African fields below and thinking which Shiur would be appropriate for this leg of my two-week visit. A thought struck me; we were told our cruising altitude would be thirty five thousand feet, why was I still able to see the fields? We were no higher than four thousand feet. The captain’s voice came over the loud speaker, "Ladies and gentlemen this is your Captain, there’s nothing to worry about…"

There are certain professions that use key phrases that you should watch out for. If a doctor says " You may experience some discomfort" he means you’re about to suffer excruciating agony. If a dentist tells you " I’ll only be a few more moments" he means you’ll be writhing in pain for another ten minutes. When a pilot tells you "Ladies and gentlemen you have nothing to worry about" he means you are in very, very serious trouble indeed. On this occasion the "trouble" was the fact that they suspected that both front wheels had burst on take off. We would be flying for another fifty minutes to use up the fuel; (you really don’t want to be in a plane crash if the aircraft is full of fuel). Yom Ha Din seemed to have arrived a little early for me and Flight BA 6219.

We were prepared for a "Crash Landing". This was not the, "You tie your life jacket in a double bow at the side" routine. In this briefing it’s, "Take off your shoes, ties and glasses, put your hands on your head and press as hard as you can into the seat in front" The stewardesses began to loose a little of their composure.

Fifty minutes is a very long time when you’re really doing Teshuva. The Machzor notes that our Aveiros are too many to remember. I found however , that I knew exactly what I had done wrong. There were three outstanding areas of weakness…and of course Loshon HoRa. A dying man is supposed to see his whole life pass before him. I pictured myself back in the Beis HaMedrash of Gateshead Yeshiva. Once again I was walking up and down the isles as I learnt. In my mind’s eye I looked to the side and saw a Bochur whom I had not thought about for eighteen years. I saw my Rosh Yeshiva, Reb Leib Gurwicz ztl, sitting in his place at the front.

I considered my family and my composure went as I thought of my children. Strangely, the saying of Shema and Vidui was accompanied with Shalvo and Sholom. I was quite ready and reconciled, although I did think of the words of Rosh Hashono "Mi ba Mayim Mi baAish" and asked the Aibishter that it should not be Aish. I had also entered into some serious "negotiations" with HaShem Yisborach. There were those three areas I was clear about, which I would be putting right if I survived the crash. The story would also be a very good one for shiurim…if I got the chance to put them into some shiurim.

The time was up and BA 6219 went totally dark as we began our decent. All the lights were switched off in case fuel vapour connected with a live circuit. The Captain changed his mind about us not having to worry and shouted through the microphone, "Brace! Brace! Brace!" and we hit the ground illuminated by the flashing red lights of the emergency vehicles, which pursued our progress along the runway. Bumped and bruised we were down and safe. The Beis Din Shel Maaloh had found sufficient zechusim for me and the other passengers.

The Medrash says that the world was created on Rosh HaShonoh. On the ninth hour Odom was commanded not to eat from the fruit. On the tenth hour he did. On the eleventh hour he was judged. On the twelfth hour he left the garden having been pardoned.

Reb Avrohom Grodzinski ztl wonders where was the "Pardon". Odom and his children suffered forty klolos including death. He answers that the Din Torah itself was the Pardon!

The Mishna in Makos states that a Beis Din which administers the death penalty more than once in seventy years is a "Beis Din Chovlanis" a Bloodthirsty Beis Din. The Sanhedrin would search for any and every way to make sure the accused was found not guilty. Any zechus, any excuse would be examined to see if it could be used.

A Din Torah, even if the outcome could be Misas Beis Din is also an opportunity to be equited.

The pardon is the Yom Ha Din itself. The Mikor Ha Rachamim, Ha Shem Yisborach himself created an annual opportunity to look for our Zechusim. His ambition is to find us "Not guilty"

Reb Avrohom points that the process of Odom’s Teshuva is not recorded by Chazal but he does not find this omission strange. The closer you are to someone and the more you know him or her; the more you will regret that you hurt them. Regret will automatically prompt abandonment of the hurtful behaviour.

No human being knew the nature of HaShem like Odom Ha Rishon. He named every creature in the world. The name he choose defined their nature and being. He named Ha Shem Yisborach and HaShem endorsed his description. " Ani HaShem" the Mikor Ha Rachamim. His knowledge of HaShem and his closeness to him made Teshuva inevitable.

A few days ago I held a baby in my arms.. The mother and father had come to discuss some worries they had, prior to returning to Kollel in Eretz Yisroel. I had named the baby at the Bris as well as speaking at the Seudah and at the Pidyon HaBen. I felt like a Zeide. When they got up to leave the father started to put mittens on the baby’s hands. "This will stop you scratching your face," he said. And I remembered…babies scratch their faces!

It has only been a few years since our youngest child was born. She has a sister and brothers Bli Ayin Horah; but I had already forgotten that babies scratch their faces. What unbelievable Chasodim the Aibishter has done to me and yet I had let the knowledge of them slip away. The Brochoh of Wife and Children. The Brochoh of Yeshivah and being close to Gedolim. A home, an income, surviving a plane crash and more and more and so much more.

If we try to remember all of Ha Shem’s Chasodim to us, then Reb Avrohom Grodzinki’s formula is activated. Charotoh and Azivas Ha Cheit, Regret and Abandoning the hurtful behaviour to the Mikor Ha Chesed, the Mikor Our Chesed, Avinu Shibashamayim.