He Dozed Off on a Flight to Israel and Woke Up Headed to Beirut

What does a Jew do when he falls asleep on a plane on the eve of Rosh Hashanah and wakes up en route to an enemy state?

Believe it or not, that is exactly what happened to Rabbi Shechna Zahan, a disciple of the Chafetz Chaim.

Rabbi Shechna was traveling from America to the Land of Israel and needed to change planes along the way. Exhausted, he dozed off. When he finally woke up, he sensed something was wrong.

“All the passengers from my original flight were gone,” he later recounted. “Suddenly, everyone around me was Arab. I asked where the plane was headed, and they told me it was flying to Beirut.”

A Frightening Realization on the Eve of Rosh Hashanah

It was the eve of Rosh Hashanah. Instead of preparing for the holy day in the Land of Israel, he found himself heading toward Lebanon.

Fear surged within him.

Quietly, without drawing attention, Rabbi Shechna approached a flight attendant and explained the mistake. After hearing his story, the attendant offered an unexpected solution. When the plane landed in Beirut, he would hide him. From there, however, the flight would continue to Thailand, and Rabbi Shechna would have no choice but to remain on board.

Thailand? On Rosh Hashanah?

Where would he find a Jewish community? Would there be kosher food? A place to stay? A minyan for the prayers? The Days of Awe are not ordinary days. They are the spiritual heartbeat of the Jewish year.

Yet this was the reality. And a Jew must respond to reality with faith and composure.

Hidden in Beirut, Sent to Thailand

The plane landed in Beirut. True to his word, the flight attendant concealed Rabbi Shechna until the danger passed. The plane then continued on to Thailand.

When he arrived, he searched for Jews. He eventually discovered there was a minyan in the area, but it was a Reform congregation. It was the only minyan available.

He had no choice.

However, when he entered the synagogue, he was shocked to see that men and women were praying together, mixed without separation.

A Courageous Request Before the Shofar

Rabbi Shechna approached the gabbaim and respectfully requested that the men and women be seated separately, at least during the prayers. At first, they refused.

Then someone realized who he was: a disciple of the Chafetz Chaim, one of the most revered rabbinic leaders of the previous generation.

Gradually, the tone shifted. The congregation agreed to separate the seating.

Before the shofar blowing, Rabbi Shechna asked permission to address the crowd. He spoke about Judaism, about Torah, about connection to Hashem. His words were heartfelt and sincere.

When he finished, he added, “Anyone who would like to learn more about Judaism is welcome to come find me at the Aish HaTorah yeshiva in Jerusalem.”

The Hidden Purpose Revealed

After the holiday, three young men from Thailand contacted him. They traveled to Jerusalem and began studying at Aish HaTorah.

Only then did Rabbi Shechna fully grasp the depth of the Divine providence behind the entire episode.

What had seemed like a frightening mistake on a plane turned out to be a carefully guided journey. Hashem had sent him to a distant corner of the world on the eve of Rosh Hashanah for a purpose.

A Jew was not forgotten.

Three young souls were not forgotten.

This story is a powerful reminder of hashgacha pratit, personal Divine providence. Even when events appear chaotic or frightening, Hashem is guiding every detail. No Jew is too distant. No place is too far. And no situation is random.

Sometimes, what feels like a mistake is actually a mission.