The Empty Seat | Rabbi Eytan Feiner

Shalom Uvracha, unbelievable Vayimaen listeners. If I could perhaps share with you at this time, a personal story. I was on a flight earlier this year and it was a booked flight, fully booked. Every single seat was taken. I came on the airplane and I noticed that there was a woman sitting next to me. So Baruch Hashem, I had Sefarim with me and I spent the duration of the flight, I guess it was all השגחת הבורא. In the end of the day, the best Shmira in the world is to go on and take out the Sefarim, so I was able to get some good learning done. But למעשה, I was sitting uncomfortable. The entire flight, I was in a state of discomfort. Ay, HaKadosh Baruch Hu, maybe I have to daven a little harder. So I said at that flight, I said: HaKadosh Baruch Hu, מכאן ולהבא, henceforth, that’s it. I've got to daven harder to go in and sit אך ורק next to what? I want, if I'm not traveling with my wife, then let me be zoche to sit next to a man. And if I'm sitting next to a man, let me be zoche that he's not watching anything inappropriate on his screen. But, HaKadosh Baruch Hu, maybe I have to daven a little harder. You know what? Why stop right there? Maybe I should daven not to sit next to anybody at all. If you’re going to daven, let's daven for everything. HaKadosh Baruch Hu, let me please have nobody sitting next to me. So the next time I was in the airport, I said: Okay, HaKadosh Baruch Hu, I'm not stopping. I don't just want a man sitting next to me. You know what, HaKadosh Baruch Hu? This time I want to daven הלוואי nobody should. And finally I said: That's it, I'm putting in a Tefillah. I don't want anybody sitting next to me. I get onto the airplane, HaKadosh Baruch Hu, הפלא ופלא, every single seat was taken on that next flight, except for the seat next to me. A first time in a long time that I was sitting on the airplane, nobody was sitting next to me. Every other seat on the flight was taken. How geshmak, it was great for learning. Not to worry. No Nisayon of Shmiras Einayim. That's it, the seat was empty. Why? Because you got to daven for it. But you got to daven for it like you mean it. And if you mean it, ah, HaKadosh Baruch Hu is always there to answer, אם ירצה השם. Doesn't mean it's going to happen every time, but it means what? Never stop, never underestimate the power of your Tefillah. So HaKadosh Baruch Hu, please, if I'm getting on that airplane, יהי רצון that I should have the zchus, the Siyata D’Shmaya, to have an empty seat, not only for comfort, but for Shmiras Einayim. Not only למעני, but בראש ובראשונה, primarily, למענך, for Kvod Shomayim, that I should only sit there and doing and looking at things that are appropriate. Thank you, HaKadosh Baruch Hu. May all our Tefillos be answered לטובה, ברוחניות ובגשמיות. Bracha and Hatzlacha and Kol Tuv always.