The B-17 Flying Fortress and Aharon HaKohain’s 4-Step Thought Process

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com

BOEING

It was October 30^th, 1935. Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer, was demonstrating it’s second ever demonstration of its Flying Fortress. Airplanes have something called “control surfaces” which the pilot employs to cause the plane to go up and down during a flight. (You see them as movable parts on the back of the wings when you are flying on a plane). These “control surfaces” can get damaged when a plane is parked. Because of this, engineers have developed flight control gust locks. On that fateful day in 1935, the crew of the B-17 forgot to disengage the flight control gust locks. The plane stalled and crashed. Two of the crewmen died in that crash. It caused Boeing to rethink things a bit (more on this later).

In this week’s parsha, Parshas Ki Sisa, we read about how Aharon HaKohain responded to those who approached him after Moshe Rabbeinu did not appear when they expected him to do so. Aaron said to them, “Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” (Shmos 32:2)

THE DAAS Z’KEINIM

The Daas Zkeinim m’Baalei HaTosfos on this pasuk explain that Aharon went through a four-step thought process:

If I appoint Kalev or Nachshon as leader, it will cause much internal strife when Moshe returns.
If I say that I will not appoint anyone over them, they will appoint someone themselves.
If I say that I will take over the helm, it may cause Moshe Rabbeinu pain.
Rather, I will delay things until Moshe returns by telling them to do something innocuous,,

We see from step three of this Daas Z’kainim that Aharon HaKohain did not opt to take over the helm of leadership until Moshe Rabbeinu would make his return for one reason: He was unsure as to whether such a move would cause his brother temporary pain. Aharon refrained from doing so even though he knew that after he would explain himself to Moshe Rabbeinu, Moshe would surely accept what he said and realize that Aharon’s intentions were surely l’shaim shamayim.

RAV HENOCH LEIBOWITZ ZT”L

Rav Henach Leibowitz zt”l demonstrates from this Daas K’kainim how very far away we must distance ourselves from even the possibility of causing someone else pain or anxiety. This is true even if the amount of anxiety or pain is a miniscule amount. It is even true if we are unsure as to whether the person will actually experience that pain or anxiety.

BUT HOW, PRACTICALLY, DO WE DO THIS?

The question of how, practically we can avoid causing people pain or anxiety can be answered by following what Boeing did after this tragic crash. They developed a simple-easy to use checklist. One item on that checklist was to remember to disengage the flight control gust locks. Indeed, to this day, October 30^th is designated in the United States as National Checklist Day.

BEFORE ANY DECISION

We can also create for ourselves a 4 step checklist before we embark upon any decision or choice in how to handle any particular problem or crisis. The purpose of the I.D.E.A. checklist is to ensure that we not hurt anyone, by causing them possible pain or anxiety.