For the week ending 15 May 2010 / 1 Sivan 5770
Going Through the Gate
When the great rosh hayeshiva Hagaon Rav Aaron Leib Shteinman was about to board a flight to the US he was certain that he would encounter no difficulty upon passing through the metal detector at the airport. To his surprise the alarm did go off as he passed through.
Assuming that the machine had somehow malfunctioned, the security guard asked the rabbi to pass through once more. Although he was not carrying any metal the alarm sounded once again.
It then dawned on him that what was responsible for this was the metal screws that had been placed in his leg when it was operated on because of a serious fracture.
Rav Shteinman then turned to those escorting him and pointed out the lesson to be learned.
"When a Jew arrives at the gates of Gan Eden after departing this world he may have full confidence of his merits in his lifetime gaining him easy entrance. But he may suddenly be surprised to hear the alarm go off signaling that he was not as perfect as he thought he was."
