http://blog.rabbijason.com/2010/01/oh-planes-gonn…
My recent post Oh! The Plane's Gonna' Blow!

Wearing tephilin is a mitzvah directly from the Torah. Devarim 5:4-9. “…bind them as a sign upon your arm and let them be tefilin between your eyes…We say this passage at least three times a day. It’s called “The Shema”. The symbolism is that it expresses our love for Hashem and His mitzvos with all your heart and sole, hence placing boxes containing these passages from the Torah on your head and heart each morning while praying.

Likewise the same passages give us the mitzvah of placing a mezuza on the doorposts of our Jewish homes with the same passages written inside to remind us that as we come into our homes from the outside we are entering a sanctuary of holiness and we should conduct ourselves appropriately. The home is the centre of Judaism.

I've just had too many "scholars" make all kinds of crazy claims with zero proof, no sources, just their own speculation. Jewish history books are full of this stuff.

And you'd think they'd do research – in yutorah.org, Dr. Berger tells of a publication of Harvard University Press that took a quote with a Halachic concept (eivah – fear of anti-semitism) and reversed it to get something the anti-semites would love. Even a novice like myself knows what "eivah" is, but apparently he never asked anyone. He change the next edition after Dr. Berger wrote him an intemperate leeter. I suppsoe the anti-semites are alledging a cover-up.

Watch both videos but especially the 1st.

It is a lesson, though, always tell the flight crew what you're doing (praying – no need to go into more details, I think). Don't formally ask permission, as there may be some technical rule and they they may not be able to grant it – sort of ask without asking. And wait until you get there if you can.

I remember reading somewhere about a pair of t'filin on display at the British Museum – something like "an ancient Jewish artifact, possibly to ward off the evil eye" – complete nonsense , of course, but there is a tendency in some (particularly British) sources to write about the "ancient Hebrews" without understanding that maybe the people living next door to you could shed some light on the issue.

Good Shabbos Everyone!