The young newly-wed couple, Rabbi Zvi Greenblatt and his wife, Shternah, listened attentively and appreciatively to the Rebbe’s many blessings for success before they left for shlichus in Argentina. As he concluded, the Rebbe wished them “a good journey. May I hear good tidings.” As he made these statements, he paused in thought, and then continued with emphasis.

Soon thereafter, in the summer of 1978, Rabbi Greenblatt and his wife began their journey. Their flight was scheduled for a brief stopover in Chile. The passengers who were to continue to Argentina, including the Greenblatts, remained on board. Suddenly, the young couple heard their names over the plane’s public address system. A port official asked them to leave the plane. Soon other travelers were also deplaned.

The couple was annoyed and reluctant to interrupt their journey; after all, their tickets and reservations were all approved. The authorities ignored their protests. When the Greenblatts expressed concern for their luggage, the authorities assured them that it would continue on the plane and would be waiting for them in Buenos Aires. Having no alternative, the Greenblatts waited for the next flight which was scheduled to leave two hours later.

As they sat in the waiting room, Rabbi Greenblatt, a native Argentinean, explained to his bewildered young wife that the flight procedures in South America can be flexible. A bribe in an official’s hand can easily “adjust” the list of passengers on a plane, bumping certain passengers, and providing “available” seats on a fully booked flight.

As they were talking, the young couple heard a commotion and saw flashing red lights everywhere. Soon, they learned of the disaster they had just miraculously averted. A mechanical fault had caused a fire in the plane. Directly after take off, the plane had crashed. Many passengers were hurt and the plane was severely damaged.

Above the din and commotion, the Greenblatts could almost hear those parting words of the Rebbe “A good journey…” In response to the Rebbe’s words, “May I hear good tidings,” Rabbi Greenblatt wrote the Rebbe, describing what had happened.

The Rebbe responded with a Chassidic adage, “After a fire, one becomes rich.” Indeed, the insurance premium the Greenblatt’s received for their luggage was sufficient to provide a down-payment on a home.