A Tradgic Agunah Debate

It seems that there was a Jewish husband aboard the plane incident that occured between Brazil and France. This was reported and commented on Vos Iz Neias.


http://www.vosizneias.com/32998/2009/06/08/paris-france-rabbis-debate-aguna-status-for-wife-who-lost-husband-in-air-france-crash/

My commentary follows as who knows if they will publish it.

Let's get something clear. Ruling if this woman is an agunah or not is not just tied into her ability to remarried. She is at least partially hindered from the greiving process while this decision is (I hate to say) still in the air.

The reality, if you have been reading the news on this plane incident-which I have, is grim. The plane flew directly into a tropical storm over the middle of the ocean. They have mentioned that the plane seems to have broken up in the air and then crashed. They have mentioned that maybe the plane was struck by lightning. If someone was still alive *in* the ocean, they likely would have been struck by lightning or drowned.

Incidentally, these comments about how he may be alive are kind of disgusting. #36 Yitzhok, you suppose that he got off the plane while it was in the air? That is what it sounds like.

Let me close by saying that this is such an unfortunate tradgedy. I sincerely hope that Hashem should comfort this woman and the children, as well as the man's other relatives, friends and co-workers.