Reclining Your Airplane Seat Is Just the Beginning | 10@9 | 2026.07.26

Every airline passenger eventually faces the same question: should you recline your seat? It seems like a small decision, but it raises surprisingly difficult ethical questions. You paid for the seat. Does that give you the right to use it however you wish? Should you first consider the person behind you? Does it matter whether they're working, eating, sleeping, or unusually tall? And what if the person in front of you has already reclined into your space? Inspired by Joshua Rothman's recent New York Times column, I explore what Jewish texts and values contribute to this familiar dilemma. The airplane seat is just the beginning. The real question is how we should act whenever our comfort, convenience, or rights come into conflict with someone else's. Jewish tradition offers a practical framework for navigating those everyday moments with wisdom, sensitivity, and clarity. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman ([email protected]) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.