Yesterday was the first time since I have been saying kaddish that I was able to go back and forth to Columbus in a single day and make all my minyanim. I davened shachris at the YISE “rocket minyan” (unfortunately), rushed to BWI, and made an 8:30 am flight to Columbus. In the evening after my client meetings I rushed to mincha maariv at Ahavas Shalom and then made the last flight out.

I am in Columbus so frequently that I have gotten to recognize some of the TSA agents. Among the regular agents there is a bearded TSA agent who is Orthodox and wears a yarmulke. He is frequently on duty when I go through security and we chit chat briefly as he is checking my bags. Last night he stopped to talk and asked me where I had davened mincha and maariv. I told him and he wanted to know if maariv was followed by a daf yomi shiur. I told him that I thought so but that I would be learning the daf on my return flight. He then told me that he goes to a daf yomi shiur in the morning.

“Oh so you have been studying all about davar sheino miskaven”, I said.

To which he responded, “I have not really been following it too well”.

“Let me explain it to you”, I said to him.

And there we were – he is in his TSA uniform, me at the checkpoint – discussing the machlokes (differing views) between Reb Shimon and Reb Yehuda regarding davar sheino miskaven.

It does not get better than this!