Returning to the Father for the Sake of a Child
A couple once approached me, spilling out their hearts. They had been married many years yet did not yet merit having children. They asked for my blessing.
“Do you observe Torah and mitzvot?” was my immediate question.
The man replied, “No. Does the Rav guarantee us children if we begin to keep mitzvot?”
“I cannot guarantee a thing,” I answered. “But I am sure that your efforts in this area will cause a great tumult in Heaven and grant you tremendous Heavenly assistance.”
Seeing that a crack was opening in their hearts, I offered an analogy. “Picture a man violating a traffic law. All of his denials and refutations will not help, because the cameras positioned on the roads recorded his actions, and a camera never lies. When this video will be shown in court, he will be terribly ashamed. In addition to the violation, he will be denounced as a liar.
“This is exactly the scene which will take place in Olam Haba. After a person’s death, he will give an accounting for all of his deeds in this world. When he will try to escape punishment by denying transgressing, the great Video Camera will prove his deeds. This is in line with Chazal’s teaching (Avot 2:1), ‘Know what is above you: A Seeing Eye, a Listening Ear, and all of your deeds are recorded in a Book.’”
I became quiet, allowing the couple to integrate my message. Then I continued, “The Torah has 613 mitzvot, corresponding to the parts of the body. Each mitzvah corresponds to a different body part. Therefore, if, for example, one’s foot hurts, he should introspect, trying to remember if he sinned with his foot. This is the case regarding all ailments of the body. One should make a personal spiritual accounting of any ache and pain which he experiences. When a person will come to the Upper World, he will find that if he was remiss in any mitzvah, the limb corresponding to that mitzvah will be maimed.”
The woman, who had not yet spoken, suddenly burst out, “Honored Rav, I have not come today to accept any mitzvot upon myself. All I ask for is a blessing for children.”
I was truly saddened at her attitude. I said that if they refused to keep mitzvot, my berachah was ineffective, for it did not have anything to rest upon. Therefore, there was no point in blessing them.
Her husband, in contrast, began to show signs of interest in my words. Truly wishing to turn over a new leaf, he asked, “If I donate charity to the poor, will we merit salvation?”
“Who do you think owns your money?” I asked.
“It all belongs to Hashem,” he averred, without a moment’s hesitation.
“If so,” I continued, “how can you appease Him with it? Can a person offer a gift of something which already belongs to the person?”
Without a response, he turned to me and asked, “How could Hashem do this to us?”
“Hashem granted you numerous gifts,” I replied. “You are healthy, you have a livelihood, and a good marriage. But what do you give Him in exchange? Have you ever thanked Him for all His blessings? By refusing to fulfill mitzvot, you are severing your connection with your Creator.
“But Hashem does not sever His connection with you. A father will never disconnect from his son, in spite of the son’s severe iniquities. In order to keep the lines of communication open, Hashem has withheld children from you. Your anguish is meant to bring you back to Him.
“The fact that Hashem keeps us alive even though we have sinned against Him is the clearest proof that He loves us dearly. When He sends us difficulties, it is a sign that He wishes to renew our relationship and truly yearns for our repentance.”
With this, I concluded my meeting with this couple. I do not know how things worked out for them. But every Jew who suffers eventually returns to his waiting Father.
