Two men approached me in one week. They were the same age, had similar names, and suffered from the same ailment. I instructed each one to strengthen himself in Torah and mitzvot. Only the Torah can protect a person from harsh decrees.
The first man accepted my words unquestioningly. He promised to try his utmost to follow the Torah’s dictates. However, the second man tried to evade all forms of responsibility with various excuses and explanations.
After some time, I found out that the first man was completely cured. The second man, however, eventually succumbed to his illness.
How mighty is the power of teshuvah! We have no idea of the Heavenly accounts, and cannot fathom the ways of Hashem. But there are instances in which we can rip asunder evil decrees. This is through teshuvah, tefillah, and tzedakah, as well as fortifying ourselves in Torah and good deeds.
The wise man will do all in his power to remove the decree of destruction from upon himself. But the fool will remain rooted to his spot. He will stay sunk in the quagmire of sin, ignoring the opportunity to extricate himself through Torah and mitzvot. He will eventually drown in it by the decree of death, rachmana litzlan.
