Life after Death

“Honored Rav,” a woman sobbed to me, “I have been hit with a double tragedy. Not only was my beloved husband taken from me, but my daughter has turned her back on Hashem as a result. She constantly has complaints against Hashem, asking why her dear father was taken.”

I was honestly surprised by this. It is the way of the world that one day, a person is living, and the next day, he is gone. This world is fleeting, and nobody lives forever.

But this girl could not comprehend how someone who loved life could be forced to abandon it. This led her into a deep depression. She remained locked in her room, refusing to accept life’s cruel nature, as she put it. Eventually, she denied her faith in Hashem.

This girl’s reaction to her personal tragedy was a tragedy in itself. We are expected to accept all aspects of life, difficult as they may be, and deal with them. A wealthy man whose fortune takes a downward turn should not have a mental breakdown. An ill man should recognize his situation without going crazy. These people learn to cope with their conditions. So, too, must every person appreciate the fact that all mortals eventually meet their end. Their loved ones will part from them. Without accepting death as an intrinsic part of the cycle of life, one is likely to fall into depression, and worse. This was what was happening to this poor girl who lost her father at a young age.

“Did anyone try talking to your daughter?” I asked.

“A certain Rabbi explained to her that her father’s situation in the World Above is better than before he died. In this world, he suffered untold pains which refined his soul. Now, in the Upper World, his neshamah is whole and at peace.

“But his words did not mollify my daughter. She claimed that she never visited the World Above and therefore cannot believe what she hears about it. Since nobody can honestly guarantee that her father has it good in the Upper World, she does not accept these words.” With this, the woman ended her tale of woe.

I have not the shadow of a doubt that this girl’s uncertainties stemmed from a lack of yirat Shamayim. Casting aside the burden of Torah and mitzvot brought her closer to the materialism of this world. Now, when her higher self wishes to recognize the reality of an eternal world and Gan Eden, she does not have the tools for it.

Anyone who is connected to spirituality comprehends that there is life after death. This is a very comforting thought for one who has lost a loved one.