The Soul's Immortality: Comfort in Life's Continuity

Among non-Jewish nations, who do not believe in the immortality of the soul and the world to come, one can see that they write in their obituaries: "Stephen is no more," and the like. For them, death is cessation. A person was in the world, lived and walked among us for 70-80-90 years, and now has ceased to exist. Gone. This harsh and terrible feeling can lead to severe mourning reactions, such as tearing out hair, self-harm, and the like.

However, our holy Torah addresses the people of Israel and says (Deuteronomy 14:1-2): "You are children to Hashem, your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor make a bald spot between your eyes for the dead, for you are a holy people to Hashem, your God..."

The commentators explain that the people of Israel, children of the King of Kings, know that the soul returns to Hashem who gave it. It continues to live in the eternal world, close to Hashem, and has no concept of cessation. Therefore, the mourning responses of the Jewish people should be more moderate. There is indeed sorrow over the separation and distance of the deceased from their relatives, but it is not sorrow over something that once was and is no more.

Or HaChaim: "In a person's death, there is no loss to the deceased, but it is like a person who sent his son to do business in another city, and after some time the father sent for his son to return to his city. The absence of the son is only from the place he left, but he still exists. On the contrary, it is good for the son to return to his father, who is the source of life. For this we should not cut ourselves or make a bald spot. This is not the case with idolaters who are not called children of Hashem... for whom the sorrowful should grieve on the day of their death, for they die a death where they no longer exist among the living."

Kli Yakar: "Because the nations grieve appropriately for something lost that goes and does not return. But not so with you, for Hashem has chosen you to be His treasured people. And all the treasures of kings are things that are placed in storage, so does the Holy One, Blessed be He, place in His treasury the pure souls of the righteous, and they are not lost. Why grieve over something that continues to exist and shines there, and has only set in this world, but eats its offerings in the eternal world."

Ramban: "For the reason of 'a holy people' is a promise of the survival of souls before the Blessed One. Since you are a holy people to Hashem, and Hashem does not lose a soul, and He considers ways so that no one is banished from Him, it is not proper for you to cut yourselves or make baldness for a soul, even if it dies in youth. But the scripture does not forbid weeping, for nature is aroused to weep at the separation and wandering of loved ones, even in life."

The book "Yadav Emunah": A parable to one who lost a precious stone. Who suffers, the stone or the one who lost it?! The stone, wherever it is, remains valuable, and even if it is in mud and mire, it can be washed with water and will be clean. But for the one who lost it, it is painful and bitter because he no longer has the stone. And even if after many days the stone is found and returns to his possession, nevertheless, he was missing the stone for many days. The same applies to the deceased and their relatives. Indeed, this is a loss for a long time, and for this we weep. This is the difference between Israel and the nations, for with the nations - it is death, and therefore they may harm themselves out of grief. But Israel - "you are children to Hashem", "do not cut yourselves" like the customs of the gentiles, because for you this is just a loss that will soon return to you, so weeping is sufficient without additional signs of mourning.

You are children to your God:

The holy Zohar says (Parshat Vayechi on the verse "Gad, a troop shall troop upon him"): A parable of a king who sent his son to a village to be raised. When he grew up, the king sent for him to make him king in his place. All the villagers began to cry over his departure from them. There was among them a wise man who turned to his fellow villagers and said to them: "Why are you crying, when you know that the king's son is leaving us for his benefit, to rule over the whole land?! On the contrary, you should rejoice in his joy for it is great!" So too, the Creator, blessed be His name, the King of the entire world, sent man to this world to engage in Torah and mitzvot. When the time comes for his departure from the world, his relatives and friends weep over the separation. A wise man, Moses our teacher, comes and says: Why do you weep for him? You are children to Hashem your God! Since your soul emanates from the heavens above, and it is a divine portion from above, it is certainly eternal and does not die with the death of the body, therefore "do not cut yourselves" to grieve over him too much, for this would indicate that you do not believe in the eternity of the soul, and it is as if you think that the dead is lost, God forbid, like a broken clay vessel that has no repair after its death, and will not merit the world to come at all. The truth is that he is like a broken silver or gold vessel that can be repaired."

A letter of condolence sent by Rabbi Yechezkel Levenstein to his daughter (Or Yechezkel Letter 110)

It is known that the whole matter of mourning is only to benefit the living, to be a lesson to remember the day of death, God forbid. But without this, mourning would be forbidden to us, because our faith should be strong that there is no death for the Jewish soul, only that it goes to its Father in heaven, as it is said, "And the spirit returns to God who gave it."

My dear daughter! Great is your reward for strengthening yourself in such a situation, may Hashem have mercy on us, and say to us: "You are children to Hashem your God," and say: "He will swallow up death forever" to merit all good, Selah.

When a bereaved father came to Rabbi Shach and asked him how he should accept the matter, he replied: "You should think that the children have traveled far away, and that they are now in a place where for the time being it is impossible to meet them. When it becomes possible, you will meet again."

The infant regretted being born...

From words of consolation spoken by Rabbi Meir Chadash to a young orphan:

The Mishnah in Pirkei Avot (4:22) says: "Against your will you are formed, against your will you are born, against your will you live, and against your will you die"... We must understand, what is the meaning of "against your will"? It is unlikely that they come forcefully and compel a person to do something that he does not wish to do, without first speaking to his heart before forcing him. Even in this world, they try to speak to a person's heart, and if the words do not help, they do it against his will. If so, it is clear that they first try with 'kindness' to speak to his heart. If so, we need to understand, what do they say to the fetus in its mother's womb? It seems obvious that they explain to him: "What do you have to do in your mother's womb, in darkness, in a narrow and confined place? It is worthwhile for you to go out into the big world, where the sun shines. The world is very big! And there you can enjoy and develop, and do the will of your Father in heaven!" And the fetus, apparently, answers: "I do not wish to leave! I am comfortable in my mother's womb! Here I have everything good." And when they speak to him several times and he remains adamant and does not wish to leave, then "against your will you are born."

The same applies to the continuation of the Mishnah's words: "and against your will you die." It is clear that they come and entice and speak to the person's heart. And what do they tell him? Apparently they say: "It is worthwhile for you to die and go to a world that is all good, where the righteous sit with their crowns on their heads and enjoy the radiance of the Divine Presence. The time has come for you too to receive a good reward for the good deeds you have done! Hashem is faithful to pay reward. All the pleasures of this world do not equal a moment of life in the world to come," etc. And the person answers: "I do not want to die, I do not wish to leave this world! Here I have a wife, children, and grandchildren, I care for them and I love them, and if I depart from the world, who will care for them?! I, thank God, engage in Torah, prayer, mitzvot, and good deeds, etc. Under no circumstances will I die!" Then, there is no choice, and "against your will you die"...

Now, let us make an account regarding "against your will you are born": if we imagine that they would come to an infant a few days after it was born, and say to him: "You did not want to leave your mother's womb. You claimed it was good for you there. We found a way to return you there!", what would the infant answer? "That's madness! Why would I go back to a narrow, confined, and dark place?!"

- And this is also the account regarding "against your will you die", when a person has reached his resting place in the world to come, and he sees the goodness that exists in the world to come, when he merits to be under the wings of the Divine Presence.

Here the Rabbi turned to the orphan and said: Certainly your father, of blessed memory, merits the life of the world to come, for he raised good children who engage in Torah and in the needs of the community faithfully, and he himself engaged in Torah and mitzvot. If they were to say to him now: "You did not want to leave the passing world, and with all kinds of excuses you justified your position. Now we have found a way to return you to your past worldly life". He would certainly refuse! Just as an infant refuses to return to his mother's womb! And this is the consolation, that your father's soul is delighting in delights. You feel the pain of your father's absence, you feel the pain of being orphaned. But he - has found his rest in Eden, and it is good for him in his new world, and he will advocate well for you. May Hashem grant that the righteous Messiah will come and we will merit the dew of revival soon.