May the Place Comfort You: The Soul's Return to Its Source

"Blessed are you when you come" - when you come into this world. "And blessed are you when you go out" - when you leave this world.

(Deuteronomy Rabbah 7:13)

Every person's soul is here in this world on a mission, but its natural place is in the world of souls. It is known that the soul itself does not wish to stay in this world, therefore it is happy to return to its source as quickly as possible, because this world is full of trials, and the soul fears it may not withstand them. Therefore, the duration of its stay on earth is determined by the need and purpose for which it was sent here, and immediately after it succeeds in fulfilling its obligations, it returns to its natural place, sometimes at a very young age, for it is not good for it to remain in this world beyond the required time.

From a letter of consolation and encouragement from Rabbi Yonatan Eybeschutz to his sister-in-law, upon the death of her husband:

Therefore, sister and children, watch over your health, this is more important than just saying Kaddish for your father of blessed memory, because it is a greater mitzvah that you take care of your health, and accept everything from Hashem with love and affection, and this is very pleasing to Hashem.

A king who sends his servants to other countries in his service, when he sees that they still have work to do there, would be foolish to call them back. But if he sees that there is no longer any need for them there, they are called home without delay. Thus, we are all in this world to work and fulfill the holy service of Hashem, and for this we were created. If Hashem would find that someone could still act here for His holy service, He certainly would not call him to the World to Come. Why then should we cry over his death? Don't we know that the World to Come is better than this world? Therefore, there is no reason to mourn a person's death, except minimally. And exchanging a passing world for an eternal one - that is a good exchange! ...And if the crying is for another reason, because we miss him, this is indeed the way and nature of the nations, but not of Israel, a people saved by Hashem, for how many are a person's years in this world, and afterward we all come together in the land of the living".

It is customary to say to mourners: "HaMakom (The Place) comfort you". "HaMakom" refers to Hashem. But in a homiletic way one could say: If the relatives of the deceased could see the place where the deceased has arrived, if they received pictures and letters from him, from the place where he is, they would be comforted by this. And therefore "May the Place comfort you" - the deceased's place in Gan Eden, his delights and pleasures enjoying the radiance of the Divine Presence, is what will comfort and appease you, and remind you and us that the deceased is in his place of rest.

"Regarding the bodies of the righteous - the Holy One, blessed be He, says: 'Let peace come, they shall rest on their beds.'

And regarding their souls He says: 'And the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life'"

(Shabbat 152b)

Rabbanit Margalit of blessed memory came from heaven to deliver my child

Here is a transcript of the words of our master, the Rishon LeZion Rabbi Ovadia Yosef of blessed memory: I will tell you something I heard and was amazed by. On Passover eve of that year [2004], a Jewish man from the south came to me with a small six-year-old boy. "Honorable Rabbi, please bless this child, he came through you!" I asked him, "What do you mean through me?" He told me, this is what happened:

Six years ago in 1998 [four years after Rabbanit Margalit passed away on the 19th of Av, 1994], I was called by the Ministry of Absorption and asked to conduct a "Seder night" for new immigrants, three hundred people, to explain to them what Passover night is about, and thank God I have a way with words, and I prepared and went, of course with my wife's permission who also went with me. It was Passover eve, a few hours before the holiday. Then, half an hour before the holiday my wife tells me, "I don't feel well, I'm sorry I'm having contractions." Hearing this, he called an ambulance to take her to 'Bikur Cholim' hospital and went with her.

We entered, and there wasn't a soul around. All the nurses had gone to celebrate the Passover Seder, and only one nurse remained. She came to us and said: "I'm sorry, I'm attending to another woman in labor who arrived before you, half an hour ago, I can't handle two at once." What?! She'll be left alone? What can we do, it's Passover eve now, everyone's gone to the Seder, and I'm the only one left. This poor woman is left alone, she doesn't even have a nurse to care for her. She said to her husband, "You're going to perform a mitzvah, the merit of the mitzvah will protect me. Go, three hundred people are waiting for you, I trust in Hashem." I left her with tears, how could I leave her alone like that, and returned to the hotel where the Seder meal was taking place.

And she tells him later, suddenly she sees beside her, a woman dressed in white like a nurse, approaching her and saying: "My name is Margalit, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's wife, I've come from heaven to help you, don't be afraid, I'm with you"... Within two minutes it was over. That other nurse is still treating the second woman in labor, she's been with her for two hours already, and this one finished in two minutes, 'with two wings they shall fly.' The Rabbanit said goodbye to her and left.

He says, look, the Rabbanit delivered this child for me, so please bless him. I blessed him.

This is the first time I've heard such a thing! See what the righteous deceased do, they go on missions... Thank God, the soul does not disappear, the soul lives and exists, only the body remains in the grave, but the soul is a part of God from above, it participates in joyous occasions, participates in sorrow, and knows everything! A person needs to have faith, every person will give an account for all their actions, if for good - fortunate is he and his portion, and if for bad - woe to him! 'Anyone who commits one sin creates one prosecutor for himself.'

Fortunate is the person who walks in the way of Hashem in the ways of the Torah, fulfills commandments and good deeds, each and every mitzvah is an angel, 'For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways,' and you who cling to Hashem your God are all alive today. ("Ma'adanei HaMelech" Vol. 2, p. 335)