Condolence Letter to Ariel Sharon

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Condolence Letter to Ariel Sharon





Translation of a letter from the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson

(Free translation.)



By the Grace of G-d

13 Tishrei, 5728 [October 17, 1967]

Brooklyn, NY



To Mr. Ariel Sharon,



Greetings and blessing!



I was deeply grieved to read in the newspaper about the tragic loss of your tender young son, may he rest in peace. We cannot fathom the ways of the Creator. During a time of war and peril you were saved - indeed, you were among those who secured the victory for our nation, the Children of Israel, against our enemies, in which "the many were delivered into the hands of the few, etc." - and yet, during a time of quiet and in your own home, such an immense tragedy occurred! But is not surprising that a created being cannot comprehend the ways of the Creator, Who is infinitely transcendent of us. Indeed, we are hardly surprised if a small child cannot comprehend the ways of a great, venerable, and elderly sage, even though it is only a finite gulf that separates them.



Obviously, the aforesaid does not come to minimize the hurt and pain in any way. Despite the vast distance between us, I wish to express my sympathies.



At first glance it would appear that we are distant from one another not only geographically, but also - or even more so - in terms of being unfamiliar, indeed, unaware of each other, until the Six Day War (as it's come to be known), when you became famous and celebrated as a commander and defender of our Holy Land and its inhabitants, and as a person of powerful abilities. G-d, blessed be He, shined His countenance upon you and granted you success in your activities - indeed a victory of unexpected proportion.



But on the basis of a fundamental, deeply rooted, Jewish principle, namely, that all Jews are kindred, the fame that you received served to reveal something that existed even before, i.e., the interconnectedness of all Jews, whether of the Holy Land or of the Diaspora. It is this interconnectedness that spurred me to write the abovementioned words to you and your family.



Another factor that motivated me to write this letter is the tremendous inspiration that you aroused in the hearts of many of our Jewish brethren when you put on tefillin at the Western Wall, an act which merited great publicity and echoed powerfully and positively into the various stratums of our nation, both in places near and far.



An element of solace - indeed, more than just an element - is expressed in the ritual blessing, hallowed by scores of generations of Torah and tradition among our people:



"May the Omnipresent comfort you among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem."



At first glance, the connection between the mourner to whom this blessing is directed and the mourners of Jerusalem's destruction appears to be quite puzzling. In truth, however, they are connected. For the main consolation embodied by this phrase is in its inner content, namely, that just as the grief over Zion and Jerusalem is common to all the sons and daughters of our people, Israel, wherever they may be (although it is more palpable to those who dwell in Jerusalem and actually see the Western Wall and the ruins of our Holy Temple, than to those who are far away from it, nonetheless, even those who are far, experience great pain and grief over the destruction) so is the grief of a single individual Jew or Jewish family shared by the entire nation. For, as the Sages have taught, all of the Jewish people comprise one integral organism.



Another point and principle, expressing double consolation, is that just as G-d will most certainly rebuild the ruins of Zion and Jerusalem and gather the dispersed of Israel from the ends of the earth through our righteous Moshiach, so will He, without a doubt, remove the grief of the individual, fulfilling the promise embodied by the verse, "Awaken and sing, you who repose in the dust."1 Great will be the joy, the true joy, when all will be rejoined at the time of the Resurrection of the Dead.



There is yet a third point: Just as in regard to Zion and Jerusalem, the Romans - and before them, the Babylonians - were given dominion only over the wood and stone, silver and gold of the Temple's physical manifestation but not over its inner, spiritual essence, contained within the heart of each and every Jew - for the nations have no dominion over this and it stands eternally - so too regarding the mourning of the individual, death dominates only the physical body and concerns of the deceased person. The soul, however, is eternal; it has merely ascended to the World of Truth. That is why any good deed [performed by the mourner] that accords with the will of the Giver of life, G-d, blessed be He, adds to the soul's delight and merit, and to its general good.



May it be G-d's will that henceforth you and your family should know no hurt and pain, and that in your actions in defense of our Holy Land, "the land which G-d's eyes are upon from the beginning of the year to the end of the year,"2 and in your observance of the mitzvah of tefillin - and one mitzvah brings another in its wake - you will find comfort.



With esteem and blessing.

The Soul's Journey, do not overgrieve

http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/266342/jewish/The-Souls-Journey.htm

The Soul's Journey






Correspondence by Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, The Lubavitcher Rebbe

I have just received your letter.



To begin with a blessing, may G-d grant that henceforth you and all your family should have only goodness and benevolence - in the kind of good that is revealed and evident.



At the same time, you must make every effort to regain the proper state of mind, despite the pain.



You should remember the teachings and instruction of the Torah which is called Toras Chayim [= Torah of Life], and Toras Emes [=Torah of Truth], meaning that what it teaches is not just to ease the mind, but the actual truth. Thus, the Torah, taking into account human nature/feelings in a case of bereavement, and the need to provide an outlet for the natural feelings of sorrow and grief, prescribes a set of regulations and periods of mourning. At the same time the Torah sets limits in terms of the duration of the periods of mourning and the appropriate expression, such as Shiva (the first seven days), Shloshim (thirty days), etc. If one extends the intensity of mourning which is appropriate for Shiva into Shloshim, it is not proper, for although Shloshim is part of the overall mourning period, it is so in a lesser degree. And since the Torah says that it is not proper to overdo it, it does no good for the Neshama – soul of the dear departed. On the contrary, it is painful for the Neshama to see that it is the cause for the conduct that is not in keeping with the instructions of the Torah.



A second point to bear in mind is that a human being cannot possibly understand the ways of G-d. By the way a simple illustration: An infant cannot possibly understand the thinking and ways of a great scholar or scientist even though both are human beings, and the difference between them is only relative, in terms of age, education and maturity. Moreover, it is quite possible that the infant may some day surpass the scientist, who also started life as an infant. But the difference between a created human being and his creator is absolute. Therefore, our sages declare that a human being must accept everything that happens, both those that are obviously good and those that are incomprehensible, with the same positive attitude that "All that G-d does is for the good," even though it is beyond human understanding.



Nevertheless, G-d has made it possible for human beings to grasp some aspects and insights about life and after life. One of these revealed truths is that the Neshama is a part of G-dliness and is immortal. When the time comes for it to return to heaven, it leaves the body and continues its eternal life in the spiritual World of Truth.



It is also a matter of common sense that whatever the direct cause of the separation of the soul from the body (whether a fatal accident, or a fatal illness, etc.), it could affect only any of the vital organs of the physical body, but could in no way affect the spiritual soul.



A further point, which is also understandable, is that during the soul's lifetime on earth in partnership with the body, the soul is necessarily "handicapped" - in certain respects - by the requirements of the body (such as eating and drinking, etc.). Even a Tzaddik – a righteous person whose entire life is consecrated to G-d cannot escape the restraints of life in a material and physical environment. Consequently, when the time comes for the soul to return "home," it is essentially a release for it as it makes its ascent to a higher world, no longer restrained by a physical body and physical environment. Henceforth the soul is free to enjoy the spiritual bliss of being near to G-d in the fullest measure. That is surely a comforting thought!



It may be asked, If it is a "release" for the soul, why has the Torah prescribed periods of mourning, etc.? But there is really no contradiction. The Torah recognizes the natural feeling of grief that is felt by the loss of a near and dear one, whose passing leaves a void in the family, and the physical presence and contract of the beloved one will be sorely missed. So the Torah has prescribed the proper periods of mourning to give vent to these feelings and to make it easier to regain the proper equilibrium and adjustment. However, to allow oneself to be carried away by these feelings beyond the limits set by the Torah - in addition to it being a disservice to one's self and all around, as well as to the Neshama, as mentioned above would mean that one is more concerned with one's own feelings than with the feelings of the dear Neshama that has risen to new spiritual heights of eternal happiness. Thus, paradoxically, the overextended feeling of grief, which is due to the great love for the departed one, actually causes pain to the loved one, since the Neshama continues to take an interest in the dear one left behind, sees what is on (even better than before), rejoices with them in their joys, etc.



One thing the departed soul can no longer do, and that is, the actual fulfillment of the commandments, which can be carried out only jointly by the soul and body together in this material world. But this, too, can at least partly be overcome when those left behind do a little more commandments and good deeds - in honor and for the benefit of the dear Neshama.



More could be said on the subject, but I trust the above will suffice to help you discover within you the strength that G-d has given you, not only to overcome the crisis, but also to go from strength to strength in your everyday life and activities in full accord with the Torah.



In your case there is an added G-d-given capacity, having been blessed with lovely children, long may they live, with a strong feeling of motherly responsibility to raise each and all of them to a life of Torah, wedding and Good Deeds, with even greater attention and care than before, and in this, as in all good things, there is always room for improvement.



With blessing,