Q:
I just found out that a former classmate of mine passed away. He was only 21 years old. What should my thoughts be when I begin to question why Hashem would do such a thing?
A:
And the answer is that you must know that צדיק השם בכל דרכיו. Hashem is right in whatever He does. In this case, I couldn’t tell you anything without knowing him. But I could tell you many stories where I did understand something. A little something, I was able to understand.
Here’s a man – a beautiful man. A strong, tall man and a good learner. A tchachka he was. Something special – a real tachshit. And then he became ill – a cripple. And he died young too. Nobody know why.
I also don’t know why. But I have one hava-amina. I have a svarah for why he died young. I have a good svarah. Because I dealt with him once. He had a bride. He had a new kallah. And right after the chuppa he said he doesn’t want her anymore. I visited him. I said, “How can it be? You’re ruining the girl! You chose her. You chose this girl. And her parents spent a small fortune on the chasuna. And right after the chuppa you don’t want her anymore?!” “No,” he says. He doesn’t like her, he tells me.
Well, I didn’t win. And there was a divorce. It was a tragedy. And I think that it was a very big crime that he committed. Nobody knows why, but I think that’s the reason. He ruined her. Now, I wouldn’t go and publicize it, but I believe that’s the reason.
If I would know the cases, who knows what I could discover! I know a case of a young man who was in YU. It was a Yeshiva from the olden days; it was the only Yeshiva in those days. And this man died young. Nobody knows why he died young. But I think I know. Because I know the story. I knew him well.
He was once talking to a divorced woman. To a young divorcee. And he became too familiar with her. And I know that he had business with that young divorced woman. And she didn’t have a get. She didn’t have a Jewish divorce. She was still an eishes ish and this man had dealings with her. And nobody else knows about it, but I do know. And he died young. He was a son of a very fine family.
So if I knew, maybe I could tell you. Maybe. And sometimes, it’s a tzadik who dies young. That also could be. Hakodosh Boruch Hu knows why He did it. He has plenty of good reasons. Whatever it is, don’t suspect Hakodosh Boruch Hu of doing anything that’s not proper. צדיק השם בכל דרכיו וחסיד בכל מעשיו. And when you come to the Next World, then you’ll discover all the secrets.
TAPE # E-169
