Question:

G‑d chose to take away my dear son from me. Can I have my son back as a newly born son with G‑d's blessings?

Response:

The Midrash1 tells the story of Bruriah, the wife of Rabbi Meir. The couple was blessed with two boys. Lively and bright, the boys brought their parents much joy.

Then, one Shabbat afternoon, while their father was lecturing in the study hall, both sons fell suddenly ill and died. When Rabbi Meir returned home that evening, his wife greeted him at the door.

"A man lent me a fine gift," she told him, "and now he has come and asked me to return it."

"So what is the problem?" Rabbi Meir asked. "If it was borrowed, it must be returned."

"The problem is that the gift is something that I cherish very much and it is hard for me to part with it," she answered.

"But it is not yours," her husband replied. "You should be thankful that this man lent you something that gave you such pleasure and be happy to return it."

And then Bruriah led her husband to the next room where their two sons lay still in their bed.

Life goes on. There is more joy yet to come. We cherish life and mourn its passing only because life is good.

Right now it is hard not to cry. You need to cry. You need to be angry, as well, at times. But there comes a time when you need to let life go on and provide all the gifts it has to offer. In everything, there are two sides. Look at the gifts life has brought you and G‑d will provide yet more.

Wishing you a good and sweet new year and only joyous occasions from now on,

Rabbi Tzvi Freeman