Posted by JewishMom<\/a> on Oct 29, 2024 in Current Events<\/a>, Inspiration<\/a>, Israel<\/a> | 1 comment<\/a><\/p>\n Today I came across a quote from an unlikely source that brought me comfort in this week of funerals for so many young soldiers.![\"The](\"https:\/\/jewishmom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/464666943_1122909599199965_5549207371751096158_n-185x185.jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\n
Author Tom Stoppard puts this quotation into the mouth of a nineteenth-century Russian philosopher as he struggles to come to terms with the death of his son, who drowned in a shipwreck and whose life, the philosopher insists, was no less valuable for never coming to fruition in adult accomplishments.
\u2018Because children grow up, we think a child\u2019s purpose is to grow up,\u2019 the philosopher says. \u2018But a child\u2019s purpose is to be a child. God doesn\u2019t disdain what only lives for a day. Life\u2019s bounty is in its flow. It pours the whole of itself into each moment.\u201d
Which reminds me of the verse, \u201cV\u2019Avraham zaken, ba b\u2019yamim.\u201d \u201cAvraham was old, and well along in years.\u201d
Avraham lived to the age of 175, which sounds very old to us today. But for those days, Avraham\u2019s life was very short, a small fraction of his forefathers\u2019 lifespans.
So what is the meaning of this phrase, that Abraham was old and well along in years?
The Zohar teaches that this phrase literally means, \u201cAnd Abraham was old and his days came with him.\u201d Every day of Abraham\u2019s life was so full, so good, that he was like an old person.
This year I have heard the stories of dozens of young soldiers who were killed since October 7th. And there was not a single one I learned about who did not leave me awe-struck. Not a single one whose few days in this world weren\u2019t overflowing with goodness, with dedication, with idealism.
\u201cGod doesn\u2019t disdain what only lives for a day. Life\u2019s bounty is in its flow. It pours the whole of itself into each moment.\u201d
May these soldiers\u2019 families and loved ones find comfort in all the good days that accompany them on their journey to the next world. And may each of us merit to follow, even in a small way, their example.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n