"Our Rabbis taught 'and the spirit returns to G-d Who gave it' (Koheles 12:7) - be careful to give it (the soul) back to Him (Hashem) like He gave it to you. Just as G-d gives a soul to a person in a state of purity, so too, you return the soul at the time of death in a state of purity" (Shabbos 152b).
The foundation of our emunah is:
"My G-d, the soul You placed within me is pure. You created it, You fashioned it, You breathed it into me, You safeguard it within me, and eventually You will take it from me and restore it to me in Time to Come." This bracha that we recite every morning encompasses everything: the soul existed long before it was placed in my body. It was carved in the Holy Throne on High - we have no idea what this even means.
The soul that You gave me is pure. You safeguard it within me at every moment and You will take it from me at any moment. The body will remain here on earth but the soul will be returned to the higher worlds.
What is the soul's function in this world before it returns? It has the difficult task of contending with life in this physical world and building and developing itself so that it will have earned whatever it receives in the upper world rather than enter with great embarrassment. The neshama must battle and win the battle of life. This is the meaning behind the Gemara we have just quoted and the pasuk, "the spirit returns to the G-d Who gave it" - He gave it to man and it will return. Man's role is to return it as he received it - to protect it from becoming soiled.
I believe without a doubt we can say this about Rabbanit Taube who is lying here before us. She was victorious in the battle of life, she contended and succeeded - she won. What a pure soul, what dignity, especially in the last few years as she went through the difficult tests of faith Hashem placed her in, tests we should never know. She withstood this trial with such grace, she truly purified her soul.
I had the privilege of developing a close relationship with the family. I had many discussions and conversations with our incredible and dear HaRav Yitzchak and his dear wife aleha hashalom. I never heard a single word of complaint, not even questioning "why, why is this happening" the ways of Hashem- she accepted things as they were. I was there just yesterday at her bedside, she was having great difficulty speaking. What she succeeded in saying was to thank and praise HaKadosh Baruch Hu for all He had given her over the years. These must have been her final thoughts in her final moments because she always spoke of this.
In her we saw the fulfillment of (Tehillim 92:2) "it is good to thank Hashem and to sing praise to Your Name, O Exalted One." Not only did we see "to relate Your kindness in the dawn", but even "Your faith in the night" - even in the darkest moments she never lost faith and was thankful for what she had. She had the privilege of coming to Eretz Yisrael and of living in Yerushalayim. She had a wonderful husband who not only knows, learns, and teaches Torah, but who educates students to build Torah homes that will last for generations. Every one of her children - her son and five daughters is a gem.
When I came to her bedside I was not prepared for just how serious the situation was - her body was shriveling up as the soul was growing bigger and slowly taking over the entire area of her body. She thanked Hashem, she saw good, until her final moments... She opened in her home what can be referred to as a seminar of emunah. This went on for a few years - analyzing and delving into the depths of belief. Many women came ... many of them were also suffering from illnesses, Rachman litzlan.
"My beloved has descended to His garden, to the beds of spices, to graze in the gardens and to pick roses" (Shir HaShirim 6:2). Hashem picked a beautiful and incredible rose, HaRabbanit Taube. We have many questions but we are not searching for the answers. We know that we have a good father and even if at times he hurts us we are certain that it is for our own good. I am sure that the daughters and the son will continue in their mother's path of emunah, of leading a life of serenity with strong connection to Hashem, a life of simcha in spite of everything knowing that we have a connection to the world of eternity. May Hashem give strength to their father R' Yitzchak that he should be able to continue raising this beautiful family, to establish generations of students and their future families as he has done until now. He has taken boys and under his tutelage together with that of the other devoted members of the Yeshiva's staff, has transformed them to a level far from where they began. May we soon see fulfillment of the pasuk: "He will eliminate death forever." Amen ve'Amen.
