737. A Eulogy

Our sages said, “Anyone who cries over a Kosher [fitting/worthy] person, all his iniquities are pardoned.” “Rabbi Shimon Ben Pazi said, ‘Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Levi said in the name of Bar Kafra, ‘Anyone who sheds tears over a Kosher person, the Creator counts them and places them in His treasury, as was said, ‘You have counted my wanderings; put my tears in Your bottle.’’’” (Shabbat [Sabbath] 105b).

We should ask what is the praise that the Creator places in His treasury. The MAHARSHA interpreted about this, that none is more important to the Creator as one who has fear of heaven, since the Creator has nothing in His treasury but fear of heaven.

The verse says, “What does the Lord your God ask of you? Only fear.” It follows that one who has fear of heaven no longer lacks anything, and you find that all his iniquities are forgiven.

Also, we find in Berachot (p 6b): “Rabbi Helbo said, ‘Rav Huna said, ‘Anyone who has fear of heaven, his words are heard.’’”

We should ask about this, since we see several people with fear of heaven who are admonishing but there is no desire to heed their words. However, we should interpret that this pertains to the person himself, since before one has fear of heaven, man’s organs do not want to obey him, as it is written, “The wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded.” But when he has fear of heaven, all the organs surrender before him, as it is written, “And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of the Lord is called upon you and they shall fear you,” since man’s organs are called “the peoples of the earth.”

Hence, there is no dispute with what the other one said. Rather, they are all of one view, that one who sheds tears over a Kosher person is rewarded with fear of heaven. Yet, we should understand why this is so. Our sages said, “One hour of repentance and good deeds in this world is better than all the life of the next world,” since when a person dies he becomes free from the Mitzvot [commandments].

It follows that if we share in the loss that the person lost, that now he cannot do good deeds, and this matter touches our soul to the point where we shed tears, this causes us to truly take upon ourselves the burden of the kingdom of heaven and to be rewarded with pardoning of iniquities.

By the deceased causing people to come to fear of heaven, it is a great correction for him, since now the deceased cannot do good deeds. But if, by his demise, he causes people to repent, it follows that the deceased has made a great correction called “good deeds.” This is the meaning of “Anyone who makes the collective cleansed, sin does not come through him.”