The Chofetz Chaim zt”l had a son named R’ Avrohom who died at the young age of 23-years-old. When he passed away, the Chofetz Chaim was not in his hometown of Radin. Rather, he was in Warsaw for the printing of his sefarim, and was staying as a guest at the home of his friend, R’ Yitzchok Grodzensky.
On the Shabbos before R’ Avrohom’s petirah, the Chofetz Chaim told the household members that he was not feeling well and would be unable to eat the seudah with them. He said that he wanted to stay in his room all day. R’ Yitzchok, who wanted to personally serve his distinguished guest, brought him his food but noticed that he was barely eating anything. He asked him why he wasn’t eating, and the Chofetz Chaim said, “If today wasn’t Shabbos, I would fast a ‘taanis chalom’. Last night, I had a dream that a Sefer Torah fell out of my hands!”
After Shabbos, the Chofetz Chaim received a telegram telling him to return home immediately. He took the train to Radin on Sunday morning and, when he got to town, he could see that everyone was in mourning. He understood why they were crying, and he ran home to sit shiva for his son. He did not shed one tear or give out one sigh. He turned to the people around him and said, “We lost a great gaon. When he was just 16-years-old, he was writing chidushei Torah like one of the gedolim!”
He then loudly said, “Hashem gave and Hashem took. May his name be blessed from now for all eternity! Now I know that I am a Jew!”
He then related that it says in Sefer Toldos Odom (Perek 16) that during the Spanish Inquisition in 1492, the murderers killed two precious children right in front of their mother. This righteous women lifted her eyes to Heaven and said, “Hashem, I have always loved You. But as long as I had my dear children, my heart was divided into two parts. One part was for my love of You and one part was for my love of them. Now that my children are gone, my entire heart is dedicated solely for loving You. Now I can fully perform the mitzvah to love Hashem with one’s entire heart.”
The Chofetz Chaim then announced, “Hashem, I am transmitting the love that I had until now for my son to You!”
