By Rabbi Chaim Arye Zev Ginzberg
An elderly Yid was approaching his hundredth birthday and was greatly troubled. Every day, he would share with his son the reason for his agitation. “I need to understand why I am zocheh to this arichus yamim,” he said. “My father died at 46 and his father before him at 41. I am a simple person, not learned or accomplished. Why have I been zocheh to live until this old age?”
Any response that his son shared with him was inadequate. Concerned for his elderly father’s well-being, the son decided to present his question to the gadol hador, Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman. The rosh yeshivah’s answer was absolutely mind-boggling, and could only have come from someone whose vision of the happenings of this world is worlds apart from our own.
The rosh yeshivah responded, “Tell your father the following reason why he is zocheh to arichus yamim. Hakadosh Baruch Hu is working to bring an end to Galus Edom. The zechus that Edom had all these years was the great kibbud av that Eisav accorded his father. And so, Hakadosh Baruch Hu, in recent times, has changed the nature of the world, allowing people to live longer. This way, Klal Yisrael can care for their elders for a longer period, generating additional zechusim of kibbud av to counteract the zechus of Edom and finally bring an end to Galus Edom.”
In other words, this person was zocheh to arichus yamim so that more zechusim could be generated by his children, to benefit Klal Yisrael. What an astounding idea! What our simple eyes see as the good fortune of increased life expectancy is really part of Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s plan to bring the geulah.
Reprinted from the Parshas Lech Lecha 5784 edition of At the ArtScroll Shabbos Table. (Excerpted from the ArtScroll book – Rays of Hope
