Saving A Life

He had it all, a model girlfriend, money, and gorgeous home but his end was so tragically empty. I’ve been playing the blame game that I should have reached out, stayed in touch but my desire to feel guiltless is too strong. But I know the truth, I could have helped save his life. If I had given him a book called, The Garden of Emuna. 

As this is being written my mind is torn and my body is chilly. Moments ago I found out some terrible news. My high school best friend committed suicide.

How I found out was very strange. I had a dream and he was in it. I don’t remember exactly what took place. When I woke up I had this feeling that I needed to somehow find him and reconnect after 7 years of not speaking. Later that evening I went to the Internet and typed in his name. I saw the headline of the website, “In Loving Memory of….”

It’s very hard for me to write this, but I feel it is my responsibility and also what I know he would want me to do. We were great friends; we worked out all the time, shared music, and loved talking about the Israeli Army when we were teenagers. I remember when my parents divorced he gave me an inspiring book to help me stay focused on succeeding in life. It was a true story about a man who built his own human powered boat and sailed it across the Atlantic by himself. It showed the absolute strength of what a man can do with his own will power. That was the kind of guy he was, concerning himself with his friend in his time of need.

As our lives continued I set my eyes on making Aliya and starting a new life that was focused on observing Torah in the land of Israel. He stayed in America to pursue a career and we lost touch…

He suffered from many emotional problems and his unawareness on how to truly deal with them led to his untimely death. He lacked the simple belief that everything is in the hands of a merciful Father in Heaven. Had he known that our difficulties in life are designed by Hashem in order that we come to Him for help, he’d never have taken the path he did. Why? Because he also would have known that his situation was also for the very best and that there was something he needed to learn from his struggle.

Now for 90% of our readers, they know and use the above Emuna principles in their lives. But maybe only 1% of them all have experienced a death of a friend due to depression and lack of Emuna, which could have been prevented. So I ask , can we as Jews and holy righteous gentiles continue to accept that suicide is still a part of our society? Absolutely not– because we have the solution: Emuna.  But it will only change once we do…

This moment, picture in your mind that one person you know who has no friends or anything going for him. Take it upon yourself to make sure that person has a friend, YOU. Help them out! As followers of the Torah and as simple good people we have every responsibility in the world to help others who are suffering. Our Emuna has to be directed to helping not only ourselves but all of Hashem’s creations. Buy them a book, better yet make a learning partner once a week, teach others. You know the concepts, now you need to teach others. You could be saving a life.

What’s great is that when you teach, you yourself benefit. How? By strengthening someone else, you reconfirm your beliefs and renew your own faith and dedication.  Not only that but you will be rewarded with miracles in your life. Think about it, you might be the only one who can reach that person. So it’s your job not let another day go by without making some effort in helping these people. Who knows, they may be in a suicidal mindset and you could save them.

What happened to my friend could easily happen to anyone who hasn’t learned what we have been fortunate to learn. That everything is for the good. That any person including a single mother, ex-convict or soldier can turn to Hashem in their own privacy and pour out their heart to Hashem. As students of Rebbe Nachman, Rav Shalom Arush and Breslev teachings, we should feel empowered that we not only have the ability to make great changes in our lives through Emuna but we too can save lives. We are now heading into the chilly winter, add some warmth to the world.