I would like to share a story because we are not simply thinking about ourselves, we are also thinking about the world. The story is about two great kabbalists. As they were getting older, they made a pact. They said, if one of us passes away before the other, he will come back and tell the other what is happening in the next world.

One of them passes away and his friend is waiting. He is waiting for a dream or a vision to hear what is in the other world. He waits for weeks and months and hears nothing. Then he coincidentally meets the son of his friend. He tells the son of his pain. He says, we made this deal that we would come back to the other and tell him what happens in the next world.

The son tells him about a dream that he had. He says, “In my dream I went to the heavens and said I want to go see my father. I went into one room, and there were chambers beyond chambers, and the souls in the chamber said yes, we saw him, but he walked past. The son continued walking and walking, through chamber after chamber, and then came to the edge of this great dark forest. They said, they had seen my father, but he walked past. And then I walked through the forest because I wanted to see my father. I was scared and didn’t know where I was going. I walked and I walked and then I came to the end. I saw my father in front of this huge ocean. He was standing on his cane, staring at the ocean. I went to my father and said, what are you doing here? We were expecting you to tell us what is happening here.

My father said,
do you know what this ocean is? I said no. My father said, This is the ocean of all the tears that have been cried throughout history by all humanity, all of the pain that has been felt. And I promised and told the Creator that I’m not leaving this ocean until He dries up all the tears.