My friend the rabbi told a story at our friend’s funeral that explained our friend’s shortened life pretty well.   A rare and luminous soul is created in heaven and the angels stand around admiring its beauty.   As this is a rabbinic tale, there is immediately a dispute among them about the proper fate for this beautiful soul.

“This soul is too pure and perfect to be sent down into a world of darkness,” say a group of angels, “we must keep the soul here with us, where it will not be battered in the corrupt world below.”

Another group of angels petition God to send the soul down to earth, arguing that the light it will bring to the world of darkness is urgently needed.

God considers and explains that he indeed created the soul to spread light and love, and do good works, in the world below.   He decides that the soul will be born in an earthly body and live below in the world of troubles, to help refine the world through good deeds.  Reassuring the angels who want to keep the soul in heaven he adds “but his stay will not be long, since it will not take such a brilliant soul very long to complete his mission and he will be back here among us before you know it.”

The angels agree that every single day he is on earth, doing justly and spreading light, is a blessing.

As, indeed, is the case.