A 9/11 Special: Angel of Death's Journal | Rabbi Elimelech Biderman

The Medrash relates in Koheles Rabbah 3 that Rabbi Shimon ben Chalafta once came out of a Bris Milah, and he returned home through a forest and he met the Angel of Death. He saw that the Angel of Death was confused. He asked him: What happened? So he told him: From the conversations of mankind. That the baby’s father said that he’s putting away some of the wine from the Bris for the baby’s wedding. This baby will not live 30 days. Why is he putting it away? Rabbi Shimon ben Chalafta asks him: How do you know? So he said: I have my journal here. I need to take him within 30 days. Rabbi Shimon ben Chalafta asks him: You have your journal? Check when my day [of death] will come. The Angel of Death said to Rabbi Shimon ben Chalafta, I cannot reign over you and the likes of you. You cannot enter this journal. Why? Because ‘The fear of God prolongs life’. One Shmiras Einayim and you stay alive. There was a Yid in Boro Park, who passed away in Elul 5782. His name was R’ Shmuel Katz. R’ Shmuel Katz was 65 years old. He worked in the Twin Towers, which you know what happened there 22 and a half years ago. As everybody knows, all those who were in the Twin Towers, Rabbis labored on freeing the Agunahs, labored on it for weeks and months. But the 85th and 86th floors, they didn’t need to check. Why? Because the terrorists flew the plane into these floors, and there everybody crumbled, לא עלינו. R’ Shmuel Katz worked on the 85th floor. He related that the train that brought him to the Twin Towers at 9am, was terrible for Shmiras Einayim. It was impossible to guard the eyes there. So he went to his boss and he told him, Listen, I can’t start here at 9am, only at 11am. Because the train that would bring him at 11am was reasonable. His boss told him: We’re not playing games here. Work starts here at 9am. If not at 9am, you can leave. In the end, they came to an agreement that he’ll start working at 11am and he’ll make up the hours at night. Everybody remembers when the terrorist attack at the Twin Towers was. It was at 9am. R’ Shmuel Katz said: In what merit is he alive? Solely in the merit of Shmiras Einayim, for a גדר in Shmiras Einayim. That’s the meaning of ‘The fear of God prolongs life’. You cannot appear here in the journal. One גדר in Shmiras Einayim, and he stayed alive.