
By Lawngren
The rabbi’s father replied, “I have always known who you are. I have watched your life from that moment. I sent you the letters describing what my son went through. Guilt either sickens people’s hearts, or turns them into evil, if it is not resolved. You weren’t doing anything about the guilt I knew you were feeling, so I pushed you, with those letters. Something had to be done, or your life also would have been destroyed.”
“I will adopt you. You will not change your name – you should always honor your father and mother – but I will give you another name in addition to your birth name, and you will be given citizenship in my country. A dual citizen, with full rights and responsibilities in both countries. You will tell people how my son died to save your life. And you will, to the best of your ability, live the life my son would have lived. His death was consistent with his life – he lived to help others. You will do the same.”