A man told me he hasn't been able to sleep in four nights since the tragedy occurred this past Shabbat. He thinks about it day and night, and so many questions come to his mind. He can't fathom such a thing could have happened. First and foremost, we must use our feelings as a springboard to value life more and understand how transient and fleeting this world is and how there's nothing more important than our service to Hashem. This is the only thing we bring with us. Regarding our feelings of feeling bad for the people who left the world, we must know every person has a Neshama, and the Neshama never dies. We should not think that our Neshama is something beyond us that we don't have such a connection to. We are our Neshama, our thoughts, our emotions, everything about us comes from our Neshama. The body is not what gives us life. It is just the casing that surrounds us. When a person passes on, the only change that occurs is that the person sheds his case. The person is still alive. He still has the same thoughts. He has the same feelings. He moves on and lives in another location, a place that is far better than the world that we live in. When the soul leaves the body, that is when life truly begins. And for a person who did his job properly in this world, and all the more so pure, innocent children, their journey to Gan Eden is the most beautiful experience. From the first moment, they are privileged to see the radiance of Hashem's She c hina , and Hashem does not leave them. He escorts them to their luxurious abode in Gan Eden, and their relatives and friends who have moved on to Gan Eden come out to greet them. The Neshama has the semblance of our physical bodies. That is why when someone sees a relative in a dream, the relative appears the same way that he did down here. This world is such a small part of our existence. The next world is what lasts forever. When a baby is in the mother's womb, it can't imagine that there's life beyond the womb, but little does it know, when it comes out, there's a whole world in front of it. The same is true of the next world. We can't imagine another world out there, but there is one far better than this world in every possible way. Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Sher was already in Israel when the Holocaust began. He eventually found out that his only son was amongst those who died Al Kidush Hashem back in Europe. When he found out, he gathered all his students together to give them chiz uk for the atrocities that were going on. Most of his students also lost many of their relatives. The rabbi began in a calm and peaceful tone. He started by saying a blessing for the bad tidings the same way he would on good tidings. And then he began describing to the students the delights and beauties that are awaiting in the world of truth. He said, "Imagine I was told that my son is in the upper story of my house right now, and he is filled with all the goodness that can possibly be experienced. Anything he wants, he could have. He is in a place of bliss and tranquility. The only issue is that the door to get in is locked, so I can't get in. Wouldn't I still be so happy for my son? This is the way we should feel about all our relatives. They are in the highest places in Gan Eden, enjoying with Hashem." When someone goes to Gan Eden, we don't have to feel bad for them. They have everything. It is us back here who are going to miss them. There is so much out there that we can't see. Hashem puts every person where they need to be for exactly how long they need to be there. One of the expressions that we use to comfort the mourners is hamakom yenahem etchem . The Sefat Emmet asks, why do we use the word etchem in plural? Even if there's only one mourner, we say etchem or tena c hamu min ha shamayim . We use the plural form of the word you. He answers, the phrase is meant to comfort not only the mourner, but the soul that departed. Because when the soul sees the mourners crying, he wants to tell them, "Don't feel bad. I'm right here, I'm fine. It's so much better for me now. You don't understand." Hashem does not allow the mourners to see the neshama , however. So the neshama feels bad for the mourners. When a visitor comes to the mourner, he brings consolation to the neshama as well, because the visitor is doing what the neshama wants to do, cheer up the mourner. And that is why we say hamakom yenahem etchem . May Hashem comfort you in plural, both the mourners as well as the souls that have departed. One should never think that if someone lives for a short amount of time and accomplishes, he would have accomplished more had he been given more time. The midrash tells us, Moshe Rabbeinu lived 120 years, leading the Jewish people in the desert for 40 years, bringing down the Torah to Am Yisrae from Shamayim . Shemuel Hanavi , however, lived for just 52 years. He served the people and carried their burdens while he was the leader. And the pasuk in Tehillim in Perekh 99 equates Moshe and Shemuel. And from here, our rabbis learn, it's not about the amount of time a person has. If the person did what he was supposed to do in the amount of time that Hashem has given him, he will gain the full reward in the next world. If someone is taken at a young age, the family and friends are going to miss him, but they should never feel bad that they are missing out. The ones who left the world don't care to be missing out on anything here. They are in a much better place. May Hashem console the mourners and may all of us become inspired to improve our ways and get closer to Hashem.