It was said in old legends that a man once befriended the angel of death. Whenever he would come, the man would ask him: ‘Have you come to visit [me] or to take [me]?’ – and the angel would reply: ‘I’ve come to visit.’ One day, the man said to the angel of death: ‘I ask you in the name of our friendship that you send me a messenger when my time comes; one that informs me that you are coming to take my soul.’ – so the angel said: ‘You shall have that…’
Then, the angel came down one day upon the man, so he said to him: ‘You are coming to visit, yes?’ He said: ‘No, rather to take.’
He said: ‘But your messenger never came to me?!
He said: ‘Rather, he did…
1. Your back hunching after it was upright
2. your hair whitening after being black
3. your voice wavering after it was bold
4. your weakness replacing your strength. your vision blurring after it was sharp
6. your despairing after your hopes
7. and also in those that died before you…
‘You requested one messenger, and I sent you a number of messengers, so how can you blame me?’ How many messengers reached you until now?
