This week Israel lost one of its leading singers and actors – the late Arik Einstein.

Apart from being extremely talented, Mr. Einstein – especially in his recent years – was almost the embodiment of “religious morality”: He was known for his modesty, his avoidance of big money, his pleasant attitude toward everyone else, and his aspiration for peace.

Not only that, but almost everyone knows the famous story of Arik Einstein’s very close friend – Uri Zohar – who turned ultra religious. The two even became relatives, when two of Einstein’s daughters married two of Zohar’s sons, and turned religious themselves.

Arik Einstein was quoted once, saying he could not figure out why people turn religious, considering the huge difference between real life and what religion has to offer.

You may take the religious point of view and associate his sudden death with some sort of heavenly punishment. Better still you may claim the gods granted him with quick and painless end, as a token of their appreciation. Both claims are obviously nonsense, as perhaps Einstein himself would say, with his deep voice now missed by all of us.