Question:
Is it possible for a person to die before the time originally destined for him in Heaven, or is every death fixed and unable to occur earlier?
Answer:
Yes. Many Torah sources indicate that it is possible for a person to die before the time originally designated for him.
A striking proof that a person can die before his allotted time is found in the famous Gemara in Chagiga 4b regarding Miriam the hairdresser (Miriam megadla se’ar nashaya). The Gemara relates that the Angel of Death was sent to take her life, but through a mistake took the wrong Miriam, Miriam the childcare worker (Miriam megadla dardakiy). When it was pointed out that the wrong person had been taken, it was explained that once she had been brought, she would not be returned. The Gemara then discusses how years were taken from one person and added to another, clearly implying that a person may be taken before the time originally intended for him. This Gemara is one of the classic sources demonstrating that although a person may have been allotted a certain lifespan, circumstances can occur in which he is removed from the world earlier than originally destined.
This concept is discussed also in ethe later Poskim, who explain that although there is a Heavenly calculation regarding a person’s lifespan, a person can nevertheless be harmed through dangerous behavior, the actions of others, or other factors that Hashem allows to operate within the natural order that He created. This understanding is one of the reasons why the Torah commands a person to guard his life and avoid danger. If it were impossible for anyone to die before his predetermined time, there would seemingly be no reason to avoid dangerous situations. Yet Chazal repeatedly instruct us to flee danger and not rely on miracles.
A related concept is discussed by the Or HaChaim Hakadosh, who explains that a murderer can take the life of another person even before the victim’s ideal Heavenly lifespan has ended.
Likewise, Chazal state regarding marriage that although matches are decreed in Heaven, it is nevertheless possible for another person to precede him and marry the woman destined for him. In both cases, we see that Heavenly intent does not eliminate human free choice or the functioning of the world that Hashem created.
The explanation is that Hashem granted a certain degree of autonomy both to human free will and to the natural and spiritual systems through which He governs the world. Thus, there is a difference between what Hashem ideally decrees for a person and what may ultimately occur through the choices of human beings or through the operation of the world’s systems. Of course, nothing happens outside of Hashem’s knowledge or permission. Rather, Hashem chose to create a world in which human actions carry genuine consequences and are not constantly overridden by miraculous intervention.
Accordingly, while everything ultimately remains in the Hands of Heaven, this does not mean that every event reflects the ideal Heavenly plan for that individual. It is therefore possible for a person to lose years that otherwise could have been lived, which is why one must be careful to avoid danger and take all reasonable measures to protect his life.
Sources:
Chagiga 4b-5a; Bava Metzia 85a; Rashi Bava Metzia 107b; Tosafus Kesubos 30a; Igros Kodesh 10:13