Harold S. Kushner, the rabbi who drew from his own struggle with grief to write the bestselling book When Bad Things Happen to Good People, has died at 88, the New York Times reports.

Kushner, a New York native, studied literature at Columbia University and decided to become a rabbi while a student there. He was ordained in 1960, and spent two years as a chaplain in the U.S. Army. He was a rabbi in New York for four years, before moving to a temple in Natick, Massachusetts, where he would serve for more than two decades.

He made his literary debut in 1971 with When Children Ask About God: A Guide for Parents Who Don’t Always Have All the Answers. Ten years later, he published When Bad Things Happen to Good People, which was inspired by the death of his son at the age of 14. The book became a huge bestseller.

His other books included  When All You’ve Ever Wanted Isn't Enough: The Search for a Life That Matters; To Life!: A Celebration of Jewish Being and Thinking; and How Good Do We Have To Be?: A New Understanding of Guilt and Forgiveness.

Admirers of Kushner paid tribute to him on social media. On Twitter, rabbi and author David Wolpe wrote, “I just heard of the passing of Rabbi Harold Kushner, a wonderful man, an exemplary Rabbi, and one whose writings helped millions deal with pain and loss. Baruch Dayan Emeth—may his memory be a blessing.”

And political scientist Norman Ornstein tweeted, “Rabbi Harold Kushner passed away today. His book When Bad Things Happen to Good People provided comfort to millions. He was a good and gentle man, a genuine hero and Mensch. May his memory be a blessing.”

Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.