In Shamayim, it’s the Effort that Counts
Yitzchak, a bachur in twelfth grade in Yeshiva Tiferes Baruch, struggled to understand his rebbi’s shiur. He tried his hardest, investing his heart and soul, but he saw little success. Eventually, he began to feel down on himself and discouraged.
The Rosh Yeshivah, Harav Elya Meir Sorotzkin, generally did not have a personal relationship with the high-school bachurim, but he heard about Yitzchak’s pain and asked the boy to come speak to him.
Yitzchak entered the Rosh Yeshivah’s office downcast and dejected; he emerged a short while later, his face wreathed in smiles.
Another bachur noticed the difference in Yitzchak’s demeanor. Curious, he asked him to explain what had changed.
Yitzchak shared what Rav Elya Meir had told him: “The Rosh Yeshivah said that after 120 years, when a person comes to Shamayim and stands before Hakadosh Baruch Hu and the Beis Din Shel Maalah, they will take out a cash register and say, ‘Here is the amount of money you made in the world through your mitzvos. You are free to spend it as you wish.’
“He then explained: ‘What do you think the cash is? The currency isn’t the number of Tosafos you learned, or the number of chiddushim you created. The currency in Shamayim is EFFORT. If you really toiled, if you invested all your efforts into trying to understand, it makes no difference whether or not you came out understanding. Hashem will reward you!”
The Rosh Yeshivah was also known to quote Rav Elchonon Wasserman, who said that one has to labor until he reaches his last bit of strength, and that is when the gates of siyata d’Shmaya will open, and he will have a breakthrough. That is when he will see special help from Hashem, and it will all come together.
Every dollar in Olam Haba will be payment for another bit of effort we invested in our avodas Hashem in this world.
(Rabbi Avrohom Birnbaum, Rav Elya Meir Sorotzkin, Artscroll Publications, pgs 61-62)
Take This Home
Pick one time and one mitzvah today, in which you will invest extra effort, e.g., saying your berachos with kavanah at lunchtime; going out of your way to be pleasant to a difficult workmate or family member for the next hour; trying to understand the Gemara without using a crutch. Hashem knows what you put in, and Hashem will reward you in kind.
In Short
The Steipler, Harav Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky, would say:
One should forget about everyone else and focus on who he can be. The passuk tells us:
“Ki holeich ha’adam el beis olamo” – A man goes to HIS eternal home. We can understand this to mean that one goes to HIS home and the world that HE made for himself up in Shamayim, which lasts forever and ever.
It Happened to Me!
My Olam Haba Moment
After buying our first house, I wanted everything to be just so. I was annoyed that the wrong tiles had been installed, that the paint color didn’t look the same on the walls as it did on the sample and that the movers had scratched the dining room floor while bringing in our tables and chairs. This was in sharp contrast to my relaxed attitude while living in our rented apartment. When something was damaged or not to my liking, I had easily waved it away. I guess I never looked at that home as a long-term situation, so it was easy to let things go. Recently it hit me – it’s not any different with the house we’re living in now! It’s also only for the short term. Reminding myself of that helps me keep things in perspective – it’s an Olam Haba attitude that is enhancing my Olam Hazeh!
Share how Olam Haba awareness is making a difference in your life. Send your story to [email protected].
