“And it will be that when he hears the curses, he will bless himself in his heart…” (Devarim 29:18).
An essential foundation of Judaism – indeed, one of the 13 Principles of Faith – is reward and punishment in this world. The yetzer hara though sometimes convinces a person that he won’t be punished. R’ Ovadiah Yosef explained that the yetzer hara assures him that he isn’t so bad. After all, many people act much worse than he does and seem not to be punished.
He thinks to himself: I go to shul, I pray, I learn Torah, I do good deeds. Others don’t do all this, and they don’t suffer. Why should I be afraid of punishment? He therefore doesn’t do teshuvah.
But Hashem doesn’t treat everyone in the same exact manner. Imagine a child who is warned not to play ball in the house. The child doesn’t listen and he throws the ball around the house, accidentally hitting a window and shattering it. His mother rebukes and punishes him.
A few days later, a rooster from the yard struts into the house, jumps up on the table, and breaks several crystal glasses sitting on it. When the mother sees the broken glass, she sighs and says, “Kapparas avonos – it should be an atonement for my sins.”
When the boy hears these words, he asks his mother, “Why did you discipline me when I broke the window but didn’t even rebuke the rooster when it broke your expensive glasses? Is the rooster better than I am?”
The mother begins to laugh and says, “No. It’s because you’re better than the rooster that I chastised you. I cannot expect much from a rooster. But you, my dear son, have much greater cognitive ability than the rooster. Hashem granted you wisdom and understanding, and therefore I expect more from you.”
A person should never despair of his ability to do teshuvah. There is hope for every single person, even one who has sinned egregiously. Our sages tell us (Avodah Zarah 18a), “A person can acquire his share in the World-to-Come in one moment.”
Our sages teach (ibid.) that R’ Chanina ben Tradyon, one of the Ten Martyrs who was burned together with a Sefer Torah on the 27th of Nissan, went to visit R’ Yosi ben Kisma when he was ill. R’ Yosi said to him, “I hear that you sit and engage in Torah study, and gather people together in public with a Torah scroll on your lap, completely disregarding the decree of the Romans against such conduct.”
R’ Chanina replied, “Heaven will have mercy and protect me.”
To which R’ Yosi responded, “I am speaking of matters of substance and you give me such an answer? I would be surprised if the Romans did not burn you together with your Torah scroll by fire.”
A few days later, following the death of R’ Yosi, R’ Chanina ben Tradyon was sitting and studying Torah in public. The Romans took him captive, wrapped him in the Torah scroll and encircled him with branches which they set on fire. They then placed water-soaked tufts of wool on his heart so that his soul should not leave his body quickly and he would endure a slow and painful death.
His daughter said, “Father, must I see you this way?” R’ Chanina said, “If I alone were being burned, it would be difficult for me. But now that I am burning along with a Torah scroll, [I know that the same] Hashem who will seek retribution for its insult will also seek retribution for the insult to which I have been subjected.”
His disciples asked him, “What do you see?” R’ Chanina replied, “I see the parchment burning and its letters flying to Heaven.”
The executioner then asked R’ Chanina, “My teacher, if I remove the wool from your heart so that you die sooner and suffer less, will you bring me to the World-to-Come?”
R’ Chanina said yes and swore to that effect as per the executioner’s request. The executioner thereupon immediately removed the wool from his heart, and R’ Chanina died quickly. The executioner then jumped into the fire and died as well. A Heavenly Voice then proclaimed, “R’ Chanina ben Tradyon and the executioner are destined for the World-to-Come.”
When Rebbi heard this voice, he cried, and said, “There is one who acquires the World-to-Come in one moment, and there is one who acquires his share in the World-to-Come only after many years of toil.”
Our sages go to great lengths to expound the implications and impact of this statement. In the span of a moment, an individual can resist a compelling temptation and acquire olam haba. He can do an act of chesed that has life-changing consequences and achieve olam haba. He can earn eternity by not reacting, or keeping silent, when he is embarrassed, and avoiding conflict.
I would like to share with all of my distinguished readers an opportunity to help out the less fortunate members of our community, especially during this time of year. A week ago, a family man with young children painfully shared with me his woeful financial situation. He admitted that in desperation he had actually returned some of his family’s worn clothing to a company that reimburses customers if they are ever dissatisfied with a garment’s performance.
“Don’t you need the clothing?” I asked him.
“I do,” he replied, “but my family needs to eat even more.”
Hearing of the hardships of others is always difficult, but poverty and deprivation are particularly distressing before Yom Tov. I will certainly do everything within my power to make sure this family has whatever it needs to be able to enjoy Yom Tov.
I turn to my loyal readers to help this family, and others like it, who are struggling every day. Help me give chizuk to families, individuals, and children in need. Please send your contribution to Khal Bnei Yitzchok Yom Tov Fund, c/o Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser, 1336 E. 21 Street, Brooklyn, NY 11210. Perhaps this act of tzedakah will be the defining moment that will gain you olam haba and enable you to merit a year of blessing and success, good health, nachas, happiness, and prosperity.
If you would like any special tefillos to be offered for a shidduch, shalom bayis, parnassah, or a refuah, please include the name of the person for whom the tefillah should be said along with his/her mother’s name, too.