“For eternity, I will be exactly what I made myself into. So what kind of Olam Habah am I going to have? I will walk around forever with my faults permanently part of me. How will I ever enjoy eternity when I am sullied – permanently stained?”
Chazal tell us our imperfections are what they are, and unless we remove them with the process of teshuvah, they will be on our permanent record. However, all that means is I will have flaws, like a diamond. Maybe I’ll be a two-carat diamond, maybe a four-carat diamond – but a precious gem nonetheless. While the blemishes will be there, so too will the shining brilliance of a jewel. One doesn’t cancel out the other. The flaw isn’t eliminated, nor is the brilliance eradicated. Both are there. I will be a diamond with a flaw.
My work now, as long as I have time left, is to improve the quality of the diamond and to eliminate its faults. By learning Torah, doing mitzvahs, and working on my middos, I change the weight, color, and clarity of the stone. Who I will be for eternity is in my hands. If I focus my attention and energies on growth, my reward will be perfection more valuable than the finest diamonds ever mined.
The Shmuz Marriage Seminar, a 12- part comprehensive guide to a successful marriage, is available free of charge at www.TheShmuz.com. It is also on the Shmuz App, available at the App Store or on Google Play, or you can listen on Kol Halashon by calling 718-906-6400 and selecting options 1, 4, 3.