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Chazal tell us, "העולם הזה דומה לפרוזדור בפני עולם הבא"- this world is a vestibule in comparison to the next world. We are to fix ourselves here so that we can enjoy an eternal life of bliss over there. Life can be hard sometimes. People suffering from illness, financial problems and family issues often feel bitter about their situation. They may wonder, "What is this kind of life worth anyway?"

We must remember that this world is fleeting, and every moment is an opportunity to gain eternity. The Sabba from Kelm once said that it would be worth it for a person to live seventy years with the suffering of Iyov just to answer Amen to a beracha once in his lifetime. He brings a proof from the Gemara in Sanhedrin (p. 110b). How many Amens can we say every single day? How many berachot can we say? The reward for each one is immeasurable.

In Yerushalayim there was a righteous old widow who was confined to bed with terrible suffering. The Maharil Diskin would visit her before the holidays. On one occasion, she asked the Rabbi to bless her with a long life. The Rabbi saw her condition and asked, "Why would you want long life? She responded, "Because of my intestinal problems, I am not halachically fit to pray or make a blessing. However, once a week, the nurses tend to me and restore me to a state of cleanliness. For that short amount of time, I am able to make a beracha and praise Hashem. Isn't it worth living to be able to say a beracha once a week?"

Yes, there are problems. Yet, we have to remind ourselves that there is a much bigger goal. We are here to amass spiritual fortunes, which we can do every single day.

Rabbi Lugasi once gave a parable to put life into perspective:

There was a very wealthy man who owned twenty different businesses in various parts of the world. He sat in a luxurious office in Manhattan, receiving daily updates from the managers of his businesses. One day, the head of his shoe business called to tell him that they made a sale for half a million dollars. He said, "Great, keep up the good work." Then, the head of the handbag business in Italy called to say that they made a deal for over one million dollars. He said, "Beautiful, you're doing a great job." These glowing reports continued, until one manager from Brazil called to report that today, he made a bad deal and lost $500 for the company. When the owner heard that, he became infuriated, yelling, "How could we lose $500!?" He got so depressed that he couldn't eat or sleep. Finally, he said, "It's all not worth it. Forget the whole thing. I'm closing all my businesses."

If that would happen, people would think that this man lost his mind. Here he was, amassing fortunes by the minute. What's the big deal if he loses a little?

So too, in this world. A person goes to shul, puts on tefilin, learns Torah, gives some charity and does a kindness. His gains are priceless and everlasting. How can the problems with פרנסה (livelihood), שלום בית (marital harmony) or some embarrassment cause a person to feel that life is not worthwhile? Although the problems seem very big, in the great scheme of things, it's not as bad as we think.

Moreover, the parable doesn't do full justice to our life situations. For us, an affliction in this world is the ultimate gain. What we think is a loss or a problem is doing wonders for us. Every ache and pain has so much value.

Rabbi Yaakov Galinski told a story about a man in Israel with no relatives, who was being kept alive on a respirator. His doctor, who saw his terrible suffering, felt bad and pulled the plug. A few days later the patient came to the doctor in a dream and said, "If I would have lived for four more days, the suffering that I would have endured during that period would have allowed me direct entry into Gan Eden."(The Dr. was shaken up and told the story to the Rabbi and eventually became religious)

יש קונה עולמו בשעה אחת- Every second we have here is valuable. Life is always worth it. We must appreciate what we have, no matter what we're going through. אדרבה- just the opposite, the harder it is, the more valuable our mitzvot become.

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