Imagine the Reward

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The Mishna in Pirke Avot says that one moment of spiritual bliss in the Next World is more pleasurable than the entire life of this world. Rabbi Dessler explains that if all the pleasure ever enjoyed by every human being that ever lived would be condensed into one moment, it would still not be as enjoyable as a single moment in the World to Come. All Hashem wants is for each one of his children to be able to enjoy that pleasure with Him for all eternity. Therefore, He gave us Mitzvot and continues to grant us opportunities to perform good deeds to earn that reward.

The value of each Mitzva is immeasurable. When the three angels came to Avraham's house in human form, he stood over them, offering them food and drink. The Gemara says that as a reward for offering them food, Hashem gave Avraham's grandchildren Mann in the desert for forty years. Because he offered them drink, the Jewish people had water in the desert. In the merit that he stood over them to wait on them, Hashem surrounded the Jewish people with clouds of glory. Millions of people were sustained for forty years as a side benefit of that one Mitzva of Hachnasat Orchim.

We are commanded in Parashat Re'eh not to consume blood. The Pasuk says that if we follow this command, we will be rewarded, as will our children and grandchildren. Rashi derives from this the magnitude of reward for doing a Mitzva. If refraining from eating blood, which is repulsive, grants such a great reward, how much more so if we refrain from doing a transgression that is desirable.

We can see the overwhelming love Hashem has for us in the many ways He gives us to merit eternal life. He finds so many ways for us to get credit for Mitzvot. It says in this week's Parasha, Ki Tetze, that if a farmer forgets a bundle of grain while harvesting his field, he should leave it there for the poor, and Hashem will bless him in all of his endeavors. Rashi says, quoting Chazal, that this blessing will come even if the farmer never realized that he forgot his bundle. As long as a poor person benefited, he is blessed. This means that if a dollar bill falls out of someone's pocket, and a poor person uses it to purchase food, the one who dropped it gets credit for the Mitzva, even though it was unintentional. Look how Hashem rewards us. If someone gets a blessing for unintentionally giving Tzedaka, how much more so if he pulls money out of his wallet and gives it away.

The Saba of Kelm pointed out that if this is true for material benefit, imagine the reward for unintentionally giving someone a spiritual benefit. For example, if someone prayed an emotional Amidah, and the person next to him was inspired to pray better. The first person will be rewarded for that inspiration, even though he never knew that he gave it. Hashem has so much to give us, and He wants to give us.

Every time we feel that it is hard to do a Mitzva, and we do it anyway, the reward is even greater. If a person is trying to improve in Mitzvot and finds obstacles in his way, the obstacles stem from Hashem's love for him. They are opportunities to earn even greater reward by overcoming those obstacles. Rav Yerucham Levovitz writes that if all the Mitzvot done with ease would be put on one side of the scale, and one Mitzva done with difficulty would be put on the other side, that single Mitzva would outweigh all the others.

Every inconvenience or pain a person experiences will bring him benefit. The Pasuk says, "וירא ה' כי שנואה לאה ויפתח את רחמה"-Hashem saw that, relative to Rachel, Leah was less loved, and therefore he opened her womb. Both Rachel and Leah were barren. But, because Leah did not get the same respect as her co-wife, Hashem blessed her to have many children and become the mother of six of the tribes. We don't ask to be shamed; we love to be respected. But, if a person's honor is slighted, it is a blessing in disguise.

Hashem is always looking out for our best interest. His greatest pleasure is insuring that He will be able to give us all that is good, forever and ever.

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