BYA SHABBATON – IT’S NOT ABOUT THE BUTTONS
מי שטרח בערב שבת יאכל בשבת
The basic concept of preparing is very simple. If you work on something in advance you achieve and if not you lose.
But don't we find instances otherwise? - יש קנה עולמו בשעה אחת גמ' ע''ז יז. - The truth is that there are such rare instances - יש - it may happen but it is certainly not to be relied upon. Most sinners who think they will surely one day repent and be zocheh to Olam Habah, usually DON'T. Hashem does not assist in the teshuvah of one who says אחטא ואשוב and without Hashem's assistance the future is bleak.
I recently visited a shivah house (which probably was not a halachically mandated mourning) for a man who lived a very free-style irreligious life into his nineties, and he did not make any statement of regret or viduy. To the contrary, he demanded to be buried at the bottom of the sea.
So certainly the "way to go" is with preparation.
But even so, it seems like the rare ones who achieve their lofty goal in one moment are surely the lucky ones!
So why is it that R' Meir cried upon hearing the heavenly voice declaring their place in Olam Haba? It is NOT because R' Meir was jealous of this lucky man's lot. Rather, says the Maharsha, he felt bad for the individual. If he could achieve Olam Habah in such a short moment how much more could he have achieved if he would've lived a full life of Torah & mitzvos!
I'd like to suggest another reason to be sad for this UNLUCKY person who did not prepare throughout his life.
A story is told about a woman who desperately needed a blessing for her infant son from the Chofetz Chaim. He told her that Shabbos has the source of blessing to bring his salvation and to prepare everything for Shabbos early, so that by noon every Friday, the house would be tranquil and fully set for Shabbos.
The Chofetz Chaim writes that from the time a person begins his preparations for Shabbos, the spirit of Shabbos already takes some effect. (Gehinom itself will cease for such a person from the time he started his preps!)
From here we see a whole new perspective on preparations. The become PART of the goal itself! It is not two distinct, separate activities, rather they blend together to become part of the whole experience. When we prepare for an exciting trip, vacation or camp, the preparations carry the same excitement as the goal itself!
I'd like to suggest an insight into the gemara of מי שטרח בערב שבת יאכל בשבת - Hashem said these words as a rebuke to the Non-Jews who seek reward in olam haba. Hashem calls them שוטים ! To thinnk they can get reward without putting in the effort beforehand, is such a foolish assumption that even Goyim are rebuked for thinking so.
But even more than this, the entire concept of מי שטרח is really a Non- Jewish concept. Work today to be paid tomorrow is a very poor, shallow perception of life.
A person who lives enriched with Torah values and perception sees it very differently. Every effort and activity in preparation is not a toil or an unavoidable headache, but an exciting part of the process!
We don't call erev Shabbos preps טירחה but rather a much more positive word - הכנה! This is the word Yosef Hatzaddik used when his brothers came to Egypt. This the word Moshe used when the Mann fell on Friday. This is the word we should use for preparing for Shabbos and our entire life for Olam Haba - HYPE.
It is part and parcel of Shabbos itself. And so too EVERY SINGLE THING we do in our lifetime can be l'shem shamayim, as part of building our eternal palace.
Chanoch was the quintessential embodiment of chinuch - not separate acts in training for the future, but chinuch is a concept of inauguration, the beginning of the goal itself. He was the ultimate Ben Olam Haba - he went alive to heaven, without a dividing line between the worldly activities of olam hazeh and the eternal joy of olam haba. On him it was said that as he stitched shoes to their soles, he was מייחד יחודיים unifying the Heavens. R' Yeruchom Levovitz explains that although this is a deep mystical concept, it also means that his perfect intent on honest quality work for his customers was actually what brought heaven and earth together.
The story of R' Elchanan's button was a message to simple unlearned Jew - it's not about the buttons. But for a Torah enriched mind, every one of a person's buttons throughout life can actually be a diamond.
Preparing for Olam Haba should not be viewed as a טירחה - a burden of prerequisites to attain a goal. We can van and should view everything we do with the concept of Ben Olam Haba - we are infusing everything with the excitement, thrill, and hype of the dream goal itself.
It's never too early to build hype for Shabbos. You're not too young to infuse your life to become the next Mrs Fedder or Rebbetzin Reisman.
Every moment of your life now can be steps inaugurating the most amazing wife in the world and the greatest Jewish mother your children can wish for!
Build hype for Shabbos & build hype for life!