Opinion & Comment
Two Tables or Two Worlds?
by Rabbi Shmuel Globus

When a baby boy is born, everyone is happy. Their joy does not stop with admiring the infant; in eight days there will be a bris. Later, the child will enter school and begin to learn Torah. This will bring great merit to the proud parents. "Legadlo leTorah, lechuppa, ulema'asim tovim!"

The worthy parents of the boy will thereby enjoy both this world and the next, im yirtzeh Hashem -- as Rabbi Yochonon said in the Midrash: "If a person is worthy, he inherits two worlds . . . " This is the beginning of our parsha: "When a woman conceives and gives birth to a boy . . . "

Does it always turn out this way?

The gemora (Brochos 5b) relates the following story. Rabbi Elozor fell sick. Rabbi Yochonon came to visit him, and saw that Rabbi Elozor was crying. Rabbi Yochonon said to him, "Why are you crying? Because you feel you have not learned enough Torah? About this it was taught; `A little and a lot are equal [in the eyes of Hashem] -- as long as one directs his heart to Heaven.'"

Rabbi Yochonon continued, "Perhaps you are crying because of poverty? Not everyone merits two tables [meaning: both worlds]. Perhaps you are crying because of troubles with your children? This is the bone of my tenth son to pass away."

Not everyone merits two tables, says Rabbi Yochonon. Tosafos (ad loc.) comments that some people do achieve this state. Tosafos states that many tzaddikim in fact merited two tables, Rabbi Yehuda Hanossi being the outstanding example.

Rabbi Yehuda Hanossi, known as "Rebbi," possessed wealth rivaling the Roman ruler Antoninus. Rebbi's table -- in this world -- overflowed with choice delicacies; he lacked nothing. Yet, when his time came, Rebbi stretched out his hands to Heaven and declared: "You know that I did not indulge even my little finger [in the vanities of this world]!" Rebbi's table in the next world surely lacks nothing either.

Rabbi Avrohom from Minsk, in his commentary on the Ein Yaakov called Ahavas Eison, asks a striking question. The same Rabbi Yochonon who said, "Not everyone merits two tables;" also said, "If a person is worthy, he inherits two worlds . . . " The great sage Rabbi Elozor was surely a worthy man. Why, then, did he not merit two worlds? And what about the righteous Rabbi Yochonon himself, who lost ten children!

Are there circumstances beyond our control, out of the scope of our merits? Children, health, and wealth are dependent on mazel, say Chazal. In spite of this, Rabbi Yochonon seems to be saying, in the Midrash, that Jews are above mazel. How can this be?

It depends how much merit one has (Tosafos, Shabbos 156). This, writes the Ahavas Eison, is the explanation to the misfortunes of Rabbi Elozor and Rabbi Yochonon. If one is born with a terrible mazel, only tremendous merit can overcome it. Otherwise, nature takes its course.

There is another way to view life in this world, which eliminates contradictions.

HaRav Yaakov Neiman writes in Darkei Mussar: "People commonly ask the old question, `Why do tzaddikim suffer; and reshoim have it good?' They complain about how Hashem runs the world as if, cholila, there is injustice.

"In truth, there is no such question. It is wrong to think that the tzaddik suffers in this world. Likewise, it is wrong to think that the rosho enjoys our world. Whoever thinks this is completely mistaken -- there is no such thing.

"This error results from the habit of measuring good and bad with a material yardstick. This way of measuring seeks to determine how much money and material possessions one has acquired. If a person has limited means, this is considered bad. Yet it is totally mistaken to think this way.

"Chazal teach (Yuma 38): For one tzaddik, the entire world was created. This is what is written: `And Hashem saw that it was good' -- and `good' refers to a tzaddik.

"From this we see that the tzaddik represents everything good and desirable in man. The Torah calls him `good.' This is because the tzaddik's personality realizes and fulfills everything that is good.

"This brings him to always feel good about his life experiences, and to derive satisfaction from his life as a whole. His life is not made up of meaningless activities; rather, it is full of content. A tzaddik's life is inspired and noble. It is a life of uplifted spirituality.

"For the tzaddik, every moment of his life is a whole world. He feels that through doing the Will of his Creator he enjoys life in this world. He draws pleasure from service of Hashem. He lives the saying of our Sages: `One hour of Torah and good deeds in this world is better than all of Olom Haboh.' Although he may possess none of the vanities of this world, he feels that his life is bursting with goodness."

HaRav Yaakov Neiman's yardstick of success in life differs from that in common use. It is alluring and motivating. It sweeps away the contradictions and disappointments of ordinary life; its power lifts us above the frustrations of the mundane.

HaRav Neiman continues, "Let us consider the pleasure and joy which the tzaddik takes in Shabbos -- the spiritual satisfaction and inner joy which its sanctity brings him. This is true with every mitzvah. All the pleasures of this world pale in comparison.

"The rosho lacks all these feelings. He also lacks proper understanding of the concept of `good.' He only sees the physical side -- material means, money, and possessions. How far such people are from that inner feeling called, `spiritual contentment!'"

The tzaddik is the connoisseur of life. The rosho, by contrast, is a true unfortunate. He is blind to the beauty of G-d's world. His coarseness deprives him of the exquisite flavor of holiness.

The rosho is also deeply unhappy. HaRav Neiman reveals the source of his discontent: "This is because all the material pleasures of this world are unable to bring a person to true feelings of happiness, satisfaction, and contentment with one's life.

"All of this world's occupations are incapable of granting a person spiritual contentment, because the soul's origin is in a place of eternity. The soul is hewed from the World of Eternity and can only be nourished by eternal food, stemming from eternity -- not by things that are here today and gone tomorrow.

"If the rosho tells you he is living a good life, do not believe him -- he is lying. On the contrary, he is constantly controlled by bad. His yetzer hora and negative character traits rule him.

"Tehillim writes about such people; `And the reshoim are like a stormy sea.' This means that their whole life, they are disturbed and unsettled. The rosho's negative character traits make his life miserable.

"The tzaddik, on the other hand, gains control over his internal bad forces, and he eradicates his negative character traits. No one is happier than the tzaddik, and he lives a life of joy. For through removing bad, absolute good takes its place. Clearly, this can be seen to be true."

@BIG LET BODY = What the Torah calls "good" is good in every respect: it is virtuous, enjoyable, and wise. The yetzer tov is good -- it supplies the good life in every sense of the word. Positive character traits are the stuff of an enjoyable and happy life, in this world. The tzaddik thus outdoes the rosho, even in the rosho's own terms.

The rosho, by contrast, is tormented and self- deprived. Who really lives the good life? "And the reshoim are like a stormy sea . . . " They know no inner rest.

There is another cause of the tzaddik's happiness. Rav Simcha Zissel, the Alter from Kelm, once pointed out the mistake some people make when they think that a bitter life here guarantees them happiness in Olom Haboh. This is not the case.

The Alter described this with a parable: When a person is on his way to a wedding, he is in a good mood even while still travelling. This is so even though his carriage might not be so comfortable and the food might not be so good. He is in an elevated mood anyway, because he knows what is awaiting him at the wedding.

If so, concludes the Alter, a person travelling through this world on his way to Olom Haboh should be in a good mood. If not, it is a sign he should be concerned about what awaits him. The Alter used to say, "Az men foert oif a chasuna, iz men shoin freilich -- When a person is on his way to a wedding, he is already happy."

HaRav Neiman goes on to explain the Midrash we started with, according to this understanding. "To have two tables -- that is, physical things such as silver, gold, food, and drink -- not everyone merits. This is the meaning of `table.' Inheriting two worlds, however, has a different meaning: it means to live a life of pleasure and satisfaction, with a good and happy heart. To this, every tzaddik merits -- provided he is a true tzaddik."