158 - Stepping It Up

As we approach the holy day of Yom Kippur, the day that we are taught can completely clear our slate, a day where we can come out of it considered to be complete tzaddikim, one might not always be motivated to devote hours of prayer with concentration and fervor and also now in the days before, making every effort to rectify our transgressions. But as always, when we follow the path of Emunah, whether we are motivated or not is not the engine of why we do things, but rather because we believe in the information that Hashem has given us through His Torah, that is the motivating factor for us to act in the right way and to make the most of the moment. 

One of the basic purposes for our need to do teshuvah is because as we've learned many times, the ultimate purpose that Hashem created the world, which He didn't need to do in the first place, was in order that we bask in His light and derive pleasure in an unimaginable way, much greater than anything we can even begin to comprehend. And as discussed many times, that pleasure is experienced in the next world. By doing teshuvah in this world now, we are making way for ourselves to earn the best place that we can for eternity. 

Just to gain slightly more appreciation of what the reward awaiting for us in the next world might entail, it's encouraging to discuss the following teaching. There is a story in Tanach about the very wicked man, Nevuchadnetzar. Initially, Nevuchadnetzar was the secretary of another king who had communication with the king of Israel. 

One time, this king was writing a letter to the king of Israel about a particular matter. And the way he addressed the letter was as follows: "To the king of Israel and to the God of Israel", first listing the king of Israel and thereafter the God of Israel. The secretary, Nevuchadnetzar, happened to be away at the time that this letter was written. But he happened to arrive back just as the letter was being taken to be delivered. And when the secretary, Nevuchadnetzar, saw the way the letter was written, he turned around to the king and said, this is incorrect. The way you should have addressed the letter should have been, "To the God of Israel and to the king of Israel", first listing the name of their God and only thereafter the name of their human king. And the king said to his secretary, Nevuchadnetzar, "you're right, go and make that change and thereafter deliver the letter in its changed form."

Nevuchadnetzar took four steps to go get the letter and make the change. And as a reward for taking four steps to save the glory of Hashem, he was rewarded with leadership over the entire world, as we know, one of the most powerful kings of all time. Because Nevuchadnetzar was so tremendously wicked, Hashem did not want him to have any place in the next world, and therefore, he needed to receive his complete reward in this world. Because every good deed that we commit is noticed by Hashem and accounted for, without exception. No less than authority and leadership over the entire world was the reward of a man taking just four steps for the glory of Hashem.

Can you imagine when a person takes a hundred steps to go do a mitzvah, or alternatively the performance of the mitzvah itself? We have no concept of how great the reward awaiting for us in the next world is. But of course, in this world, we need to just believe that. "Please, Hashem, help me to truly repent for anything I might have done against Your will, so that, Be'ezrat Hashem, when I come to the next world, I can enjoy the full measure of reward and pleasure that You have in store for me."