I Can't Believe I Did All This

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear

The best investment a person can possibly make in this world is in Torah and mitzvot. Those are the only things that are eternal. Those are the only things he can take with him when he leaves this world. Now it may not appear that mitzvot are valuable, but in the future, it's going to be revealed. The Shulchan HaTahor writes that in the future, all of a person's mitzvot will gather and appear before him. They will give off a light whose brightness is beyond comprehension. Those lights will become the clothing he will wear in Gan Eden and in Olam Haba . And when he finally sees the value in every mitzvah that he ever did, he will say to himself, מי ילד לי את אלה - I can't believe that I did all of this! The Shomer Emunim writes on the next few words in that pasuk , ואני שכולה וגלמודה , that now, especially at the end of this long exile, people feel low and don't think they are accomplishing anything with the mitzvot they do. But when Hashem shows them how much each mitzvah accomplished and the ripple effects of what they accomplished and how much they affected in the Upper Worlds, the person will be in awe seeing what he actually did. We have no idea about the effects that our actions and words have on other people. With one good deed or one word of encouragement, we can gain a lifetime's worth of mitzvot. Every person we inspire or encourage is credited to our spiritual bank accounts. We should never be shy and hold back from helping others grow in Torah and mitzvot. This is the purpose of why we were put in this world. A young man called me the other day to tell me about how much he has seen Hashem taking care of him and his family with parnasa. The hashgacha of Hashem in his life is very obvious, but what inspired me even more was the background he gave about himself before the story. He said after he graduated from yeshiva high school, he went off the derech . He slowly stopped keeping the mitzvot and then quickly spiraled downward spiritually. He got a job that required a lot of time, but he loved it because he was making a lot of money there. By the time he was 24, he was living his life completely like a goy . One day, a friend of his courageously invited him to come to a Torah class given by a very popular rabbi. He immediately declined saying that wasn't for him, but the friend persisted and each week, with a sweetness, suggested that he come with him to the class just to try it once. Finally, one week he agreed, and he enjoyed it. He went back the following week and again the following week and he felt a feeling of spirituality that he realized he was lacking. Slowly, he started becoming religious again until he became fully shomer Torah and mitzvot and he even married a religious girl. He left that job that required working from early morning until late at night and threw himself into the arms of Hakadosh Baruch Hu , dedicating more time to learning Torah. Eventually, he began learning in a full-time kollel and that is where he is right now. Hashem has supported him in miraculous ways. He is now able to earn money to support his family by working just one hour a day. Here is a man that was completely separated from Torah with nothing in his life even potentially able to bring him back to religion. And then, an old friend came along and he did not just turn the other way and say, “We lost him.” He made a hishtadlut just to try to get him to come to one Torah class and look what that turned into. B’ezrat Hashem, this young man is going to raise generations of religious children and grandchildren all because of one person who cared. Every one of us can make a difference. Every effort we make counts. We may not see the fruits of our labor now, but one day, Hashem is going to show us all the ripple effects of everything we ever did. And at that time, we will be in awe and think the words, מי ילד לי כל אלה - I can't believe that I did all of this!