Q:
Is anything wrong with doing chessed because you want reward in the Next World?
A:
And we come now to a misconception. Nothing is wrong at all if you do mitzvos for sechar in Olam Haba! On the contrary, it’s a very big mitzvah to want Olam Haba. Only when people come to love Hakadosh Baruch Hu more and more, so the motivation of love of Hashem becomes uppermost; but nobody ever loses sight of the fact there’s reward in Olam Haba.
Like it states, למד מאהבה – learn Torah because of love of Hashem and do mitzvos because of love of Hashem; and the Gemara adds וסוף הכבוד לבוא – and the end will be the glory will come to you, the honor will come to you anyhow (Nedarim 62a). Now why mention the honor? You’re spoiling this man. You want to give him motivation to serve Hashem out of love and now you mention סוף הכבוד לבוא – there will be honor anyhow? That spoils it.
The answer is if a man will forget about the honor of Olam Haba, he’s an apikores! He must believe! He must believe that there’s great glory for good deeds, that he will be rewarded in the World to Come. Never should it leave your mind. You can’t help it! Only that the more that you love Hashem the more that you enjoy doing the things just for that alone. Although you know! Although you never forget the fact that there’s reward!
Now suppose you’re not great enough to do it for the love of Hashem. Suppose you’re just doing it for reward. Take it from me, don’t be ashamed! Keep on doing it. Keep on doing it! Because by doing it for Olam Haba, the mere fact that you believe in Olam Haba in itself has a great sechar, a great reward.
(September 1988)
