Q:
Where in the Torah is there a statement that this world is just a preparation for the Next World?
A:
And the answer is a great authority that said that is Bilaam. Bilaam made that statement. He said, “תמות נפשי מות ישרים – I would like to die like these righteous people will die, ותהי אחריתי כמהו – and my end should be like theirs.” What did he want? To be buried in a Jewish cemetery? What did he want when he said that his end should be like theirs?
Bilaam is telling us, there’s an end, there’s an achris. We have an achris. He was jealous. He knew כל ישראל יש להם חלק לעולם הבא, but he, Bilaam, he was an eved Hashem—he was an eved Hashem, Bilaam—but he was very much disappointed that he’s not included. That’s why he was so angry and jealous.
So Bilaam is the one who is telling us that. It’s elsewhere too, by the way, but Bilaam says it most openly.
Why Bilaam? Because Hakodosh Boruch Hu didn’t tell any navi to speak about that. It’s a subject that’s too secret to speak about.
There’s a reason for it and the reason is this: What is Olam Haba? Olam Haba is the happiness from being with the Shechina. צדיקים יושבים ונהנין מזיו השכינה – they enjoy the splendor of the Shechina.
Now, what’s the splendor of the Shechina?
You have to say, the greatness of Hashem. But you can’t talk about the greatness of Hashem because even Moshe Rabbeinu never was able to see the greatness of Hashem; that’s a real greatness. And therefore, if Moshe Rabbeinu would try to explain Olam Haba, he would underplay it. He wouldn’t do justice to it. It’s impossible for human beings to describe Olam Haba. It’s such an intense happiness that it’s beyond the ability of our mind to grasp. It’s like telling a blind man, “You know, here’s a garden full of beautiful roses, red, other colors.” He never saw colors; he was born blind.
And therefore, we don’t understand Olam Haba at all.
But a remez. Oh, there are plenty of remazim, yes. I’ll tell you some soon, but Bilaam said it openly: “ותהי אחריתי – My afterlife should be like theirs. My end should be like theirs.” So Bilaam is telling us that the Bnei Yisroel have a great acharis of which he was jealous.
Now when it states that when Moshe Rabbeinu was going to die, so Hashem said, “הנך שוכב עם אבותך – you’re going to lie down with your forefathers.” But Moshe was buried on Har Nevo. His forefathers weren’t buried on Har Nevo. He was buried by himself. So what does it mean, “You’ll lie down with your forefathers?” It means as soon as Moshe died, he joined his forefathers in Olam Haba.
And that’s again and again written in the Torah.
It says ויאסף אל עמו – He was gathered into his peoples. But he wasn’t gathered to his peoples. He was buried in a different place. And the answer is that in the Next World he was gathered to his peoples. There are many remazim like that, all through the Torah.
So the Torah is constantly hinting about the World to Come. Very many proofs. If I had time, I’d tell you more. But Bilaam was the one who said it most openly. And therefore, there’s no question that the Torah has taught us a great principle of Olam Haba in most unmistakable terms.
October 15, 1998
