A Soulful Journey

Of Jacob the Torah says, Vayikravu y'mie Israel l'moot, "And the days of Israel approach death." Of Moses, Writ states,  Hayn karvu yamekha l'loot, "Your days are drawing near to die." Of David, it says, V ayikravu y'mei David l'moot, "And the days of David drew towards death." Shimon ben Lakish commented: The "days" of the righteous will come to a close but they do not.

Several years after the Satmar Rebbe died, one of his most devoted Hassidim passed away.  When he entered the hereafter, an angel asked, "Reb Yossel, now that you are here, do you have any requests?" Yossel responded "Yes, I would love to see my beloved Rebbe, Rabbi Teitelbaum". A few minutes later, he hears some harp music and a golden throne descends from the clouds.  But remarkably, sitting on the Rebbe's lap is a gorgeous voluptuous blonde vixen, scantily clad - with an amazing figure. Yossel is both stunned and excited at the same time. He asks "Rebbe is this your heaven?"  And the Rebbe responds sadly, "No, she's not my heaven - I'm her HELL!"  ******** When the Satmar Rebbe died, he was immediately welcomed into heaven.   The ministering angel says "Rebbe, we're so honored to have you here. We would love to host a banquet in honor of your arrival." The Rebbe says, "I hope it's okay to ask, but can you tel...

  Two golfing buddies, Irving and Seymour, were shmoozing over coffee one day after their weekly game of golf.  The question they were musing about is simple: Is there golf in heaven, or not? They talked and talked, and realized that they were no nearer to knowing the answer than they’d been before they started talking. But they came up with an ingenious way to find out the answer to the question. They promised one another that whoever died first would try to get a message back to the other. That put their minds at ease. One day, Irving passed away in his sleep. Seymour was saddened by the news, but within a few weeks he began to be anxious as he waited to learn the answer to the question that had bedeviled them in that conversation they’d had back then. One week went by, then a second. Finally, a few days later, as he was about to go to sleep, Irving appeared to Seymour in a vision. “Hello, Seymour!” Irving said. “Hello, Irving,” Seymour responded.  “Nu,” he continued, “...

"This world is like a foyer leading to the world-to-come.  Prepare yourself in the foyer so that you may enter into the inner chamber."  -Pirkay Avot 4:21

Rav  Beroka, a Talmudic sage, was surveying the scene in a marketplace together with the prophet  Elijah . He asked the prophet, “Who in this marketplace is deserving of  olam haba ?” Elijah pointed out two individuals who seemed quite ordinary to Rav Beroka. Curious to hear what they did to earn this remarkable reward, he questioned them. “We are comedians,” they told him. They  entertained people with their jokes and juggling; they would cheer up people who had quarreled. - Taanit 22a

There was a rich man who felt he could buy anything. Indeed, he could.  He had more than enough money to take care of all his needs and desires.   One day the  shamas , the caretaker of the shul, was angered at the man’s attitude and rebuffed him.  “There is one thing that you can never get!” he exclaimed. “Impossible,” responded the rich man. “Yes, it is so.  You cannot purchase for yourself a place in the World-to-Come.” Taken aback, the rich man went home and pondered the predicament.  Finally, after a sleepless night, he went to see the rabbi in the morning. The rich man beseeched the rabbi, “I’ll give you one million dollars to get into heaven.” The rabbi’s features moved visibly. “I really do not think it is possible.” “Two million,” declared the rich man.  “Everything I own!” “You will do and give everything?” asked the rabbi. “Yes.” “Leave me now and return when I send for you.” The rabbi ...

"I shall dwell in Your tent forever." -Psalms 61:5 "Forever" means in every universe . An ancient rabbi asked, "Can anyone expect to live in two worlds at the same time?  In the world and in the world beyond? Yes.  When a teacher departs from his world and his students repeat his teaching, at that every moment his lips speak speak from beyond the grave and say, " I am living in two worlds; in the world I left and in the world where I am now." - Yevamot 77a, see Rashi We all come from place of great holiness.  We left there when first conceived.  Deep in our unconscious we still remember fragments, even as this world demands our attention.

Avodah Zarah 10b:  יש קונה עולמו בשעה אחת, ויש קונה עולמו בכמה שנים "There are those who acquire Heaven in a moment, and there are others who acquire it in a lifetime." This statement from Talmud teaches us to watch ourselves every moment.  Who can tell when the time is at hand that can validate our entire lives?

Three souls traveled to Olam HaBa (Heaven).    Before being admitted the first was approached by an angel that asked, “Do you mind waiting?”   He responded, “No problem.   I have lots of time.   I have waited for this moment a lifetime and can certainly wait a bit longer.” Very good,” said the angel.   “Can you spell God?”   “Sure.   G O D,” he responded. The angel turned to the second in line.   “Do you mind waiting?”   “Wait?” he repeated.   “The Talmud teaches that all life is a corridor to the great beyond.   Of course I can wait.” "Very good.  Can you spell HaShem?" "Sure. H A S H E M." Turning to the third the angel asked, “Do you mind waiting?”   “I have been waiting all my life.  I have waited in line at the market.   I have waited at school.   I waited to get into the movies.    I waited my whole life.   Now that I am in heaven I need to wait here too??? ...

"Whenever the saints of this world get together and discuss matters of Torah the next world also rejoices."  -Rabbi Louis Jacobs What power we wield when we are conscious of it.

“Listen, anything’s possible, but it’s hard to imagine if a man is president of a big corporation in this life, that he’ll wind up a chipmunk.”   -Woody Allen We do not know what is in front of us.   It is conjecture.   We imagine the next world, Olam HaBa – sometimes called Heaven – but in the final analysis we simply are ignorant.   That is why our faith states to put your hope and energy into this world the only one that we know.