What it Takes to Be a Ben Olam Haba

By Rabbi Moshe Krieger, Yeshivas Bircas HaTorah (www.bircas.org)

Pekudei, the final parsha of Sefer Shmos, begins with what seems superfluous. We are told that Betzalel constructed the Mishkan together with Oholiav (38:22-23). These names were mentioned on numerous occasions earlier in Sefer Shmos. Why are they repeated now, just before the tally of materials needed for the Mishkan?

The Seforno answers that the Torah is emphasizing a point: because the Mishkan was built by the tzaddikim of the generation, it will exist forever. The Sages state (Yoma 72a) that the Mishkan was never destroyed, rather it was interred (Rashi, ibid.). On the other hand, both Batei Mikdash were destroyed. This is because the first Beis Hamikdash was built in part with the help of Tyrean workers, and the second Beis Hamikdash was built at King Coresh’s command, and exclusively by gentile workers. Only a structure built by tzaddikim lasts forever.

When a Jew undertakes a project purely lishma (for the sake of heaven), this ensures that his efforts will bear fruit and have longevity. The Shechina can become part of such a project, whereas if selfish motivations are mixed in, it will not. When gentiles contribute their efforts, the Sages (Gittin 23a) tell us that their intentions will never be 100 percent pure.

Mesilas Yesharim (16) writes that “one who has not yet reached [the level of] … lishma is far from self-perfection…and even though such a flaw seems almost negligible, nevertheless,  a deed with such an admixture cannot be considered absolutely pure, because just as only fine flour sifted through thirteen sieves could be brought onto the earthly altar, as only it was completely clean of any impurities, so too it is only possible for the most elevated of deeds to be brought onto the heavenly altar.”

The Sages (Makkos 23b) say that Hashem wanted to give Yisrael merit, so He made for them a very large Torah and many mitzvos. The Rambam (Peirush Hamishnayos, ibid.) explains that since there are so many mitzvos, it is likely that we will do one mitzvah in our lives solely lishma. Only a mitzvah done solely lishma will be rewarded with olam haba. There is exceptional reward for every mitzvah, but only mitzvos done with no trace of selfish motivations can gain the pinnacle of all reward — to become a ben olam haba.

Chassidim once asked the previous Nadvorner Rebbe, why is it that Eliyahu Hanavi does not appear to people today as in earlier times, and why are people who possess ruach Hakodesh so few and far between? He answered that in earlier generations, people lived with a sense of honesty and integrity, and their actions were lishma. This propelled them to higher and higher levels in ruchniyus (spirituality). Today, tragically, the yetzer hara is such a dominant force that it finds its way into everything and keeps people from reaching those higher levels in ruchniyus.

Even though it is very hard to reach the level of serving Hashem lishma, it is still a critical goal we must strive for. What can we do to try to reach it?

The Sages (Pesachim 50b) say that “one should always do mitzvos not lishma, because amid doing them not lishma, this brings you to [doing mitzvos] lishma.” The Alter of Kelm explains that we must first undertake mitzvos with at least the hope of doing them lishma. When we do that, then “amid” our overall effort will be a few minutes of avodas Hashem lishma. We can then try to expand those few minutes to more time and effort invested lishma. We must always strive to make our avodas Hashem a little bit more lishma. 

Rav Yerucham Levovitz would note that there is a way to check if we are succeeding. When we are busy learning Torah or doing mitzvos, are we thinking more about Hashem and less about what others will think about us? Compared to last month or last year, are we more focused on serving Hashem and less on our selfish motivations? If the answer is yes, we are succeeding in developing our avodah lishma.

Rav Dessler suggests a different way of approaching avodas Hashem lishma: We should try to do good deeds in a concealed manner, without trying to draw attention. The more our actions are done in public, the greater the risk that outside motivations will get mixed in. By doing good deeds in a concealed way, we are instilling in ourselves the importance of serving Hashem lishma. Harav Avigdor Miller would advise people to make sure every day to do at least one good deed that no one will know about.

Rav Simcha Zissel Broideh, one of the roshei yeshivos of Chevron, was known to all as a brilliant Torah scholar and teacher. After his death, a notebook was discovered from his youth in which he recorded several kabalos he made that no one ever knew about. All these kabalos were designed to bring him closer to Hashem. One was about making all his actions lishma, and he wrote: “My advice is that when helping another person, think only about what he needs, and not your own interests. If you get used to thinking only about the other person and not yourself in matters bein adam lechaveiro, this will help you overcome self-centeredness in ruchniyus, and you will think only about Hashem.”

May we make all our actions more and more lishma!