Talk About Olam Haba (The World to Come)

Q: [How can we teach our children] about Olam Haba?

A: Speak about [Olam Haba] at the Shabbas table. Explain for instance; “Mi shetorach bierev shabbas yochal bishabbas — One who toils erev Shabbas will eat on Shabbas.” You’re seating eating out challos, fish, chicken; we are enjoying it Baruch Hashem! But all this is a result about what was done by ima on erev Shabbas. Your mother prepared it. But if your mother didn’t prepare it you wouldn’t have it. 

Suppose your mother was looking around the whole erev Shabbas. And now it’s Shabbas and she says take peanut butter and jam. And smear it on the challah. You wouldn’t have a good time. So if you didn’t prepare erev Shabbas. You don’t have a good Shabbas. Shabbas is mai ain Olam Haba (resembles the World to Come). In the next world there is even more enjoyment, but you have to prepare for it. You have to work for it: “Hayom laasosam umachar likable scharam — Today you do the work and tomorrow you enjoy the reward.” There are two perushim (explanations) here. Today is a time to do, not the time to look for reward. Don’t look for good times in this world. You’ll get good times. But don’t look for them. It’s a place to do. 

---

Don’t look for good times in this world. It’s a place to do. 

And “Umachar likabal sicharam — tomorrow is the place for reward.” You won’t be able to do any mitzvos there. Too late; no mitzvos are available in the World to Come. You come to the next world and sit around, nothing to eat. This is the next world? Yes my friend! So if it is up to you, why didn’t you prepare? Every Friday night and on Shabbas at the seuda (meal), you should have thought about that.

What is the gemara telling us that Shabbas is mai ain olam habah? For what purpose? So every time you sit down at the seuda you should think about that. Every Shabbas seuda and you can talk about it to the children. Think that this is a mashal. If you don’t prepare you’re going to be very sorry... Therefore we should utilize the seudas of Shabbas as an urge to be busy; get busy; get busy; hayom laasosam, today we have to get ready for the world to come…

On Friday night and Shabbas morning at the seuda and shalosh seudas that’s a time we can utilize and talk about it to ourselves and to our children. — Ten Commandments of Marriage 2 (#E-50)