Where Is Your Olam Hazeh?

שאל עשיר אחד שיצא לתרבות רעה היכן העולם הזה
שלך? תמה אותו עשיר ושאל כלום אין הרבי רואה את השדה
וכרם כסף וזהב אשר אתי. ענהו הרבי מקוצק, זהו העולם
הבא שלך ואילו אני שואל היכן הוא העולם הזה שלך

A rich man who had gone off the derech came to the Kotzker Rebbe who asked him: "Where is your olam hazeh?" The rich man answered - "You don't see my fields and vineyards and gold and silver?"

The Rebbe answered: "That is what you are going to be left with in olam haba. I asked you about your olam hazeh".

חרייייייףףףףףףף!!!

I know two types of people. One type doesn't really have so much olam hazeh becasue although they make a lot of money, they have to work very hard. It is very glamorous when people take vacations to exotic places and drive fancy cars but there is a price to pay. Rich people work VEY HARD for their money. They arise early, work long hours and are under constant pressure. Like one fellow I know who made a lot of money but then quit his job - he made havdala with one hand on the כוס and the other on his blackberry ready to get right back to work. That is NOT an easy olam hazeh.

There is a second category of people who don't have much money and have to scramble around to make ends meet and to pay for the most basic of human needs such as food and shelter. Life is a never ending struggle to survive. The up side is that instead of accruing money and material possessions they learn another Tosfos and another simman in Shulchan Aruch which are perpetual sources of pleasure and fulfillment.

The conclusion that one inevitably arrives at is that we are not here for this world. There are too many troubles and tzoris. If it isn't financial it is health or spousal [not having one or otherwise] or emotional or familial [parental pressures or difficulties with children] or any of the myriad of issues that can cause problems in this world.

The solution is not to take this world to heart to much and as the gemara says: חטוף ואכול - Grab and eat. Grab AS MANY mitzvos as possible in the short time we inhabit this planet and try to be beyond happy for every tiny bit of pleasure Hashem in His infinite kindness bestows upon us. A cool breeze, looking at a pretty flower, hearing a pleasant tune or a funny line. There are limitless ways to appreciate Hashem in our world but that is together with the knowledge that this is a world of hard work and the ultimate pleasure is "there". This world doesn't owe you anything. Don't expect things to go your way. Don't expect people to be nice to you or even to care.

Don't expect.

Take whatever happens to with a joyful heart . Dovid Hamelech said  גם חושך לא יחשיך ממך  - The Kotzker [again:-)] explained this to mean that when we know that the darkness if from Him it is no longer dark.

Beloved friends - וטוב לב משתה תמיד! Try to make life a constant party. Let every meal be a joyous celebration of your existence. Suck every drop of Divine grace from each moment of your existence. 

Most importantly - don't let the hard knocks of life get you down.

Love and blessings!