Imagine, just for a moment, seeing the reward that awaits the righteous. What would you do? Rejoice? Question your worthiness?

Our sages grappled with this very question, and their insights are captured in Shemot Rabbah. This section delves into the verse "Might and grandeur are her garment, and she laughs at the final day" (Proverbs 31:25), connecting it to the idea of reward in the World to Come. What does it mean to "laugh at the final day?"

The text tells us that "all the reward of the righteous is prepared for them in the World to Come. That is, 'she laughs at the final day.'"

There's a powerful story about Rabbi Abahu, who, as he was departing from this world, saw the immense good prepared for him. Overwhelmed, he exclaimed, "All this is for Abahu?" quoting Isaiah 49:4, "But I said: For nothing I labored, I expended my strength for emptiness and futility; indeed, my portion is from the Lord and my accomplishment is from my God." He felt unworthy, yet the reward was there, waiting. It's a reminder that sometimes, even the most righteous among us struggle with feelings of inadequacy.

And it's not just about seeing the reward; it's about the Torah itself. When is the Torah most favorable, or mesaḥeket, to those who toil in it? On the final day! As the verse states, "She laughs [vatisḥak] at the final day.” We see how Zavdi ben Levi, Rabbi Yosei ben Patros, and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi each recited verses at the moment of their passing, verses filled with hope and faith in God's goodness (Psalms 32:6, 31:20, 33:21). This shows us that at the time of departure, God reveals the reward awaiting the righteous, filling them with joy.

Ben Azai adds, "Weighty [yakar] in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His pious ones" (Psalms 116:15). God informs the righteous of the honor [yekar] prepared for them close to death. They see it, and they laugh.

But what about rewards in this world? Can we have both?

There’s the story of a disciple of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai who left Israel and returned wealthy. The other disciples envied him, wanting to do the same. But Rabbi Shimon knew better. He took them to a valley near Meron and, through prayer, filled it with gold dinars. He then told them that taking the gold now would be taking their portion of the World to Come. The reward for Torah, he emphasized, is primarily in the World to Come. It's a stark reminder that earthly riches may come at a spiritual cost.

Then there’s the tale of Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta, who found himself without sustenance on the eve of Shabbat. He prayed, and a gem descended from heaven. He used it to buy food for Shabbat. But his wife, wise and insightful, refused to partake until he promised to return it after Shabbat. Why? She didn't want their table to be lacking in the World to Come, contrasting with the abundance of others.

Rabbi Shimon consulted with Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, who offered to supplement her portion from his own. But she countered with a profound question: does a person see their counterpart in the World to Come? Doesn’t each righteous person have their own world, their olamo, as Ecclesiastes 12:5 suggests? She implies that each righteous individual has their own unique and complete experience, not a shared one. The text notes that Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi couldn't refute her argument!

When Rabbi Shimon attempted to return the gem, an angel immediately took it back. Why? Again, because the reward for Torah is primarily in the World to Come. The latter miracle, the removal of the gem, was considered greater than the first, its arrival.

Finally, the passage connects "Might and grandeur are her garment" to Moses, whose face radiated light (Exodus 34:29). "She laughs at the final day" refers to the cynics who doubted that the Divine Presence could rest through Moses. But when God commanded Moses to erect the Tabernacle, Moses, in a way, laughed at them, proving them wrong. "They brought the Tabernacle." The act of building the Tabernacle became his "laugh," his vindication, because he proved them wrong.

So, what does it all mean? Perhaps "laughing at the final day" isn't about mockery, but about a deep, abiding faith. It's about trusting that even when we feel undeserving, even when we face hardship, there is a reward waiting, a purpose to our struggles. It's about choosing the enduring rewards of the World to Come over fleeting earthly pleasures. And maybe, just maybe, it’s about knowing that the Torah we learn and the good we do are never truly in vain.