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 (the Sabbath). 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.
“They brought the Tabernacle” – that is what is written: “Might and grandeur are her garment, and she laughs at the final day” (Proverbs 31:25). What is “at the final day”? It is 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 was an incident involving Rabbi Abahu who was departing from the world and saw all the good that was prepared for him in the World to Come. He began rejoicing and said: ‘All this is for Abahu? “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”’ (Isaiah 49:4).6He had thought that he was undeserving. That is, “she laughs at the final day.” Another matter, when is the Torah favorable [mesaḥeket] for one who toils in it? On the final day, as it is stated: “She laughs [vatisḥak] at the final day.” Zavdi ben Levi, Rabbi Yosei ben Patros, and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, each and every one of them recited a verse at the moment of their departure from the world. One of them recited: “Therefore, everyone who is pious to You should pray at the time of searching, so the torrent of mighty waters does not reach him” (Psalms 32:6). One recited: “How great is Your goodness that You have in store for those who fear You, which You have created for those taking refuge in You, to be bestowed before the people” (Psalms 31:20). And one recited: “For our heart rejoices in Him” (Psalms 33:21). That is [proof] that at the time of departure of the righteous, the Holy One blessed be He shows them the reward that they are given and causes them to rejoice. Ben Azai said: “Weighty [yakar] in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His pious ones” (Psalms 116:15). When does the Holy One blessed be He inform the righteous of the honor [yekar] that is prepared for them? It is adjacent to their death, as it is stated: “The death of His pious ones.” At that moment they see and laugh. That is why, “she laughs at the final day.” There was an incident involving a certain disciple of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai who went out of the Land of Israel and returned wealthy. The disciples would see him and envy him, and they, too, sought, to go out of the Land of Israel. Rabbi Shimon knew and he took them to a certain valley near Meron. He prayed, saying: ‘Valley, valley, fill with gold dinars!’ It began flowing with gold dinars before them. He said to them: ‘If it is gold you seek, here is gold, take it for yourselves; however, know that anyone who takes now, it is his portion of the World to Come that he is taking, as the reward for Torah is given only in the World to Come.’ That is, “she laughs at the final day.” There was an incident involving Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta who arrived [home] on the day before Shabbat and he did not have a source of sustenance.7He did not have enough money to buy food for Shabbat. He exited the city and prayed before God and he was given a gem from the heavens. He gave it to a money changer and bought provisions for that Shabbat. His wife said: ‘From where are these [provisions]?’ He said: ‘From the sustenance provided by the Holy One blessed be He.’ She said to him: ‘If you do not tell me where they are from, I will not taste anything.’ He began relating to her, he said to her: ‘This is how I prayed before God, and it was given me from the heavens.’ She said to him: ‘I will not taste anything until you say to me that you will return it at the conclusion of Shabbat.’ He said to her: ‘Why?’ She said to him: ‘Would you like your table to be lacking and the table of your colleagues intact?’8Do you want to be lacking in the World to Come? Rabbi Shimon went and informed Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] of the incident. He said to him: ‘Tell her that if your table is lacking, I will complete it from my portion.’ He went and told it to her. She said to him: ‘Go with me to the one who taught you Torah.’ She said to him: ‘Rabbi, does a person see his counterpart in the World to Come? Does each and every righteous one not have a world to himself, as it is stated: “For the man goes to his eternal [olamo] home, and the mourners will circle in the streets” (Ecclesiastes 12:5)? Olamim is not written, but rather, olamo.’9The singular term is used rather than the plural, indicating that each righteous individual sees only his own eternal home and not multiple eternal homes. Apparently, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi could not refute the argument of Rabbi Shimon’s wife. When [Rabbi Shimon] heard that, he went to return it. Our Rabbis say, the latter miracle was greater than the former. When he extended his hand to return it, immediately, an angel descended and took it from him. Why? Because the reward for Torah is given only in the World to Come, for the final day. That is, “she laughs at the final day.” Another matter, “might and grandeur are her garment” – this is Moses, as it is stated: “Moses did not know that the skin of his face was radiant” (Exodus 34:29). “She laughs at the final day,” these are the cynics of Israel, who mocked him and said to one another: ‘Is it possible that the Divine Presence will rest by means of the son of Amram?’ He did not act,10Moses did not respond to their mocking (Etz Yosef). but when God said to him to erect the Tabernacle, he began laughing at them, as it is stated: “She laughs at the final day.” He said to them: ‘Come, let us erect the Tabernacle.’ They began to carry it and come to him, as it is stated: “They brought the Tabernacle.”
