The Buck Stops Here
I once attended the funeral of a woman who had lived over one hundred years. My acquaintance with her family was long and deep, going back tens of years earlier.
This woman was exceedingly wealthy. She lacked for nothing. Her mansion boasted a staff of servants. Modern technology was at her beck and call. Whatever she desired was immediately granted.
But when I observed the chevrah kadisha lowering her body into the ground, I could not help but think, “Where are the beauty and aesthetics now? Where have all her pleasures and delights disappeared to? Where is her jewelry, her gold and her diamonds, which she wore with such pride?”All of her earthly acquisitions remained behind.
A similar story which drove home this point happened to a relative of my wife. He was fantastically wealthy. With his astounding assets, he could have supported many Torah institutions and needy individuals for many years.
This man wished to arrange a meeting with my wife, his relative, in order to decide which charities should receive his money after he would die. Unfortunately, he died a sudden, tragic death. The meeting never happened. The last time he traveled in his car, he was in a terrible car accident. His car went up in flames, with him trapped inside. He called for help, but no one could help him. His wealth was useless in his hour of need. He died and was buried in Casablanca, without donating his funds to charity, a move which would have benefited his neshamah greatly.
This is the end of man. As rich as he may be, when his day of death comes, he returns to the ground from where he came. Only his neshamah endures, ascending to a world of good, escorted by the Torah and mitzvot which it achieved on this earth. Therefore, it is worthwhile to invest in good deeds while in this world, for they will be one’s sole companions as he makes his way to a better world.
