I was once summoned to the home of a wealthy individual in Brazil who had been diagnosed with cancer, rachmana litzlan. When I entered his spacious home, I clearly felt the meaning of Chazal’s statement that this world is merely an antechamber before the World to Come (Avot 4:16). My escort and I made our way down a long, carpeted hallway, which was decorated with marble and boasted paintings by world-renowned artists. I was curious to see what the actual interior looked like, after observing the rich hallway. An elevator led us to the upper floor, where lights went on automatically. The grandeur which we beheld defies words. The master of the house greeted us warmly and invited us to have a seat.
As we were speaking, he mentioned that he had recently purchased a new boat, which he outfitted with a state of the art radar system, costing a small fortune. When I asked why he needed a new boat and this radar, he calmly replied, “For fishing.” In the same breath, he added, “Honored Rav, bless me that I should succeed in finding fish easily.”
I was dumbstruck by his request. Here sat before me a man on the brink of death. What interested him? A blessing for a refuah sheleimah? Not in the least. A blessing to bring in fish. I groaned inwardly, thinking, “Blessed be Hashem Who has not made me an ignoramus.”
This man behaved exactly as Korach, about whom our Sages say, “His eye deceived him.” His eyes were blinded by the glitter of his gold, and he could not perceive the true reality. That was how he came to quarrel with Moshe.
If Korach, one of the Ark-bearers, could fall so low, in spite of his Torah knowledge, it is not difficult to comprehend the sorry state of this wealthy individual, who worried about materialism even in his darkest hour.
How dependent are we on the merits of Torah and mitzvot! We need limitless amounts of faith and trust so that the Yetzer Hara should not grab hold of us, trapping us in his web, just like this fisherman was trapped in the net of craving, even on the verge of death.
