We continue discussing the reasons Olam Habah isn’t mentioned specifically in the Torah. The fifth reason is a very big hiddush:
Hashem rewards us for two parts of any given mitzvah.
For example, when I put on Tefillin in the morning, that’s an action, but I also need to have heart when I do it. The Hovot HaLevavot says that G-d doesn’t say that if you put on tefilin, you’ll get Olam Habah, because the external part of the mitzvah, what you do on the outside, gets paid for in this world- the world of the revealed. But the feelings in your heart get rewarded in the next world.
So Olam Habah is not mentioned because it’s not a clear system. Only G-d knows our intentions.
And the Hovot HaLevavot goes on to give a further hiddush:
Many Rishonim are bothered by a question: The Torah give us rewards for Mitzvot.
- אם בחקותי תלכו
If you follow my statues ....you’ll get this, if you don’t, you’ll get that...
But on the other hand, we know that there’s no reward for Mitzvot in this world.
The Rambam too is bothered by this, but explains that when Hashem promises us success, the success isn’t a reward. It’s just a way to help us out. It’s just a fringe benefit.
The Hovot Halevavot has a different answer. He says they’re both true. When it says there is no reward in this world that is referring to what you do with your heart. That gets rewarded in the hidden world, because it’s hidden. But we do get rewarded in this world, for the external aspects of the Mitzvah.
That’s why he wrote this whole book called “Hovot HaLevavot- Duties of the Heart”. He wrote a whole introduction that says that people often don’t realize how important the heart is. That’s the whole bitachon. All of his chapters are about the heart.
Two other sources on this concept are:
1- The Ibn Ezra, an early Rishon, who writes (quite sharply):
- ריקי מוח יתמהו מה עשה משה בהר ארבעים יום וארבעים לילה.
The “empty brained” are amazed by what Moshe Rabbenu was doing for 40 days and nights on Har Sinai. They wonder, how long could it take to tell over the 613 laws? They think the main thing is the action. ואיננו Wrong. העיקר - ,The main thing is, as he quotes from the Gemarah, אמרו רחמנא לבא בעי. G-d wants your heart. The heart is endless.
2-The Mesilat Yesharim says the same thing in chapter 16: It’s not enough to bring your actions to G-d. You have to bring your heart, with the proper intentions, because the heart is the king of the body. Without bringing the heart along, a person is missing everything. He quotes the pasuk:
תנא בני לבך לי
Give me your heart
Hacham Ben Sion Abba Shaul gives a great mashal about this.
Imagine a businessman who has an appointment for a meeting that he doesn’t want to attend. So instead of going to the meeting, he gets there early, puts a big picture of him on a seat, and leaves. Then the buyer comes in and finds only the picture. The main thing is missing!
The nishmal is that your actions are not you! They’re just the outside of you. The main part of you is your heart, your feelings and your emotions. Hashem wants your heart. That’s the Ikkar.
The whole Olam Habah revolves around your heart. This is a tremendous concept to contemplate. We are always so busy doing, but where are our heads? You can be discussing something with your wife but your head just isn’t there. Then she’ll say, “Did you hear what I just said?” And the answer is, No you didn’t. Because you weren’t focused; you were all over the place. In the world of multitasking, we aren’t always “there”.
The Hovot Halevavot is telling us that G-d will reward you in Olam Habah for your heart. This is an elusive concept. How much of our heart is there? How mindful are we of what we are doing? It’s a whole sugya!
The point we can walk away with is that it’s not just about our actions. It’s about our heart. Your heart is so important, that it gets you to Olam Habah.
That is why we work on Bitachon; because Bitachon means relying on Hashem with your heart.
The more we work on the heart, the greater Olam Habah we will have.
Have a wonderful day.