As a people, we just left Egypt. We were supposed to be there for 400 years. Hashem told Abraham, “Your people will be in Egypt for 400 years.” But we were only there for 210 years. That’s 400 minus 190 years. Only 210. So the question is, why did we leave Egypt 190 years early? Our rabbis explain that Abraham did not have children until he was 100, and his wife, Sarah, didn’t have children until she was 90. So those 190 years of suffering helped us leave Egypt 190 years early. And we see from here that when a single person suffers, the effect of that suffering affects so many other people, sometimes millions and millions of other people. That’s what my rabbis tell me: when I suffer, I am preventing bombs from going off in Israel, and I’m helping the war over there. So when a single person suffers, he has no idea how far-reaching the benefit is. It’s not only a personal benefit; it’s a universal benefit.
Now there’s a story that took place about those two. I asked a certain rabbi, “My whole life, my whole life, I’m strengthening other people. I’m showing other people that they can do this, that they can learn and serve God. Now, is that fair for me to live my whole life helping other people? What about me? I want to do for myself.” The rabbi told me, “Living your life the way you’re doing it and giving strength to other people is helping yourself in the utmost way.” There you go. Let’s say somebody sees you and says, “You know what? If he could do it, I can do it too,” and he goes and does a great mitzvah (commandment). The reward of that mitzvah that he did goes to you, and it builds your Olam Haba (in the next world). So even though you are struggling, it’s such a beneficial thing. Even though it looks like you’re just helping other people, you are benefiting yourself. You’re helping yourself get so much more Olam Haba, and that will benefit you. In the next world, we’re going to see that every second was worth it. Thank you so much.