FROM THE UPCOMING ‘REBBE NACHMAN’S SOUL’, ADAPTED FROM HIS AUDIO SHIUR ON SICHOS HARAN 96

THE HABIT OF OLAM HABA

Rabbeinu zal says that a person should try to get into the habit of living in Olam HaBa, in Gan Eden. Habit, of course, becomes second nature. The way to do this is by separating oneself from the physical desires of this world. This earthly, material world is a direct contrast to Gan Eden, where there is no food or drink or physical desire, only spirituality. We gain a slight understanding into this when considering the case of a person who is sick. He cannot tolerate food or drink; the sweetest food tastes bitter to him. He refuses to eat or drink anything because he is much closer to death — closer to Olam HaBa, to the future world. To a degree, he actually begins to live in the future world, beginning to despise the things that would tempt a healthy person.

REAL PLEASURE IS IN THE FUTURE WORLD

A person should try to accustom himself to a life of Gan Eden when he is alive and healthy. This is difficult because he is surrounded by many things that are enticing. The evil inclination is strong and the battle is fierce. How can someone control these desires? How can he think of living in a place where these desires are lacking? Rabbeinu zal says that if it is desires, pleasures, and luxuries that you want, think of the delight that awaits you in Gan Eden. A single moment of pleasure there is so blissful, it is greater than all the earthly joys of an entire lifetime combined (Avos 4:17. 1). If a person will stop to think of the pleasures of Olam HaBa that he will lose if he indulges in temptations down in this world, he would surely forgo those desires. In fact, there is a danger that if a person goes too far in his thoughts about Olam HaBa, he might completely despise his life on earth. This is why shikhchah, forgetting, is sometimes beneficial. The fault of forgetting becomes an advantage if it can enable such a person to continue living.

There is very little written about the extreme pleasure in Gan Eden. What is Gan Eden like? Pirkei Avos says it is indescribable, but that a moment of Gan Eden is better than a whole lifetime of joy and luxury on this earth. There are some places in the Zohar HaKadosh that describe the special lighting in Heaven — and that is only one of the infinite pleasures in Gan Eden. Rabbeinu zal describes a malakh, an angel, with a thousand heads where each head has a thousand tongues, each tongue has a thousand voices, and each voice has a thousand melodies (Reishis Chokhmah, Sha’ar Ha’Ahavah).

We can look forward to this malakh as the Heavenly cantor, the chazzan in Gan Eden. A person must work on earth and prepare himself so that he will merit the pleasures of Gan Eden. Rabbeinu zal says that if a person would remind himself constantly, with a zikaron d’kedusha, a holy remembrance about the pleasures of Gan Eden, it could help him in his battle against the yetzer hara.

BUILD YOUR OLAM HABA IN THIS WORLD

Rabbeinu zal asks, “What is Gan Eden like?” The Gemara says that HaShem bequeaths to every tzaddik Sha”Y Olamos, 310 worlds (Sanhedrin 100a). HaShem says “l’hanchil ohavai yeish” (Mishlei 8:21), I have what to give to those who are close to Me; I have “yeish.” The Gemara says that yeish is made up of the letters shin and yod (310 = יש), 310 worlds for each tzaddik. Each is a whole world in and of itself, filled with homes, cities, and stars — and there are 310 of them. This is the possession of a tzaddik in Olam HaBa.

What does a tzaddik have to do in order to merit these 310 worlds? He must be the architect and the builder of these worlds during his lifetime. When a person does a mitzvah, he creates an angel that will serve him in Gan Eden. Additionally, that mitzvah creates a lit candle that he uses to go through Heaven in search of treasures which he can keep forever afterwards (Likutey Moharan I, 275).

Heavenly worlds are created by being patient, by being tolerant, and by not seeking to inflame an argument. Rabbeinu zal speaks in Likutey Moharan (Likutey Moharan I, 6) about one of the greatest mitzvos possible: a person remaining silent when someone embarrasses him, attacks, or slanders him. He does not retort; instead he judges that person favorably, without attacking in return, without seeking vengeance. This action on the part of a tzaddik is what creates these worlds.

Rabbeinu zal explains why people attack the tzaddik. The ba’al davar, the satan, knows that the tzaddik is his greatest nemesis and tries to attack and destroy him. Therefore, opponents are sent to oppose the tzaddik, at which point the satan removes his presence and says, “Let them take care of the tzaddik for me.” Afterwards, when the tzaddik judges these people favorably and does not seek to harm them, these worlds are created. There is, of course, a lot more depth to this Mishnah, for example, why exactly 310. YeiSh stands for the words Yemin, Semol, right and left. That involves Kabbalah which is not our topic, but we should be aware that there is much more depth to this statement than meets the eye.