Ohh, my dear American Jews. How great have we fallen. Where have our priorities gone? I would like to share something with everyone here. However, there are two requirements before we start.
First of all, you have to believe that there is a G-d that runs the world.(Dont stop reading yet, give me a chance!) Second, you have to believe that there is a world to come. Now, I’m not referring to “believing” like most people think. I’m talking about these two things really being a part of you every single day. Not that you do “lip service” to G-d when you Daven and don’t believe at all that he and olam haba actually exist (and don’t say you do really believe, because its obvious from how you live your life that you are a goy wearing a white shirt, black pants, tzitzis out, a hat etc…) and that your whole existence and everything you are etc is from him. I am talking about people who actually have a real relationship with Hashem and actually speak to him on a daily basis. Like asking him that your walk to shul be successful, and saying “thank you hashem” when something good happens. Now. if you are not one of these people…
Ok. I just want to say one simple point. You are all smart people out there and know how investments work. I am not coming from a “frum” point of view, rather a business point of view. (Remember the requirements). We, nowadays, live around 80-90 years if we are lucky. What is the point of investing so much time and effort in this world when its only 80-90 years at most? Why don’t we use this world as much as we can and invest in the next world which is an eternity(which is much longer)! When did we completely forget our priorities as Jews? Have we gotten completely engulfed in the American society? Have we forgotten where we come from and where we are going and who we are going to give cheshbon to after 120? To those people who scream hishtadlus all day (who say this to sooth their conscience about how they are living their lives) what about hishtadlus for the world to come which is much longer than this world!! Your investments are in the wrong place. After business school, you still don’t know how to invest correctly? All day you scream hishtadlus and “ein somchin al hanes”. So what about olam haba!? You cant be “somech al hanes” to get your olam haba, you have to work for it!!! Stop sitting around this world and working like a lazy man, get up and do some work and hishtadlus for your olam haba. Its not gonna come for free you know.
But you have to be “realistic”, you’ll tell me. We are Jews, we don’t play by the rules! We are above the rules! Have we forgotten that. Look at the Rashi in parshas beshalach (16:32) about the MAN. The Jews already had that excuse thousands of years ago and said it to Yirmiyahu. He was a navi and He answered them, don’t worry, there are many messengers that can send you parnassa. Has that changed nowadays? Did Hashems messengers disappear? Yirmiyahu already told us what we need to do. Why don’t we learn from the mistakes of our ancestors and listen to our Neviim. That’s the whole point of Tanach!! So we can learn from our mistakes and fix them, not make them again!
I’m not telling people to go to yeshiva and do nothing. If you are not doing anything in yeshiva, so go work. But to those who will be serious in learning, go learn. Now more than ever do we need to sit and learn. The Jews are in a bad matzav (although you might disagree sitting in your fancy car etc…) When you fight a war you gather as many soldiers as possible. Same here. We are in a ruchnius war nowadays and we need as many (serious) troops as possible. I’m not telling anyone what to do. Everyone has their own cheshbonos to take into account. I am just reminding everyone not to lose focus of whats really important in life.
Thanks for you patience(if you actually read the whole thing). Spread this info, its very important that our priorities don’t get confused. Hotzlocha!