Where is Your Permanent Home?

“And I will set aside a tenth for You from all that You will give me.” (Bereishit 28:21-22)

The Home of the Chafetz Chaim

R’ Ephraim Oshry, the rabbi of “The Great Beis Medresh” in New York, once shared with me the following account of his teacher, the Chafetz Chaim, and his modest home in Radin: The home had no conventional furniture; even the chairs were simple wooden pieces without backrests.

A well-known story illustrates the Chafetz Chaim’s perspective on worldly possessions:

A guest visiting his home was taken aback by the sparse furnishings. The Chafetz Chaim, in turn, asked the guest, “Where is all your furniture?”

 

The guest replied, “I am just visiting here. My permanent home is filled with fine and comfortable furnishings.”

 

The Chafetz Chaim responded, “I too am merely a traveler in this world. My true, permanent home is in the World to Come. Why should I furnish my temporary dwelling with luxuries when my goal is to amass eternal treasures through serving Hashem?”

The Parable of the Dairy Merchant

The Chafetz Chaim further illustrated this concept with the following parable:

A man, struggling to support his family, decided to travel to Africa to earn a livelihood. In that region, meat and dairy products were scarce and costly, so he began trading in these goods and quickly amassed wealth.

 

After several years, his wife urged him to return home and use the money to marry off their daughters. The man, however, decided to bring back dairy products, reasoning that he could sell them in his homeland for even greater profit. He loaded crates of milk and cheese onto a ship and set sail.

 

Before boarding, a merchant on the docks convinced him to purchase as a gift for his family, a few precious stones, which are cheap in Africa.

 

Word of his return spread, and the townspeople eagerly awaited his arrival, anticipating tales of his newfound wealth. However, when the cargo was unloaded, a disaster was discovered: the milk had spoiled during the journey, emitting a foul stench. The man’s years of effort had seemingly gone to waste.

 

His wife, heartbroken, cried out, “Foolish man! After all these years, you return with nothing? Why didn’t you invest in something lasting, like precious stones, instead of these perishable goods? What will we live on now, and how will we marry off our daughters?”

 

The man was filled with regret but then remembered the precious stones he had purchased. Relieved, he sold them, and their family lived comfortably on the proceeds for years.

The Message of the Parable

The parable reflects our spiritual journey. Many spend their lives pursuing physical pleasures and material possessions, believing these to be the best investments. Yet, when they arrive in the World to Come, when they return to their true home, they realize their worldly acquisitions are as worthless as spoiled milk.

They become consumed with regret.

However, they remember the small acts of tzedakah and mitzvot performed. And, like the gems in the parable, they become the person’s only lasting treasures. They realize that they had an opportunity while in this world to amass an eternal fortune in the World to Come. But, they squandered the opportunity.

In contrast, the wise focus their efforts on securing eternal treasures by giving tzedakah and performing mitzvot. As Chazal teach (Bava Basra 11a): King Munbaz, who spent his family’s wealth during a famine, responded to criticism by saying, “My ancestors stored their treasures below, while I have stored mine above.”

Yaakov’s Vow

This is the essence of Yaakov’s vow: “I shall return in peace to my father’s house.” Yaakov declared his awareness that his true destiny was to return to his Father’s house in Heaven, the World Above.

The continuation of the pasuk, “and the Lord shall be my God,” reminds us that our ultimate purpose in this world is to delight in the Shechinah in Gan Eden.

Therefore, Yaakov concluded, “And I will set aside a tenth for You from all that You will give me.” Whenever Yaakov received material wealth, he resolved to immediately and joyfully set aside a portion for tzedakah. By doing so, he ensured his investments were not wasted on fleeting worldly pursuits but rather secured eternal pleasures in the World to Come.

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The Kalever Rebbe is the seventh Rebbe of the Kaalov Chasidic dynasty, begun by his ancestor who was born to his previously childless parents after receiving a blessing from the Baal Shem Tov zy”a, and later learned under the Maggid of Mezeritch zt”l. The Rebbe has been involved in outreach for more than 30 years and writes weekly emails on understanding current issues through the Torah. Sign up at www.kaalov.org.