Rabbi Perlow, after recounting the above story, raises the obvious question: How can someone be neither in this world nor in the next? Must not everyone be found at least in some world? How is it possible that the Baal Shem Tov said that her husband couldn’t be located in either world?
Perhaps one way of understanding this could be based on a statement of the Alter Rebbe. The Alter Rebbe once remarked: “Ich hob shoin gemacht mein Chassidim far kalyikes. Kein hano’oh fun olam hazeh vellen zei shoyn nisht kennen hoben”. [I already spoiled my Chassidim; - they will not be able to enjoy olam hazeh].
Indeed, a chosid has the option to learn and daven. He can dedicate himself to serving the Eibishter, and renounce worldly pleasures. He has the ability and opportunity to choose the pursuit of G-dliness over the pursuit of worldliness. He can fulfill the directive of the Rambam, to be as shevet Levi, and choose spirituality over mundane-ness.
But, he may also decide that he doesn’t want to give up on worldly indulgences, that he can’t forego material pleasures. He may try his hand at deriving benefit from the shmorei ho’oifanim, that abound in the world around him.
Well, in that case, he may just find that he is a kireach mikan umikan. The world that is available to him he didn’t take advantage of, while the world that he pursues is not really open to him. That will not really be his world, no matter how hard he tries.
