Seating Arrangements
Now, I’m not going to criticize you for going along with the crowd. Some people, that’s all they could do; it's not a bad thing. Chas veshalom. You live in a frum community, you follow their customs, their standards. You do what everyone else does? Not bad at all. You're a shomer mitzvos, and you're megadel your children for Torah. I'm satisfied with you; I'm not going to investigate too much. I'm satisfied.
And after 120 years you’ll get Olam Habo too. Hakodosh Boruch Hu says kol Yisrael yesh lahem chelek l’Olam Habo. You're acting like a frum Jew so you'll be admitted when the time comes. Could be you’ll have to make a temporary stop somewhere before that, but sooner or later you’ll be in Olam Habo, no question about it.
But you have to know that when you get there, there’s going to be a tremendous disappointment because there's going to be a question in that place about the seating arrangements. Just to get in and to sit near the doorway may not satisfy you. Now don’t misunderstand me — you're a lucky fellow to get in. Make no mistake about that. If you could get in even in the last seat in Olam Habo then it's a happiness that you're not able to appreciate in terms of joy in this world. There's nothing like it.
Searing Envy
And yet, ... in Gan Eden you’ll be burning with regret when you see the canopy of your fellow (Bava Basra 75a). You kept everything, more or less and like every loyal Jew you have a chupah l’fi kevodo, a canopy according to your just desserts. But then you look over at the chupah of other people, and you see they have a more beautiful chupah than you. They have a seat closer up front; and forever and ever you’re going to be sorry.
That little bit more that he stayed in the beis medrash after everyone left. That little bit more kavanah by davening. He thought about the niflaos ha’Borei, the chasdei Hashem, just one more time every day. Those small things become the biggest things in the next world. V’shavtem u’reisem; you'll be happy there, but you’ll see there's a big difference between your eternal happiness and theirs.
