The Chofetz Chaim (Chovas Hashemira, Chapter 13) ponders the following question: A person takes out insurance on his house, so that if, chas v'shalom, a fire occurs, he will have enough funds to rebuild his home. But a house is made only of wood or brick and it is only a safek that it will actually burn down. A persons body, on the other hand, which is so holy that it houses the neshama, will certainly be consumed in the end, because all people die. Why does not everyone purchase T'chiyas HaMeisim Insurance, in order to insure that his body will come back to life at T'chiyas HaMeisim?!
Neither cash nor a broker is needed to purchase this important insurance. The Chofetz Chaim explains that T'chiyas HaMeisim Insurance is the study of Torah. As the Posuk (Yeshaya 26:19) teaches "Hakitzu V'Ranenu Shochne Ofor Ki Tal Oros Talecha" 'Awaken and sing you who dwell in the dust, for the Dew of Light [of torah] is Your Dew' this, Chazal explain, will be what revives us at T'chiyas HaMeisim (Kesubos 111B).
The Chofetz Chaim goes on to teach that the Light of Torah that will revive a person can actually be a combination of his Torah, the Torah of others that he supports and even the Torah of his children that he sends through Yeshiva. It would seem that just as with insurance, where the larger the face amount of the policy, the larger is the amount that will be collected, so too with T'chiyas HaMeisim Insurance, the more Torah to one's credit, the more...
Note: What prevents one from arising at Tchiyas HaMeisim? The Chofetz Chaim (ibid.) quoting Chazal (Sotah 5A) states that the sin of gaivah (arrogance) prevents a person's earth from moving during T'chiyas HaMeisim. Additionally, lending money with ribbis (interest) prevents one from arising (Pirkei D'Rebbe Eliezer 33). Even if a Heter Iska is used, the Chofetz Chaim writes, one must make sure that it is properly completed in order for it to be valid (See Final Note below). The Chofetz Chaim (Dovor B'ito, Chapter 2) also writes that lack of proper care in matters of kashrus will also cause a person great difficulty at the time of T'chiyas HaMeisim. His proof is clear: The chait of Odom Harishon, which was eating from the Eitz Hadaas, brought death to Odom HaRishon and death to the world, because the consumed sin traveled through the bloodstream and infected his entire body and consequently, the bodies of all future generations. One who consumes ma'acholos asuros in his lifetime, without exercising the proper care, likewise infects his entire body and demonstrates that he has not learned from the chait of Odom Harishon, who was punished with death. How then can he awaken from his death at T'chiyas HaMeisim?! In fact, the Chofetz Chaim answers that in such a case, one's body will then require a 'Tikun Norah' or, as he also puts it, a 'dreadful operation,' to remove the horrible infection in all of the limbs and organs of the body caused by ma'acholos asuros, in order to make him worthy to arise. With this idea, we can understand the words of the Mesilas Yesharim (Chapter 11) who writes that forbidden food is poison, and that one should take the same steps to avoid it as one takes precautions to avoid death. This is not an allegory, it is really very literal! One should never indifferently or naively put the blame on the mashgiach at a hotel catered affair, Shabbos retreat or restaurant'for it is your body, and your T'chiyas HaMeisim!
Reprinted with permission from HAKHEL MIS from the Hakhel Community Awareness Bulletin, Volume III, Number 4 (Elul 5763)
Important Numbers
