The Greater Fortune
Dovid Hamelech says in Tehillim 119: "Sas
Anochi Al Imrasecha K’motze Sh’lal Rav" I rejoice over Your
sayings like one who discovers a great treasure." What is the
significance of Dovid Hamelech referring to Torah as a "great"
treasure? What does the word "great" come to add?
Rabbi Akiva Eiger explains this idea with a
parable: A man is walking along a remote road, far from
civilization, when he suddenly stumbles upon a tremendous treasure,
right there on the side of the road. The man is ecstatic over his
good fortune, until he realizes that he has no way to transport all
this treasure to his home. He has no wagon or any other sort of
conveyance, and he's sure that if he just leaves the treasure there
while he goes off to get one, someone else will come along and take
it. With no other alternative, he decides that he must try to take
whatever he can. He loads up his pants pockets, takes off his shirt
and piles in as much as he can fit into it, and takes off his hat
and fills that as well. Finally, when he's loaded himself up with as
much as he can, he goes on his way.
How does this man feel as he takes leave? On the
one hand, he's a rich man now. Look at how much treasure he
gathered! On the other hand, he might be tortured by thoughts of all
the treasure he left behind.
This, says Rabbi Akiva Eiger, is how Dovid
Hamelech describes his experience of learning Torah. He's overjoyed
at all the Torah he has acquired, while at the same recognizing that
the Torah is a "great treasure," and that he has barely scratched
its surface.
But perhaps we can extend this parable even
further. The same thing can be said about our departed loved one. We
gained so much from knowing him, but still we recognize that he was
a "great treasure," and we barely scratched the surface of the great
wisdom he had to offer us.
And taking it even further, the parable is
applicable to life in this world, as well. We are here for such a
short time, and we are supposed to spend our time here gathering as
much treasure as possible — the spiritual treasures of Torah and
mitzvos, not the illusory treasures of materialism. But as much as
we gather, we recognize that one day we will pass from this world,
and we will be filled with regret for all the treasure, all the
golden opportunities for Torah and mitzvos, that we will leave
behind.
Nevertheless, by doing things l'iluy nishmas our
loved one, we the living have an opportunity to send additional
treasure to our loved one in the Next World. Let's not miss that
opportunity.
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