Behold the King | Rabbi David Ashear

We are all hoping that with Hashem’s help, we will experience the most glorious days in all of history, with the coming of the Mashiach. And then, after living with the Mashiach for a period of years, we'll begin the next stage called The World to Come. The Gemara says in Masechet Berachot, In the World to Come there is no eating and there is no drinking, but rather Tzaddikim will sit and derive pleasure from the radiance of the Divine Presence. The holy Or Hachaim writes, There is no pleasure in this world that could come close to the pleasure that a person will receive at that time, basking in the radiance of the Divine Presence. It is something that every Jew longs for. Our rabbis tell us, Just like in this world, a person cannot enjoy food or drink unless he has the tools for it, he needs a mouth and he needs a throat, so, too, in order to enjoy the future pleasures in the World to Come, you will need the tools to enjoy. What is the tool that we need to enjoy the radiance of the Divine Presence? It is the eyes, the windows to the soul. The Pasuk says in Yeshaya, Someone who closes his eyes from seeing evil, his eyes will be the eyes that behold the King in his beauty. The Midrash explains, This Pasuk is telling us, Whoever guards his eyes from seeing the wrong things, will be the one who merits to derive pleasure from seeing the King in the future. The Gemara in Masechet Kallah teaches, Those who turn away from such sins, even just an ordinary Israelite, becomes worthy like a High Priest sacrificing a burnt offering upon the altar. And he will merit to benefit from the radiance of the Divine Presence, like the Malachei Hasharet. When Hashem wants to elevate people to a higher level, He first tests them in the area in which He wants them to achieve in. For nearly 2,000 years, the world has been waiting for the coming of the Mashiach and the rebuilding of the Holy Temple. Now, in the end of days, Hashem is calling upon us. He has given us a test like no other. We are being tested with our eyes more than ever before. Perhaps this is Hashem calling on us to achieve greatness, so that our eyes can become worthy to merit basking in the radiance of His presence, the Shechinah. Now is our opportunity to shine. If we can guard our eyes and the eyes of our children from seeing the wrong things, then, with Hashem’s help, we could elevate our eyes to the place they need to be in. And then we will merit the ultimate reward, our eyes beholding the radiance of the Divine Presence for all eternity.