Don't Forget the Coke | Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair

Do you remember a great ad for Pepsi? It went like this. A kid goes up to a vending machine. He wants to buy a Pepsi, but he can't reach the button. It's just too high. So he has an idea. He takes out a dollar from his pocket, puts it into the machine, and he presses the button one below the Pepsi, which is for a Coke. Out comes the Coke. He places the Coke carefully on the ground in front of him. Then he puts another dollar in the machine, presses the Coke button again, and takes out the second Coke and places that carefully on the floor, four inches to the left of the first Coke. Then he steps up onto the two cans of Coke, takes out a third dollar, pops it into the machine, and voila! Out comes the Pepsi. With a big smile on his face, he scampers off with his Pepsi and leaves the two Cokes on the floor. Great ad. But just think a second. Picture someone looking at all this from the side. That guy would think: Are you crazy? You're leaving two Cokes on the floor for a Pepsi? You're stepping on the Coke for a Pepsi? Hello! Sometimes we get what we want, but we forget what we gained in the process. Everyone knows that learning Torah is an amazing Segulah for Parnassah, learning Torah can create wealth for you. And so you take it upon yourself to start learning. You never learnt in your life before. And you start Daf Yomi, and you finish Shas and you go to the Siyum HaShas and you hear all these great stories of how learning has led to financial success, to a great livelihood. Wow, I can't wait for the money to start rolling in. You're using the Coke to get the Pepsi, but you forgot the Coke. Or let's say you hear how the best thing for Chinuch, for having good children who come out well, is Shalom Bayis, a loving relationship with your spouse. So in order to get these wonderful children that you want, you work on your Shalom Bayis for years and years, you have a beautiful, brand-new home of happiness and spirituality, and you think, you hope: Oh, okay, fine. You know, now I'm going to see Nachas from my Kinderlach. Well, I worked so hard on my Shalom Bayis, right? So I don't want all that to be in vain. I mean, what's the point of having a beautiful Shalom Bayis if I don't have good children? You're stepping on the Coke to get the Pepsi. And you forgot the Coke. But think, You have wonderful Shalom Bayis, you love and care for each other. Isn't that something in itself? The means is also the end. Or sometimes you're davening, you're praying, and you really feel connected to Hashem. You're standing by the grave of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and just your heart pours out to the Ribono shel Olam. And it's such a beautiful feeling, you davened so hard. You hope that the Hashem will hear your prayers, send you all the things you daven for. Don't just focus on the Pepsi and forget the Coke, you just spent time in the company of the Ribono shel Olam, of Hashem. That closeness is worth all the money in the world. Really, that closeness is worth much more than what you're davening for. Now don't get me wrong. Good kids, a wonderful Parnassah, that's wonderful. But don't miss out on what the journey brought you. Shalom Bayis, Torah, closeness to Hashem. And it's the same thing with Shmiras Einayim. It's true, the Shomer Emunim says that when you turn away from looking at something inappropriate, you can write your own ticket in Shomayim. You need a Refuah, somebody’s ill, you've got it. You need Shalom Bayis, you've got it. Nachas from the children, Parnassah, you’ve got it. But don't forget the two Cokes. You just had a moment of closeness with Hashem. That's more than any reward in עולם הזה.