The פסוק at the end of the פרשה says:
על כן יאמרו המושלים בואו חשבון
The Gemara in בבא בתרא explains the פסוק as follows:
The word המושלים- rulers, alludes to those who are מושלים ביצרם, rulers over their יצר הרע. How are they able to rule over it? By saying בואו חשבון- בואו ונחשב חשבונו של עולם. A person who makes a חשבון הנפש can rule over his יצר הרע. As the Gemara continues
הפסד מצוה כנגד שכרה, ושכר עבירה כנגד הפסידה
When confronted by the יצר הרע to not do a מצוה, one should think of how much שכר he will lose if he doesn’t do it, and how much שכר he will get if he does. Conversely, when tempted to do an עבירה, a person should calculate the benefit or pleasure they will get from the עבירה, vs. the punishment they will eventually suffer, as well as think about the great reward they will get when avoiding the עבירה. When making this type of calculation, a person will eventually learn to control the יצר הרע, by realizing the great benefits they will earn when not following it.
The חפץ חיים asks: why do חז”ל use the phrase חשבונו של עולם- “a calculation of the world,” instead of the more common term חשבון הנפש? Answers the חפץ חיים, the יצר הרע tries to entice a person by saying this world is real and now, and the benefits are immediate, whereas עולם הבא is distant and vague, so why not enjoy the here and now. To which חז”ל say we should answer back by saying, חשבונו של עולם! The world to come is also a real world. But while this world and its pleasures are temporary and transient, עולם הבא is eternal נצחיות, rewards that will last forever and ever. So when we do this type of חשבון, surely we will make the right choices and overcome the יצר הרע with the understanding that עולם הבא is worth much more than עולם הזה
We’ll conclude with a story that highlights this point. A bochur who was a talented drummer was not showing up to night Seder in his Yeshiva. After inquiries it was found that he would instead play at local- non Jewish-entertainment establishments. When confronted by his משגיח, the boy answered, ” When I play at these establishments, I get adulation, fame and money. That’s much more fun than sitting and learning in Yeshiva.” The משגיח replied, ” That may be true, but there is 1 thing you can gain by sitting and learning in Yeshiva that those places can never offer: נצחיות- Eternity!!
May we always merit to make the right choices and earn our eternal place in עולם הבא.
Weekly Parsha Shiur 