Teshuvas Maharsham (3: 151) has a Shaila:About someone who sold all his Aveiros for 30 rubles (he paid the other person to assume his aveiros). Is such a sale valid or not?
The Maharsham writes he had a similar case in his younger years and asked R.Shlomo Kluger who answered him that a similar story happened between R,Yehudah the son of the Rosh and another person.
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On the kitchen wall of my Chavrusa, R' Shmuel Shlita, hangs a frame. The frame has a scrap piece of paper, on which is written:
"I, Eran, am selling my part in Olam Haba to David
for 10,000.”
The 10,000 is crossed out and changed to 20,000.
The story behind that paper.
R' Shmuel had a meeting with two business partners, R' Dovid L and Mr. Eran .
R' Dovid is a Chashuva Talmid Chacham who learns half a day and has his own Kollel that he supports. His business partner, Eran, is a secular Israeli, totally disconnected from Yiddishkeit.
During a meeting, the subject of Olam Habah came up. Eran claimed that he didn't believe in Olam Haba and was convinced that even the Frum Yidden don't really believe in it.
R' Dovid told his partner, "If you don't believe in Olam Haba, then sell yours to me.”
Eran agreed without hesitation to sell it for $10,000. R' Dovid insisted that Eran give it to him in writing.
Eran took a paper and wrote the following
אני ערן מוכר חלקי בעולם הבא לדוד 10,000.
As he finished writing the note, Eran changed his mind and said that $10,000 wasn't enough. He wanted wanted $20,000.
R' Dovid immediately agreed to raise the sum to $20,000.
This surprised Eran, and he said to his partner, "You have convinced me that
you believe in Olam Haba. But I don't understand why a sharp businessman
like you would want to buy Olam Haba from me a secular Jew who doesn't keep
any part of the Torah. I surely don't have any Olam Haba.”
R' Dovid answered, "The kibud av va eim you have performed throughout your
lifetime, and the money you have been giving me for my Kollel and the other charities,
and the good deeds you have done – for all this you will be rewarded in the world to come.”
Eran wasn't prepared for the answer. He thought for a few moments and he said,
“If that's the case, I am only prepared to sell you my Olam Habah for $50,000.”
R' David immediately agreed, but said that for this amount he wanted a proper document.
He asked his secretary to print out a proper document stating that Eran is selling his Olam Haba for $50,000. Eran signed the document and R' David undertook to arrange a money transfer of $50,000 for the following day.
R' Shmuel asked if he could take the original scrap of paper. They agreed, and he pocketed it.
Early the following morning, R' David got a phone call from Eran's wife.
She asked him,
"What did you do to my husband? He was up all night feverish with worry. He couldn't forgive himself for doing such a foolish thing. He truly regrets selling his share in Olam Haba. Can you please have mercy on him, and on me.
Please retract the agreement and return to him the signed document.”
Many important and powerful lessons can be learned from this story. That is the reason the framed paper is hanging on the kitchen wall.
P.S. I would like to compile as many lessons as possible from the story
If you can contribute with a lesson you came up with, kindly please do so.
Thank you!
I heard this story 40 years ago from rav shabtai yudelavitz ztl...
ReplyDeleteYou might have heard a similar story but not this one that happened only a few years ago
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