Do Blessings in This World Reduce Our Reward in the World to Come?

“Hashem will grant you abundant goodness in the fruit of your womb, the fruit of your livestock, and the fruit of your land, upon the land that Hashem swore to your forefathers to give you.” (Deuteronomy 28:11)

The Kedushat Levi explains the word “vehotircha,” “He will grant you abundance,” as teaching us an important principle: The blessings a person receives in this world do not come at the expense of his merits in the World to Come.

In his words: “The expression ‘vehotircha’ can also be explained as follows: Even when a person receives goodness from Hashem, the blessings of this world, nothing will be deducted from what awaits us in the World to Come. For when Hashem bestows the blessings of this world upon us, He derives, so to speak, pleasure and joy from doing so.”

When a person is blessed with material abundance in this world, “nothing will be deducted from what awaits him in the World to Come.” These blessings do not diminish the reward reserved for him in the World to Come, because Hashem derives pleasure, so to speak, from bestowing goodness upon people.

In other words, Divine abundance is not limited. When Hashem gives a person material blessings, they do not come at the expense of spiritual reward. Rather, they flow from His desire to bestow goodness upon us. A person therefore need not fear receiving material blessings, thinking that they might diminish his spiritual merits. On the contrary, these blessings are an expression of Hashem’s desire to shower goodness upon him.

This is a beautiful and encouraging teaching. We can receive Hashem’s blessings with joy, knowing that the goodness He gives us in this world does not come at the expense of our portion in the World to Come.

As the Kedushat Levi concludes: “This is the meaning of ‘vehotircha’: Nothing will be deducted from your merits beyond your reward, and all your merits will remain for you for the World to Come. For Hashem derives pleasure from bestowing goodness upon us in this world. This is the meaning of, ‘For Hashem will again rejoice over you for good.’ Amen.”