04 Jun INVESTING IN “H-LL INSURANCE”

Every month, we pray
when we bentch Rosh
Chodesh that Hashem
should grant us “Yiras
Shamayim v’yiras cheit
– Fear of Heaven and
fear of sin.” Practically
speaking, fear of sin includes fear of
punishment which results from our sins.
Sometimes, that punishment translates into
retribution in this world, primarily for sins
between us and our fellow man. For sins
against Hashem, we fear the frightening
retribution of Gehenam, H-ll. Since the
Mishnah in Pirkei Avos informs us that the
fires of Gehenam are 60 times hotter than
the fires in this world, that means they are
60 times hotter than the oven in the matzah
bakery. That’s very hot indeed!
As we are taught, “Ein tzadik ba’aretz
asher yaaseh tov v’lo yecheta – There is
no righteous person in this world who
does good and doesn’t sin,” there is
certainly what to worry about. To make
matters worse, if that’s true for a tzadik,
what about most of us who know that we
are not lily white and certainly have many
aveirah debits on our account: things like
the many prayers we’ve uttered without

proper concentrations, the many times we
should have learned and yet we didn’t, the
hurtful words we’ve said to our loved ones,
our forbidden gazes by looking at what
we shouldn’t, or the charity we should
have given but didn’t. Unfortunately
and frighteningly, the list goes on and on
with the fires of Gehenam threateningly
looming in our futures.
I therefore recommend for all of us to
invest in H-ll Insurance. That’s right, you
heard me correctly. Just like we hopefully
have medical insurance, readily spend
on homeowners insurance, and purchase
car insurance because it’s mandatory, we
certainly should invest in H-ll Insurance.
However, you cannot buy it from New
York Life or Mutual of Omaha. Let me
give you the gift of how to invest in H-ll
Insurance.
The Gemora teaches us in Masechtas
Nedarim [40a], “Hamevaker es hacholeh
nitzol medinah shel Gehenam – Whoever
visits the sick will be saved from the
punishments of Gehenam.” So, the first
premium to obtain H-ll insurance is to
visit the sick.
In Baba Basra [10a], the Gemora relates

that the wicked Turnus Rufus asked Rabbi
Akiva, “If G-d loves the poor so much,
why doesn’t He take care of them?” Rebbi
Akiva answered, “So that the rest of us
should be able to do tzedakah, charity,
and be saved from the punishments of
Gehenam.” So, the next premium for H-ll
Insurance is tzedakah.
The Mishnah teaches us in the fifth perek of
Pirkei Avos, “Kol hamezakeh es harabim,
ein cheit ba al yado – Whoever causes
merit for many people, sin will not come to
him,” so that Hashem will not allow them
to sin. The Rav miBartenura explains this
is to preclude that his disciples are in Gan
Eden and he is in Gehenam. Thus, another
premium for H-ll Insurance is to influence
others to do good. How? By being a role
model on how to answer amein, by being
quiet in shul, by warmly greeting a spouse
after davening, and many other ways.
In the Mishnah Berurah, the Chofetz
Chaim, zt”l, zy”a, says that if we cool
down the normal heat of haste, and say our
Krias Shema slowly with concentration,
Hashem will cool down the fires of
Gehenam for us. Thus, another premium
for H-ll Insurance would be to say our
Krias Shema with deeper kavanah.
In the preface to the Medrash Talpios,
the author states that Asher, the son of
Yaakov, stands by the doors of Gehenam
and doesn’t let anyone in who regularly
learned Mishnayos every day. He bases
this on the verse, “MeiAsher shmeina
lachmoi,” as the word shmeina is the same
letters as the word Mishnah. Therefore,
a readily available way to purchase H-ll
Insurance is to start learning the Mishnah
Yomis which ensures that one will learn
two mishnas every day. (We’ll soon be
starting the fascinating sefer of Kodshim.
You can learn with me every day on
Kol Haloshon(with a special number
718.916.2471), on TorahAnytime.com,
or on my YouTube channel.)
In Medrash Tehillim [119:17], Rebbi
Berachya says in the name of Rav Abba
bar Kahanah, that Avraham Avinu stands
by the entrance to Gehenam and will not
allow anyone to enter who maintains the
holiness of his bris milah. The Medrash
continues with a warning that if one
sullies the holiness of the bris, Avraham
won’t recognize him. It therefore
behooves a person who in his younger
years was foolishly not careful with
the holiness of the bris to do teshuvah,
regretting his actions, to say vidui, make
a verbal confession, and pledge to protect
its holiness in the future. Then, Avraham

will surely recognize him and bar his entry
into Gehenam.
Finally, the Gemora in Sota [21a] says that
the learning of our holy Torah is is like the
Eternal light, in that it will protect us for
eternity. It further teaches us that although
aveiros can extinquish the merit of mitzvos
they cannot extinquish the protection of
Torah. We are taught bshachbcha tishmor
alecha-that when we are lying in the grave
our Torah will protect us! The Torah is a
fire, as it says, “Halo, koh devarai k’eish,
na’um Hashem – Behold, your words are
like fire, says Hashem.” Thus, we fight fire
with fire, and we protect ourselves from
the fires of Gehenam with the learning
of Torah l’shma, studying Torah to give
nachas to our Creator.
While this is not an exhaustive list in
obtaining our much needed H-ll Insurance,
it is definitely a way to make a good start
and to have foresight, to make proper
steps to protect ourselves from the scary
consequences in the next world of our
inevitable sins.
And in performing these mitzvos, may
we also merit long life, good health, and
everything wonderful.