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 Gehennom, “hell.” Since the Mishna in Pirkei Avos informs us that the fires of Gehennom 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 tzaddik 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 tzaddik, 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 Gehennom threateningly looming in our futures.
I therefore recommend for all of us to invest in Hell 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 Hell 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 Hell Insurance.
The Gemara teaches us in Masechtas Nedarim [40a], “Hamevaker es hacholeh nitzol medinah shel Gehennom – Whoever visits the sick will be saved from the punishments of Gehennom.” So, the first premium to obtain Hell Insurance is to visit the sick.
In Baba Basra [10a], the Gemara 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?” Rabbi Akiva answered, “So that the rest of us should be able to do tzedakah, charity, and be saved from the punishments of Gehennom.” So, the next premium for Hell Insurance is tzedakah.
The Mishna 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 m’Bartenura explains this is to preclude that his disciples are in Gan Eden and he is in Gehennom. Thus, another premium for Hell Insurance is to influence others to do good. How? By being a role model on how to answer amen, by being quiet in shul, by warmly greeting a spouse after davening, and many other ways.
In the Mishna 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 Gehennom for us. Thus, another premium for Hell 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 Gehennom 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 Mishna. Therefore, a readily available way to purchase Hell Insurance is to start learning the Mishna Yomis, which ensures that one will learn two mishnayos every day. (We’ll soon be starting the fascinating sefer of Kodshim. You can learn with me every day on Kol Halashon 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 Gehennom 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 teshuva, 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 Gehennom.
Finally, the Gemara in Sota [21a] says that the learning of our holy Torah is like the Eternal light, in that it will protect us for eternity. It further teaches us that although aveiros can extinguish the merit of mitzvos, they cannot extinguish the protection of Torah. We are taught, “B’shach’b’cha 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 Gehennom 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 Hell Insurance, it is definitely a way to make a good start and to have foresight, to make proper steps to protect ourselves from the 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.
Transcribed and edited by Shelley Zeitlin
