What You Don’t Buy in This World Can’t Be Bought in the Next

A story once told by the great Torah scholar Rabbi Avrohom Pam, one of the leading rabbis in America, carries a timeless and powerful message.

“There was once a poor beggar,” Rabbi Pam began, “whose income was very limited. But one day he heard about a golden opportunity in the United States—a chance to earn a large sum of money. The idea lit a fire in his heart.

He began saving every penny, bit by bit, until he finally had enough money for a round-trip ticket to America. He even had some extra money to cover a few days' stay once he got there. The day of the flight arrived, and for this man, it was a dream come true—his first time ever on a plane.

He climbed the stairs into the airplane and took a seat in the very first spot he saw. He assumed that boarding a plane was like boarding a bus—first come, first served. What he didn’t realize was that he had unknowingly sat down in the first-class section.

As soon as he settled in, a deep sigh of joy escaped his lips. Never in his life had he sat in anything so soft and luxurious. He began to explore the wonders of first class—the comfortable seat, the individual air conditioning, the gentle music playing through personal headphones, and the armrests that moved just how he liked. Everything was new to him—it truly felt like a dream.

The highlight came when the flight attendants began serving meals. The smell alone made him feel dizzy with excitement—he had never tasted anything like it. As soon as the meal landed in front of him, he dove right in, savoring every bite.

Then, the flight attendant kindly approached and asked to see his ticket. To her surprise—and his—his seat was actually in economy class, in the back of the plane.

The beggar wasn’t angry. In fact, he was so taken by the experience that he decided he didn’t want to move, no matter what. He told the flight attendant, “I understand that first class costs $3,000. I already paid $1,000 for my regular ticket, and I’ll give you another $2,000 right now—just please let me stay here.”

But the flight attendant gently responded, “I’m sorry, sir, but what you don’t purchase down below can’t be purchased up above.”

Rabbi Pam closed the story with this message: In life, it’s the same. What we don’t “purchase” here in this world—through mitzvot (good deeds), Torah learning, acts of kindness, and personal growth—we can’t buy later, after we’ve left this world. This is our only chance to earn spiritual rewards. One more minute of Torah study. One more kind word. One more mitzvah.

This world is the place to act. The next world is the place to receive.

As the flight attendant said, and as Rabbi Pam reminded us: “What you don’t purchase down below… can’t be purchased up above.”

Courtesy of the Dirshu website.