Eishet Chayil:Eternal Reward

“She bestows on him good and not evil, all the days of her life”. The Chafetz Chaim remarks that it should say “all the days of his life”. However, the verse is referring to the Torah. The Eshet Chayil as the Torah is not limited in benefiting man only during his lifetime in this world. When he dies, the Torah he studied will still be giving him merit, whether in the grave, on the Day of Judgment, at the time of the Resurrection, or in the World-to-Come (Chafetz Chaim on Nach).

When we are engaged in Torah, we should remember that we are connecting to something eternal. We can enjoy limited reward at this moment; but we should be aware that it doesn’t stop at “the days of our life”. By attaching to the “Netzach” of Torah, to “all the days of her life”, we are tapping into an experience far greater than anything we can perceive.

The bestowing, or ‘Gemilut’- which also means weaning, as in ‘le’higamel’ (Rabbi Weinberg, Pirkei Avos 1:2)- helps us gain the independence necessary to merit the greatest of rewards, in the World of ultimate Good.