One Small Lick Or $1,000,000? | Rabbi Yisroel Majeski

A number of years ago, I went with my family out to an ice cream shop, here in Los Angeles. I didn't get any ice cream, but all my children did. My little daughter is sitting on the floor, eating her ice cream. And I asked her, I said, Can I have a lick? She looked at me like I was crazy. I said: One lick. And she just goes like this. I said, I'll give you a dollar for a lick. I said: I'll give you $10 for a lick. I said: I will give you $100 for a lick. No matter how much money I said, she refuses. Finally, I said: I will give you $1 million for a lick of the ice cream. At this point, everyone in the store is looking at me, and she just says: No. Why would she not give me a lick of an ice cream for $1 million? She can buy a million ice creams with that. The answer is because in her world, that ice cream is worth more than anything. I hope if I go out for ice cream with her when she's 18, and I ask her for a lick of ice cream for $1 million, I hope she would give me one. In our world, we see things that excite us, we see things that are luring, but the truth is Hashem tells us, I have millions of dollars for you. Give up that little look. Yes, you want to look at that, it's pulling you, it's grabbing your attention, you want your little ice cream, but Hashem says: What I have for you is millions of dollars. No one was even ever able to see what I have for you, what's in store for you in Olam Haba. The real reward. So the next time we're walking down the street and we're faced with these challenges, which we are all faced with, let's remember, That lick of ice cream is not worth it. We much rather the million dollars.