Likutei Moharan, Part II 37:3/ליקוטי מוהר"ן·תנינא ל״ז:ג׳

13. {“From those who die by Your hand, O God, from those who die of old age—those whose portion is in life, and Your concealed treasure fills their bellies; they are sated with children and leave their excesses to their young. As for me, in righteousness, I will behold Your face; I will be sated, upon awakening, by Your image.”} And this is “From those who die by Your hand, O God….” There are those who die a natural death. Born with a constitutional vigor and other similar properties allowing for a certain number of years, they go on living all those years until their moisture and vitality are depleted and they die of old age—the concept of “those who die of old age.”

2And there are others upon whom God decrees premature death, as punishment, this being “From those who die by Your hand, O God….” Having died before their time, they are deserving of the World to Come. But those who die of old age are denizens of this world. They have no portion in the World to Come because they go on living in this world without any punishment, until they die of old age.

3Thus King David, may he rest in peace, said that from the aforementioned two groups, the denizens of this world and the denizens of the World to Come:

4From those who die by Your hand, O God, from those who die of old age— that is, from those whom God puts to death and so have the World to Come, and from those who die of old age, i.e., the denizens of this world. And this is:

5whose portion is in life, and Your concealed treasure— that is, the two groups, both of whom are aspects of fills their bellies— that is, filling the belly with either this world or the World to Come. And this is:

6are sated with children and leave their excesses to their young— as mentioned above. And even someone who chooses the World to Come and wants to leave his merit for his children, that, too, is “are sated with children and leave their excesses….”

7But for myself, rather than either of the aforementioned two groups, I choose in righteousness, I will behold Your face— that through all my righteousness I merit beholding the face of God, be sated, upon awakening, by Your image, as mentioned above.

8Despite all this, it is very good even if a person serves God for the sake of the World to Come. It is also good to leave one’s merit for one’s children. As is brought, a person should not receive his entire reward, but instead leave some over for his children.

9However, the perfect tzaddikim, those who genuinely love God, such as David and those like him, do not choose any of this. They have no interest in this world, or the World to Come, or in leaving their merit and righteousness to their children—but only to fulfill the Will of the Blessed One, as mentioned above.