Rabbi Yohanan states in the Gemara (Pesachim 113) that there are three categories of people that merit the World to Come: One who lives in Eretz Yisrael, one who raises his children to learn Torah and one who makes Habdalah on wine on Mosa'eh Shabbat. The book Shulhan Esh suggests that these three merits have a common denominator-they all require Habdalah (separation). That which we say in the Habdalah, "Hamabdil ben Kodesh L'hol," (separating between sacred and profane) is the general distinction that is expressed in three ways, alluded to in the continuation of the text of Habdalah. First, "Ben Or L'Hoshech" (between light and dark), corresponds to raising children in the light of the Torah, as opposed to secular wisdom which is considered darkness. "Ben Yisrael L'Amim" refers to the value of living in the land of Israel, which is the geographic separation between the holiness of the Israel and the rest of the world. Finally, "Ben Yom Hashevi'i L'Sheshet Yemeh HaMa'aseh," connotes one who makes Habdalah on Mosa'eh Shabbat. Thus all three types of people merit the World to Come because they are engaged in some form of Habdalah.
The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) teaches that this quality of separating ourselves from the ways of the non-Jews is the key to the judgement of the approaching Yamim Noraim (High Holy Days). Hashem judges us relative to the degree of our separation.
This idea is illustrated in the Yom Kippur Avodah (service) in the Bet Hamikdash, in which two goats were brought. One was an offering to Hashem and the other was cast to Azazel. The Zohar HaKadosh states that the goat to Hashem represents Ya'akob Avinu, whereas the goat to Azazel represents Esav. This corresponds to the relative judgement where the Jewish people ascend the Mizbeach (alter) and the non-Jews are cast to Azazel. This is the meaning of the Pasuk in Kohelet "Zeh L'Umat Zeh Asah Elohim"-Elohim refers to Hashem's judgement, which stands "one against the other," the Jewish people against the nations of the world. Rabbi Moshe Leb of Sassov pointed out that this is alluded to in the Hebrew text of the Pasuk, which forms the acronym A'Za'Ze'L.
This gives us an opportunity to succeed on these days. The more degenerate the backdrop of society is, the more the Jewish people shine and find favor in Hashem's eyes, on the condition that they diligently engage in Habdalah-separating themselves from the ways of the non-Jews.
