Living a life of integrity often comes with significant challenges, and the ultimate reward for doing good is rarely visible in the present moment. Instead, good deeds and spiritual efforts are embedded into the fabric of reality, much like seeds waiting beneath the soil to sprout into a future harvest of light and happiness. The primary approach among commentators is that the light destined for good people is quite literally planted. While this light remains hidden from the eye right now, it is prepared and waiting to break through the surface [רש"י, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Another perspective suggests that rather than waiting beneath the soil, this light is already shining brightly for them [מאירי]. However, the imagery of planting carries a profound promise. Just as a farmer sows a small handful of seeds to reap an abundant harvest, the reward prepared for a good person multiplies and grows far beyond their original actions [אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד]. These seeds are planted in the present world, but the harvest of light and joy is reserved for the future Messianic era, a time when good people will experience true happiness as they witness God's justice [רד"ק].
This concept offers a clear perspective on why good people often endure hardship in this world. God is not withholding goodness from them. Rather, He treats their actions as an investment that yields compounding interest, aiming to fill their spiritual treasuries with an abundance far greater than if He had rewarded them immediately [אלשיך]. In His kindness, God Himself plants the Torah and Commandments for them, ultimately granting them the resulting harvest [חומת אנך].
A careful distinction is made between two types of people, with each receiving a different form of reward: the righteous are destined for light, while the upright of heart are destined for joy [תורה תמימה]. This difference stems from their inner nature. A righteous person is someone who actively battles their negative impulses and conquers them. In contrast, the upright of heart are humble individuals [חומת אנך] whose character naturally leans toward doing good. Because they do not face the same internal conflict, their reward manifests as an open, complete joy [מלבי"ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].
Just as light is planted for the righteous, this profound joy is also planted and waiting for the upright [אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד]. This joy is not merely a future prize. It is deeply connected to how the upright experience the present, as they accept the pains of this world with integrity and gladness. Their ability to find joy even in the midst of difficulty is itself planted like a seed, transforming into an immense spiritual merit that adds to the harvest of their Torah and Commandments [אלשיך].