Berachos 54a: All blessings in the Beis Hamikdash used to end with the words “Ad Haolam” (for example, Boruch Atah Hashem Elokei Yisroel ad haolam, boruch chonen hadaas). After the Saduccees denied Judaism and claimed that there was only one world, Chazal enacted to say, “Min haolam v’ad haolam” (from this world to the next world).
ברכות נד ע”א: כל חותמי ברכות שבמקדש היו אומרים: עד העולם. משקלקלו הצדוקים ואמרו אין עולם אלא אחד ־ התקינו שיהו אומרים: מן העולם ועד העולם.
Rabbi Pinchus Hirshprung told the following story about his rosh yeshiva, Rabbi Meir Shapiro. Reb Meir served as Agudath Israel’s representative in the Polish parliament. A non-religious Jew once taunted him, “What is a rav and rosh yeshiva like you doing in politics? Go back to your beis medrash!”
Reb Meir replied: The Mishnah says that in the Beis Hamikdash, they used to say only “ad haolam,” but when the heretics denied Olam Haba and claimed that the present physical world was the only world, Chazal changed the words of the blessing to say, “From this world to the next world.” Today, we can explain it the opposite way. Originally, rabbis used to spend all their time on matters of Torah, matters related to Olam Haba. But when the heretics came and got involved in politics, it became necessary to make a rabbi’s job “from this world to the next world.” Rabbis had to go into politics too in order to counter the influence of the heretics.
Rabbi Chaim Kreiswirth gave a similar explanation of the story in the Gemara about Rav Sheishes and the heretic waiting for the king to pass (Berachos 58a). The heretic asked why a “broken vessel” like Rav Sheishes needed to come out and greet the king, but Rav Sheishes proved more astute in predicting when the king would come. Rav Sheishes explained how he knew: “Kingship on earth is like kingship in heaven.” Rashi learns that the heretic doubted Rav Sheishes because he was blind. But Rav Kreiswirth explained that the debate was about whether a talmid chacham’s views in politics carry any weight. The heretic said, “You just sit and learn Torah; what do you know about kings?” Rav Sheishes replied, “Kingship on earth is like kingship in heaven, and therefore only we who learn Torah understand what government is about.”
Source: Mayim Chaim p. 150-152 and note 48
Read and Remember 