Rome Claims Its Reward at the End of Days
In the future, Hashem offers reward to all who busied themselves with Torah, and Rome claims its markets, bathhouses and gold were all for Israel's learning.
The Gemara in Avodah Zara (2a–b) relates a fascinating story, albeit one that hasn’t happened yet. It will take place sometime after Mashiach comes. Hashem will hold a Torah and proclaim, “For each one who occupied himself with it, let him come and receive his reward.” Immediately, all the nations of the world will gather and come in pandemonium. The Maharsha explains that each nation will assume that Hashem is holding their books of laws that they erroneously followed. They will therefore come zealously to collect their reward.
The kingdom of Rome will enter before Him first . . . The Holy One will say to them, “What good deeds did you do throughout the generations that you are deserving of reward? (Tosfos’s explanation.) They will say before Him, “Master of the World! We installed many markets, we made many bathhouses, we amassed much silver and gold, and all this we did for no purpose other than to enable [the people of] Israel to busy themselves in Torah.” The Holy One will say to them, “Fools of the world! All that you did, you did for your own purposes. You built marketplaces for your own needs, bathhouses to adorn yourselves, and the silver and gold is actually Mine . . .”