Introduction to the Purpose of Man in this World


Part A. A Vestibule to the World to Come



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Part A. A Vestibule to the World to Come
Understanding the ultimate purpose of this world yields a different perspective on life. Rather than seeing this world as an end unto itself, this world becomes only a means to a higher end.
1. Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) 4:16 — This world is a place to prepare for the next world.

Rabbi Yaakov says: This world is like an entrance hall before the world to come. Prepare yourself in the entrance hall so that you will be able to enter the palace.

רַבִּי יַעֲקב אוֹמֵר, הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה דּוֹמֶה לַפְּרוֹזְדוֹר בִּפְנֵי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. הַתְקֵן עַצְמְךָ בַפְּרוֹזְדוֹר, כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּכָּנֵס לַטְּרַקְלִין.

If the purpose of our creation is for the sake of receiving Divine good, we can understand that the final destination is not within this world, whose goodness is very limited. Rather, as noted above (Section I, Part A, Source 3), the destination is the infinite goodness of the World to Come (to delight in God and bask in the glow of His Presence).


2. Ramchal, Mesilat Yesharim Chapter 1 – This world is not an end in itself.

The rule is that man was not created for his standing in this world, but rather for his position in the World to Come, but his standing in this world is a means to create his position in the World to Come, which is his ultimate purpose.

כללו של דבר, האדם לא נברא בעבור מצבו בעולם הזה אלא בעבור מצבו בעולם הבא, אלא שמצבו בעולם הזה הוא אמצעי למצבו בעולם הבא שהוא תכליתו.

This recognition should affect us constantly, dictating how we spend our time and other resources.


3. Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, Visions of the Fathers, p. 250 – This world is “a hard day’s work” while the next world is the place to enjoy the fruits of our labors.

Our lifestyle would be much different if we truly realized that our earthly existence is merely a means to a greater end. We accept the reality that a person may have to put in a hard day’s work, and except for brief interludes during the workday, he cannot relax until he comes home in the evening. Our earthly existence is our “workday,” and except for brief periods of rest and tranquility, we are to engage in our work until we return to our true home in the Eternal World.


Part B. Everything is a Test
As we have learned, the purpose of man in this world is to exercise his free will and make correct decisions, overcoming challenges and thereby earning eternal reward. We have mentioned the constant tension between the physical body and the spiritual soul, which stands at the center of man's service of God. The physical world in which we live is thus full of challenges designed to create the circumstances in which our decisions must be made.

1. Ramchal, Mesilat Yesharim, Chapter 1 – Everything in the world is a test for man.

The Holy One, Blessed be He, has placed man in a place where there are many factors that distance him from God, and these factors are the material temptations that cause man to be distanced from the true good if he is drawn after them. Thus, man is in the center of a fierce struggle, for all the matters of this world, whether good or bad, are tests for man – poverty on the one hand and wealth on the other hand, as Solomon said (Proverbs 30:9), “Lest I be sated and deny and say, ‘Who is God?’ and lest I became impoverished and steal. . .” or tranquility on the one hand and suffering on the other – such that man is embattled from every side. If a person is valiant and is victorious in the war on all sides, he will become the perfect person who is privileged to cleave to his Creator and leave the vestibule to enter the palace and bask in the light of life.

והנה שמו הקדוש ברוך הוא לאדם במקום שרבים בו המרחיקים אותו ממנו יתברך, והם הם התאוות החמריות אשר אם ימשך אחריהן הנה הוא מתרחק והולך מן הטוב האמיתי, ונמצא שהוא מושם באמת בתוך המלחמה החזקה, כי כל עניני העולם בין לטוב בין (למוטב) לרע הנה הם נסיונות לאדם, העוני מצד אחד והעושר מצד אחד כענין שאמר שלמה (משלי ל ט): "פן אשבע וכחשתי ואמרתי מי ה', ופן אורש וגנבתי וגו'". השלוה מצד אחד והיסורין מצד אחד, עד שנמצאת המלחמה אליו פנים ואחור. ואם יהיה לבן חיל וינצח המלחמה מכל הצדדין, הוא יהיה האדם השלם אשר יזכה לידבק בבוראו ויצא מן הפרוזדור הזה ויכנס בטרקלין לאור באור החיים.

These words contain a crucial principle for life. It is not surprising that encountering obstacles, challenges, and difficult situations, can be understood as a test and trial. Yet, the Ramchal adds that even ostensibly “good” things such as wealth and tranquility are also tests for man!


If we understand that our purpose in life is to exercise our free will correctly, we will also understand that the circumstances of our lives are geared towards providing the tests that will bring the most out of our free will. Even the more pleasant parts of life are parts of the test. These tests are our raison d’etre, and it stands to reason that they are both constant and pervasive.
2. Esther Jungreis, Life Is a Test, Artscroll/Mesorah Publications – Tests are the essence of life and pervade all of our experiences, big and small.

So what is life?
From the Torah we learn that the definitive metaphor for life is a test. It is written that God tested the patriarch Abraham (Genesis 21:22), to which Abraham responded "Hineni" (here I am, ready to do Your bidding, to fulfill the purpose for which You created me). On ten different occasions, Abraham was tested and he passed each time. God continues to test each and every one of us. These tests are custom-made, designed with our unique needs in mind, so that we might discover and fulfill the higher purpose for which He created us.
From the moment we are born, to the day that God calls us, we are tested. In essence, everything is a test, and once we absorb this, it will become easier to bear the many challenges and trials of life. These tests come in many shapes and forms ― the way we relate to God, to our parents, our teachers, our peers, our neighbors, our co-workers, our colleagues, even to a clerk in a store, the waiter in a restaurant, or a fellow driver on the road, are all tests. These tests reflect the genuineness of our commitment, the depth of our faith and the measure of our character, and at the end of the day, we are marked "pass" or "fail."
In the "University on High," even little things ― things that we would normally consider innocuous and insignificant ― count, and therefore, are tests. For example, we wake up in the morning and have a mental tug of war over whether we should get up and pray or be kind to ourselves and linger in bed just a little bit longer. After all, we reason, our little prayer won't make a difference; it won't really matter to God whether we pray or not. In any event, God would certainly want us to take care of ourselves and protect our health. We need our sleep. But how much sleep do we really need? Six hours? Eight hours? How much?

The recognition that the tests we experience in life are the key to realizing our purpose in this world will give us an entirely different perspective when we encounter challenges or difficulties.


3. Rabbi Yosef Hurwitz, the Alter of Novardok, Madreigas HaAdam, Ch. 4, “Point of Truth” – Tests and challenges are the very stuff of life itself.

There is a type of tranquility that comes with tests and challenges… This is when a person feels calm and joyful at a time of challenge and calls it “life,” rather than “a test,” for that is when he actualizes all of his potential abilities and strength and faith in God. This is the purpose of life, and if a person experiences a continual challenge, or another challenge follows on the heels of the first, he should not consider it something wrong or a bad occurrence that he must wait for it to pass. On the contrary, that is when his entire vitality should be awakened, and he should feel that he is living a truly perfect life and be satisfied with the opportunity to wage war against the yetzer (evil inclination).

יש מנוחה עם נסיונות... כי הוא מרגיש מנוחת הנפש ושמחה עצומה בעת הנסיון ואינו קורא זה נסיון אלא הוא קורא זה חיים, כי אז מוציא כל כחותיו וגבורתו ובטחונו בד' מכח אל הפועל. וזה תכלית החיים, וכל שיתמיד יותר הנסיון או שבא נסיון אחר ברצוף אינו מרגיש זה לעול, ולמקרה רעה שידחוק את השעה מתי תעבור, אלא אדרבה אז יתעורר כל הרוח חיים שלו ואז הוא מרגיש כי הוא חי לפי דרך השלמות והוא שבע רצון ללחום אז מלחמת היצר.

Not only is every human being subject to tests throughout the course of his life, but Divine Providence tailors every individual’s life circumstances to produce the specific tests and challenges that are appropriate for him or her. (For a more detailed treatment of this subject, see the Morasha classes on Hashgachah Pratit.)


4. Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, Handbook of Jewish Thought, Vol. 2, 19:21 – God’s providence ensures that every person is in their correct life situation from which to choose good over evil.

The main task of Divine providence in this world is therefore to set each person in his station in life in order that he may serve God according to his destiny. All things that God does in this world are directed toward this purpose [Derech Hashem 2:3:2, 3] …

One might ask, though, why God should need to test us. After all, He is omniscient and knows all of our abilities. He does not need to test us in order to discern how we would respond. The answer is that He tests us for our benefit.


5. Ramban (Nachmanides), Bereishit 22:1—The purpose of a test is to benefit the person being challenged.

The function of a test, in my opinion, is: Since a person has complete autonomy in his actions and can choose whether or not to do something, it is considered a “test” from the vantage point of the one being tested. The Tester, however, gives the command in order to draw out his response from the potential to the actual, so that he can receive reward for good deeds and not merely for having a good heart. You should know that God challenges the righteous (Tehillim/Psalms 11:5) when He knows that the righteous man will do His will and He wishes to give him merits; then He commands him to undergo a test. He does not challenge the wicked, who will not listen. All the trials in the Torah were for the benefit of the one who was tested.

ענין הנסיון הוא לדעתי בעבור היות מעשה האדם רשות מוחלטת בידו אם ירצה יעשה ואם לא ירצה לא יעשה יקרא "נסיון" מצד המנוסה אבל המנסה יתברך יצוה בו להוציא הדבר מן הכח אל הפועל להיות לו שכר מעשה טוב לא שכר לב טוב בלבד דע כי השם צדיק יבחן (תהלים יא ה) כשהוא יודע בצדיק שיעשה רצונו וחפץ להצדיקו יצוה אותו בנסיון ולא יבחן את הרשעים אשר לא ישמעו והנה כל הנסיונות שבתורה לטובת המנוסה.

If we cultivate a recognition that the events in our lives are meant to test us, it can have an untold impact on our behavior. Rather than reacting instinctively – and often wrongly – in difficult and demanding situations, we will ask ourselves what the proper response is (maximizing the use of our free will) and what God wants from us. Focusing on this perspective can help us reach levels of greatness we might never have dreamed possible. Consider the following incident.


This was the delicious part of the morning. The house was still quiet as Morris returned home from shul (synagogue). The aroma of fresh-brewed coffee filled the air, and Morris' daily newspaper waited, crisply folded inside the delivery bag.
He sat down with his coffee and slid the newspaper out of its plastic sleeve. As he opened it, though, he saw that something was wrong. It wasn't tightly compressed, straight off the press, as it was every morning. It was creased in a few stray places, as if someone else had already opened it. Could it be? Morris felt anger rising inside him at the thought of someone invading his private space in so blatant a way.
"But let's not get carried away," he warned himself. "Maybe it's just some fluke."
The next morning, however, the idea of a fluke was soundly defeated. The newspaper was not only refolded, but it also bore a coffee stain on the front page. Now Morris was ready to do battle.
The next morning, he arose at 5 a.m. and watched as the delivery boy flew by on his bike and tossed the newspaper onto his front porch. Peeking through a slit in the window shade, Morris maintained his vigil to see what would happen next. He watched in disbelief as David, his neighbor across the street, emerged from his house, gently lifted the paper off Morris' porch and returned home, presumably to enjoy Morris' freshly folded paper with his coffee.
Morris imagined himself bursting through the front door and catching David red-handed. But in his visualization of sweet revenge, he could not see what would happen next. Would there be an argument? A fight? Would David be remorseful or defensive? Better to hold off on any action, Morris decided. First, he would discuss the situation with his rabbi and get an objective, informed opinion on how to handle it.
Morris went to his rabbi and told his tale of pilfering, creased newspapers, and coffee stains. The rabbi shook his head in amazement at the neighbor's audacity.
"Morris, you have every right to confront your neighbor and ask him to stop doing this unjustifiable act each morning," the rabbi told him. "But I want you to know that if you do that, then you will be losing a friend and a neighbor forever.
"I would like to suggest another option. Forget about your neighbor's actions. Instead of confronting him, buy him a one-year subscription to the newspaper as a gift from you to him. That way, instead of building up a fight, you will be paving a pathway of peace. Choose peace, Morris. You deserve it." (Binyomin Pruzansky, Stories for the Jewish Heart—Volume II, Artscroll/Mesorah Publications)
It would be understandable, for someone in Morris’s position, to react with anger. However, if someone recognizes that such difficulties are a test from God, it can enable him to transcend instinctive reactions and strive towards higher ideals. (See also the Morasha class on Controlling Anger.)


Key Themes of Section II.

  • The material world is the place where man works to earn the reward that he will subsequently enjoy in the World to Come. The verse states that "man was born to toil" (Job 5:7), and this “toil” – the labor towards achieving the purpose for which we are created – should be the focus of our lives. It is unwise to make the betterment of one’s material life the focus of one’s existence, for life in this world is fleeting and is only meant as a means to achieve true life in the World to Come.

  • Everything we experience in this world, including even the small details in our lives, is a test to determine whether we will choose right or wrong, good or evil. Even matters that we consider positive, such as wealth and tranquility, are actually tests.

  • The tests and trials we encounter are individually crafted for each of us. If we keep this principle in mind even in trying situations, we can find within ourselves the ability to pass each test, drawing from the great spiritual source of our own souls, to achieve the greatness for which we are destined.



Section III: The Goal of Man
We have already learned that man was placed in this world in order to exercise his free will and earn reward by choosing good over evil. We have also mentioned the constant tension between the conflicting drives of the physical body and the spiritual soul, and discussed the centrality of the tests and trials that God sends throughout our lives.
In this section we will address specific goals that a person should strive for – what, in terms of everyday behavior and deeds, is the arena for exercising our free will.
Part A. Torah and Mitzvot
We have already seen that the means we use in this world to achieve the ultimate purpose of our existence are the mitzvot that God commands (see above, Section I, Part A, Source 3). By devoting ourselves to performing mitzvot, we dedicate our lives to our own spiritual perfection (achieved by following the Divinely ordained path) and to bringing glory to God (the underlying purpose of the mitzvot – see the Appendix).
The Torah, however, contains 613 mitzvot, and although not all are applicable to every individual, many are! Is there any way of prioritizing the mitzvot and determining which are more valuable or crucial toward achieving our goal? The answer is: no. We should invest equal effort in all of them.
1. Pirkei Avot 2:1 – Attaching equal importance to every mitzvah.

Be as careful to observe a “minor” mitzvah as in a “major” one, for you do not know the reward of any of the mitzvot.

והוי זהיר במצוה קלה כבחמורה, שאין אתה יודע מתן שכרן של מצות.

Yet, a person should not feel that the abundance of mitzvot in the Torah represents an impossibly weighty responsibility. On the contrary, the Torah is termed "the Torah of mankind" (see for instance Maharal, Tiferet Yisrael, Chap. 12), for its mitzvot are tailor-made for us, providing an opportunity to make the very maximum of our human existence.


2. Mishnah, Makkot 3:16 – God gave the Jewish people many mitzvot to increase their merits.

Rabbi Chanania ben Akashya taught: The Holy One, Blessed be He, wanted to give merit to Israel. Therefore, He increased their Torah and mitzvot, as the verse states (Yeshayah/Isaiah 42:21), “God desired for the sake of His righteousness; He enlarged the Torah and expanded it.”

רבי חנניא בן עקשיא אומר, רצה הקדוש ברוך הוא לזכות את ישראל, לפיכך הרבה להם תורה ומצות, שנאמר (ישעיה מב, כא) יי חפץ למען צדקו יגדיל תורה ויאדיר

The Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 44:1) goes so far as to state that the mitzvot were only given for the purpose of refining humanity.


It is important to note that personal growth through Torah study and performance is not limited to a spiritual, transcendent refinement. In a very simple sense, the mitzvot of the Torah give our lives meaning and fulfillment. By means of mitzvah performance a person learns to “live with God” (the mitzvot draw God into all facets of our lives), bringing us a life of contentment and joy (see also the Morasha series on Personal Growth and Development).
3. Rabbi Aharon Lopiansky, Why a Joy-filled Sukkot? – The Joy of Divine Awareness.

The source of the happiness described as simchah lies in enhancing one's awareness of God and His providence, for with this awareness, one feels more complete. A person is beset with shortcomings and frustrations only because he considers himself a separate entity, unattached to God. Then his shortcomings are indeed shortcomings, and feeling that he is missing something is a true indication that he is genuinely lacking in an essential aspect of his life. Thus, atzav – "despair" – is a synonym for idolatry (Psalms 115:4), for its source is alienation from God.

Not so the person whose life is infused with faith and a keen awareness of God. Someone who recognizes that whatever travails and problems he encounters do not occur by chance but are part of a Divine plan designed for his benefit – such a person is sameyach bechelko, "content with his lot." This does not imply the passive resignation of the simple-minded, but the joy-filled end-product of one's recognition of God and His profound ways! …


In a similar vein, it is important to recall the relationship of a person with his own body. Although we have described a certain tension between the body and the soul, the Ba'al Shem Tov taught that this should not be understood as an imperative to shun bodily pleasures and renounce all involvement in worldly matters. The body is not the “enemy” of the soul, but rather its partner (as the instrument by which a person functions in the world) in service of God.


The body must therefore be given due respect.
4. Teaching of Ba'al Shem Tov (cited on www.chabad.org: Thirty-Six Aphorisms of the Baal Shem Tov) – Help the “Donkey” (the body).

It is written: "When you will see the donkey of your enemy collapsing under its burden, and you are inclined to refrain from aiding him, you shall nevertheless aid him" (Exodus 23:5). The Baal Shem Tov applied this instruction to the body and the material self (chamor, "donkey," also means "materiality"). Initially, the Torah is saying, you may see your body as your enemy, resisting your soul's objectives, collapsing under the "burden" of the mitzvot. You may therefore be inclined to fight the body by denying its needs and mortifying it. Says the Torah: You must aid your soul's "enemy." Purify the body, and refine it, but do not break it.

In the context of mitzvah performance, it bears mentioning that the mitzvah of Torah study is of primary importance, and is considered the foremost means of achieving closeness to God.


5. Ramchal, Derech Hashem 1:4:9 (Translation by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan) – Torah study has a unique ability to bring man to a level of perfection.

God granted us one particular means which can bring man close to God more than anything else. This is the study of His revealed Torah.

Such study accomplishes this in two ways: first through the reading of the Torah, and secondly through its comprehension.

In His love, God composed a volume of words decreed by His wisdom, and bestowed it upon us. This is the Torah and later works of the prophets, making up the Bible as we know it.

These words have the unique property of causing one who reads them to incorporate in himself the highest excellence and greatest perfection. [The only condition is that these words be read] with holiness and purity, with the proper intent of fulfilling God’s Will.


Similarly, when one strives to understand these works, either through his own intellect or through the explanations provided in their commentaries, he can earn even greater perfection, according to his effort. This is even more so when one attains a grasp of the secrets and mysteries contained in these works, since each of these concepts that one understands fixes and integrates a certain degree of the highest levels of excellence and perfection in his soul.
Through all these acts, man not only earns excellence and perfection for himself, but he also elevates and perfects the entire fabric of creation. This is particularly true in the case of the Torah.

ואמנם אמצעי אחד נתן לנו האל ית', שמדריגתו למעלה מכל שאר האמצעיים המקרבים האדם אליו, והוא תלמוד התורה. והוא בשתי בחינות, הא' - בבחינת ההגיון והלימוד, והב' - בבחינת ההשכלה. כי הנה רצה בחסדו ית' וחיבר לנו חיבור דברים כמו שגזרה חכמתו, ומסרם לנו, והיינו כלל ספר התורה, ואחריו ספרי הנביאים, שבסגולת הדברים ההם יהיה, שמי שיהגה בהם בקדושה ובטהרה, על הכונה הנכונה שהיא עשית חפצו ית', יתעצם בו על ידם מעלה עליונה ושלימות גדול עד מאד.

וכן מי שישתדל בהבנתם ובידיעת מה שמסר לנו מפירושיהם, יקנה כפי השתדלותו שלימות על שלימות. כל שכן אם יגיע אל השכלת סתריהם ורזיהם, שכל ענין מהם שישכיל יוקבע ויתעצם בנשמתו מדריגה מן המדריגות היותר רמות שבמעלה והשלימות האמיתי.


ובכל אלה הענינים לא די מה שקונה האדם בעצמו מעלה ושלימות, אלא שמציאות הבריאה כולה בכללה ובפרטה מתעלה ומשתלם, ובפרט על ידי התורה.


(See further the Morasha class Torah Study: The Foundation of Jewish Life.)



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