Introduction to the Purpose of Man in this World

Part B. Character Development
A significant part of our mission in the world is to exercise free will to perfect our character and refine our behavior.
1. Vilna Gaon, Even Shleimah 2 – What is life for, if not for character refinement?

The prime purpose of man’s life is to constantly strive to break his bad traits. Otherwise, what is life for?

עיקר חיות האדם היא להתחזק תמיד בשבירת המדות, ואם לא – למה לו חיים?

The Ramchal goes so far as to express our reward for the World to Come in terms of the human refinement that we achieve in this world.

2. Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, Da'at Tevunot, No. 14 – The perfection man achieves is itself his reward.

The first principle… is that God desired that man should perfect himself and all that was created for him, and this itself will be his merit and his reward…His reward – that he will indeed be perfected, and will take pleasure in goodness for eternity.

היסוד הראשון... הוא שרצה הרצון העליון שיהיה האדם משלים את עצמו ואת כל הנברא בשבילו, וזה עצמו יהיה זכותו ושכרו... שכרו - שהרי סוף סוף הוא יהיה המושלם, ויהיה מתענג בטובה לנצח נצחים.

Human refinement of course includes character refinement. Yet, the concept of human perfection runs far deeper than the simple idea of refined character traits. In the Torah, the obligation to refine our character is expressed as an imperative to emulate God, seeking to adopt the same attributes He displays. In its deeper sense, self-perfection is therefore a means of drawing God into the world.

3. Rambam (Maimonides), Sefer HaMitzvot, Positive Commandment 8 – The Torah commands us to emulate God.

The precept in which we were commanded to emulate God as much as we can is stated by the verse: “You shall follow in His ways” (Devarim/Deuteronomy 28:9). This commandment is repeated when the Torah says: “…to go in all of His ways” (ibid. 11:22). The mitzvah is explained as follows: “Just as God is called merciful, you should be merciful. Just as God is called kind, you shall be kind. Just as God is called righteous, you shall be righteous. Just as God is called saintly, you shall be saintly.” These are the words of Sifri. The commandment is repeated in different terms, where the verse states: “You shall follow God, your Lord” (ibid. 13:5). There, too, it is explained to mean that one should emulate the good deeds and noble attributes which describe God through analogies, and then one will achieve great heights.

הציווי שנצטווינו להדמות לו ית' כפי יכלתנו, והוא אמרו: "והלכת בדרכיו" (דברים כח, ט). וכבר כפל ציווי זה ואמר: "ללכת בכל-דרכיו" (שם יא, כב), ובא בפירוש ענין זה: "מה הקב"ה נקרא רחום - אף אתה היה רחום; הקב"ה נקרא חנון - אף אתה היה חנון; הקב"ה נקרא צדיק - אף אתה היה צדיק; הקב"ה נקרא חסיד - אף אתה היה חסיד" - זהו לשון ספרי. וכבר כפל צווי זה בלשון אחר ואמר: "אחרי ה' אלקיכם תלכו" (שם יג, ה), וגם בפירושו בא, שענינו להתדמות למעשים הטובים ולמידות הנכבדות שבהם מתואר יתעלה על דרך המשל - יתעלה על הכל עילוי רב.

On a related note, the Torah attaches tremendous importance to one’s relations with other people. In acting with others according to the dictates of the Torah, we emulate God in our interpersonal interactions.

4. Vayikra (Leviticus), 19:18 – The Torah commands us to love others as we love ourselves.

You shall love your fellow as you love yourself.

ואהבת לרעך כמוך.

5. Rashi, ibid. – The centrality of this principle.

Rabbi Akiva taught that this is a pivotal rule in the Torah.

אמר ר' עקיבא זה כלל גדול בתורה.

The mitzvot of the Torah are generally divided into two categories: those that apply between man and God, and those that apply between man and his fellow man. The mitzvot that regulate behavior between man and his neighbor include prohibitions of not wronging others in any way, and obligations in performing different acts of kindness.

Kindness is considered one of the pillars that uphold the world.
6. Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers), 1:2—The three pillars that uphold the world.

Shimon the Righteous was among the last members of the Great Assembly. He taught that the world stands on three things: Torah, service [of God], and acts of kindness.

שמעון הצדיק היה משירי כנסת הגדולה. הוא היה אומר, על שלשה דברים העולם עומד, על התורה ועל העבודה ועל גמילות חסדים.

The Jewish approach to interpersonal relations is discussed at length in the Morasha series on Bein Adam L’Chaveiro.

Part C. Partnering with God
It is important to note that the effects of our choices are not limited to the effect (worldly and spiritual) on the individual. By observing mitzvot and exercising our free will properly, we become, in essence, partners with God in the creation and upkeep of the world.
This concept is closely related to the general purpose of the world: bringing glory to God. By perfecting the world through his deeds, man makes the world into an abode in which God's Presence can dwell.
1. Rabbi Chaim Volozhiner, Nefesh HaChaim, Gate I, Chapter 3 – By making correct choices and performing good deeds, man brings tremendous spiritual benefit to the universe.

In this manner, as it were, God created man and gave him power over myriads upon myriads of forces and countless worlds. He placed them in the hands of man so that man could control and affect them with every detail of his actions, deeds, words, and thoughts and with all manner of conduct, for good or for bad, Heaven forbid. For with his positive actions, words, and thoughts, man preserves and gives strength to many spiritual forces and worlds and adds sanctity and light to them, as the verse states (Isaiah 51:16), “I placed My words in your mouth . . . to plant the heavens and found the earth.” Similarly, our Sages state (Berachos 54a): “Do not read [the reference to Torah Sages as] ‘your sons’ but rather ‘your builders.’” For it is they who arrange the upper worlds, as a builder arranges his building, and they endow them with strength. The converse is also true, Heaven forbid, that a man’s improper deeds, words, or thoughts destroy many forces and sacred spiritual worlds beyond count or measure. As the verse states (ibid. 49:17) “Your demolishers and your destroyers…” Alternatively, man’s improper deeds can darken or diminish their light and sanctity, Heaven forbid… This is the meaning of the verse “God created man in His image, in the image of Elokim” and “for in the image of Elokim He made man.” Just as God is Elokim, i.e., the master of all powers that exist in all the worlds, and He arranges them and controls them at every moment in accordance with His will; so too He appointed man as the one who opens and closes myriads of forces and worlds based on all the details of his conduct in all of his matters, literally at every time and moment, in accordance with the spiritual root of his actions, words, and thoughts, as if he were also the master of their powers, as it were.

כן בדמיון זה כביכול ברא הוא יתברך את האדם והשליטו על רבי רבוון כחות ועולמות אין מספר, ומסרם בידו שיהא הוא המדבר והמנהיג אותם עפ"י כל פרטי תנועות מעשיו ודבוריו ומחשבותיו וכל סדרי הנהגותיו הן לטוב או להיפך ח"ו, כי במעשיו ודבוריו ומחשבותיו הטובים הוא מקיים ונותן כח בכמה כחות ועולמות עליונים הקדושים, ומוסיף בהם קדושה ואור כמ"ש (ישעיה נא, טז): "וָאָשִׂם דְּבָרַי בְּפִיךָ גו' לִנְטֹעַ שָׁמַיִם וְלִיסֹד אָרֶץ". וכמאמרם ז"ל (ברכות סד, א) "אל תקרא בניך אלא בוניך". כי המה המסדרים עולמות העליונים כבונה המסדר בנינו ונותנים בהם רב כח, ובהיפוך ח"ו ע"י מעשיו או דבוריו ומחשבותיו אשר לא טובים, הוא מהרס ר"ל כמה כחות ועולמות עליונים הקדושים לאין ערך ושיעור. כמו שכתוב (שם מט, יז) "מהרסיך ומחריביך וגו'". או מחשיך או מקטין אורם וקדושתם ח"ו... זהו "ויברא אלקים את האדם בצלמו בצלם אלקים וגו'". "כי בצלם אלקים עשה וגו'". שכמו שהוא ית' שמו הוא האלקים בעל הכחות הנמצאים בכל העולמות כולם, ומסדרם ומנהיגם כל רגע כרצונו, כן השליט רצונו יתברך את האדם שיהא הוא הפותח והסוגר של כמה אלפי רבואות כחות ועולמות על פי כל פרטי סדרי הנהגותיו בכל עניניו בכל עת ורגע ממש כפי שרשו העליון של מעשיו ודבוריו ומחשבותיו, כאילו הוא גם כן הבעל כח שלהם כביכול.

Part D. What Is My Mission?
It is important to note that every human being is created with his own individualized set of strengths and weaknesses, and is placed in custom-tailored circumstances that will create his own unique tests and trials throughout his life.
Thus, while the general description of mankind’s mission is the same, each person has his or her own particular, unique mission in the world.
1. Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe, Alei Shur, Vol. I, p. 168 – The profound importance of each individual, and his purpose in life.

The Talmud states, “Each and every person must declare, ‘The world was created for me’ (Sanhedrin 37a). Rashi explains that this means that I am considered as important as the entire world … “Like the entire world” – This is the one-time life experience of each person – there was never a person like him; nor will there ever be a person like him throughout history. I, with my special character strengths, the child of my particular parents, born in a specific time period, and in a particular environment – certainly there is a unique challenge that is placed upon me. I have a special share in the Torah, and the entire world is waiting for me to complete my challenge. For my mission cannot be exchanged with anyone else in the world!

"כל אחד ואחד חייב לומר: בשבילי נברא העולם"- רש"י: "כלומר: חשוב אני כעולם מלא, לא אטרד את עצמי מן העולם בעבירה אחת". (סנהדרין לז, א) "כעולם מלא" – זוהי חוית חד-פעמיותו של האדם, שלא היה עוד כמותו ולא יהיה כמותו עד סוף כל הדורות. אני עם המיזוג המיוחד של כוחותי, בן לאותם אבות, נולד בתוך אותה תקופה ובאותה סביבה- בודאי עבודה מיוחדת מוטלת עלי, חלק מיוחד לי בתורה, וכל הבריאה מחכה לי שאתקן את המוטל עלי, כי את עבודתי לא אוכל להחליף עם שום אדם אחר בעולם!

Every individual is charged with perfecting himself and overcoming his own unique set of challenges. One need not be concerned that he has not reached the level achieved by anyone else, for God judges him based on his own individual abilities and circumstances.

2. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, Derash Moshe, Parshas Va’eira – Each individual has his own unique mission.

Rashi explains that in some places the Torah mentions Aharon before Moshe and in other places it mentions Moshe before Aharon, to teach that they were equal. This is puzzling, since Moshe was the master of all prophets and the teacher of the world, and the Torah was given through him; how can it be said that Aharon was equal to him? We can explain . . . that since throughout his life, Aharon fulfilled God’s will perfectly, it is possible to say that he was equal to Moshe, even though Moshe was greater because he had more missions. Nevertheless, since they both did as they were commanded in accordance with their abilities, they were on an equal level. This is how I explained the Talmud in Bava Basra 10b, where it states that Yosef, the son of Rabbi Yehoshua, became ill and lost consciousness. [When he revived,] his father asked him what he had seen and he replied, “I saw an upside-down world. The people who were on a higher level were below, and those on a lower level were above.” His father said, “You saw the world clearly.” But this is very puzzling: how could he have said it was an upside-down world? Certainly in this world a person sees only with his eyes, whereas that [Next World] is the world of truth. It must be that he saw that even in the world of truth, the people who were considered superior here were also superior there, and the inferior people were still inferior there, but the superior people there were nevertheless in a lower position than those who were inferior to them, and that is why he called it an upside-down world. His father replied that the world was seen clearly because God does not demand of a person more than he is capable of achieving. Therefore, those who had limited abilities and the like but still accomplished in accordance with their abilities, fulfilled their mission in this world and therefore they earned a higher position [in the Next World]. The superior ones, however, even though they were greater and had performed more virtuous deeds, still were capable of achieving even more Torah and good deeds in accordance with their abilities, but they were slightly negligent in accomplishing this and therefore earned a lower stature. Thus, it emerges that when two people act in accordance with their abilities, they are considered on an equal level.

פירש"י יש מקומות שמקדים אהרן למשה ויש מקומות שמקדים משה לאהרן לומר ששקולים כאחד. והוא דבר תמוה שמשה היה אדון הנביאים ורבן של כל העולם ועל ידו ניתנה התורה ואיך אמר שאהרן שקול? ויש לפרש... דכיון דאהרן עשה כל ימיו בשלימות כל רצון השי"ת שהיה אפשר לו לעשות הוא שקול כמשה, אף שמשה היה גדול דלכן היה עליו יותר דברים, מ"מ כיון ששניהם עשו מה שנצטוו ונשלחו כפי יכלתם הגדול הן שוין במעלה. ובארתי הא דב"ב דף י' ע"ב דיוסף בריה דר' יהושע חלש אינגיד א"ל אבוה מאי חזית א"ל עולם הפוך ראיתי עליונים למטה ותחתונים למעלה א"ל עולם ברור ראית, שתמוה מאד איך אמר שהוא עולם הפוך, הא ודאי בעוה"ז האדם רואה רק לעינים והתם הוא עולם האמת. אבל צריך לומר דראה שגם בעולם האמת אומרים שהם עליונים אלו שהיו ידועים בכאן עליונים, ועל התחתונים שהם תחתונים, ומ"מ היו העליונים למטה והתחתונים למעלה, ולכן אמר שהוא עולם הפוך. והשיב לו אביו שהוא עולם ברור משום שהקב"ה אינו בא בטרוניא ותובע מכל אחד רק כפי כחו, ולכן אלו שכחם קטן בכשרונותיהם וכדומה אבל עשו כפי כחם קיימו שליחותם בעוה"ז ולכן הם למעלה, והעליונים אף שהם יותר גדולים ועשו יותר מעשים טובים מהתחתונים אבל היו יכולים לעשות יותר תורה ומעשים לפי כשרונותיהם וכחותיהם ונתרשלו קצת לכן הם למטה, וא"כ נמצא שבעשו שניהם כפי כחם הם שקולים במדרגה.

By the same token, as the following story illustrates, one need not envy another person’s natural abilities, for God expects every individual to perfect himself in accordance with the individualized set of abilities with which he was endowed.

Rabbi Naftali Amsterdam once lamented to the towering ethical giant, Rabbi Yisrael Salanter, "If only I had the mind of the author of the Responsa Sha'agas Aryeh, the dedicated heart of the author of 'Foundation and Source of Divine Service,' and the ethical character traits of you, my master!"

Rabbi Salanter was not impressed.

"Naftali!" Rabbi Yisrael sharply retorted to his disciple. "No! No! You are to serve God with your own mind, with your own heart, and with your own exemplary character traits" (cited by Osher Chaim Levene, “Who Am I?” Aish.com).

Key Themes of Section III. The Torah contains 613 mitzvot (many of which are relevant to each of us), and all are vital for the fulfillment of our purpose in this world. One cannot assign greater importance to some mitzvot, and neglect others; performing the will of God implies performing all of them. At the same time, the mitzvot are all opportunities. They are the means by which we achieve personal perfection, by which we rectify the world in which we are placed, and the means by which we forge a close relationship with God – which is itself our “reward” in the World to Come. The Torah places particular emphasis on character development and man’s relationship with his fellow men. In this sense, it can be said that the purpose of our existence is to refine our personalities, including the display of kindness to others. By refining our characters, we emulate the ways of God, as befitting man, who was created in the Divine Image. As it were, we thus draw God into the world by means of our own deeds. God created the universe in such a way that man’s actions have an impact, either positive or negative, on all the spiritual realms. Every individual has his own unique mission in this world and is charged with using his own particular set of strengths, overcoming his own particular weaknesses, and dealing with his own particular life circumstances in such a way that he will serve God to the fullest.

Appendix. The World was Created for the Glory of God
We learned in Section I that the world was created for the sake of man; God wished to give humanity a share of Divine goodness and bounty. Other sources, however, indicate an additional purpose for the creation of the world – for the sake of God’s glory.
1. Mishnah, Avot 6:11 – Everything was created for the glory of God.

All that the Holy One, Blessed be He, created in His world, He created only for His glory, As it is said (Isaiah 43:7): “Everything that is called by My Name, and which I have created for My glory, I have formed it, even I have made it.”

כל מה שברא הקדוש ברוך הוא בעולמו לא בראו אלא לכבודו, שנאמר (ישעיה מג:ז), כל הנקרא בשמי ולכבודי בראתיו יצרתיו אף עשיתיו.

A similar statement is made by the Prophets concerning the purpose of creating the nation of Israel.

2. Isaiah 43:21 – The Purpose of the Nation of Israel.

This nation I have created for Myself, in order that they should tell My glory.

עם זו יצרתי לי תהילתי יספרו.

As noted above, Judaism maintains that God is intrinsically perfect. He has no lack that needs to be filled. Therefore, saying that Creation is “for the sake of God” makes no theological sense because it implies that somehow God needs the world for His own purposes. What then is this supposed to mean?

Furthermore, we learned that God created the world for the good of man, in order to bestow His infinite goodness upon us. The sources above, however, state that God created the world for the purpose of His own glory. How can we reconcile that the world was created for God with the teaching that God created the world for our sake?
It must be that what is meant by saying that God created the world for His own glory does not mean that He created it for Himself. Somehow – and we will have to understand how – the greatest good that God could give is achieved when we, His creation, recognize His glory.
3. Irving M. Bunim, Ethics from Sinai, pg. 401 – We achieve our own ultimate development when we recognize God’s universal presence in the world.

If a mortal king of flesh-and-blood so ordered and ruled his realm so that everything and everyone in it must enhance his honor, we would consider him vain and self-centered. But perish such a thought about the Supreme Ruler. The living universe is a rhapsody to His glory because the cosmos benefits constantly from His sustaining omnipresence. And man was created ultimately to acknowledge and exalt His glory, because in that way lies man’s ultimate development.

When we talk about the revelation of God’s glory, what we are referring to is mankind’s recognition of God as the source of all existence. This awareness is by definition incomplete in the physical world in which we live, as God has designed this world to hide His presence. In fact, the Hebrew word for world, Olam, stems from the same etymological root as the word he’elam, meaning hidden: the world hides God’s presence. The ultimate revelation of God’s glory will only truly be realized in the world to come, the same stage of existence in which we reap the rewards of our actions in this world.

Why did God create a world within which He hides? Why not create a world of revelation? Indeed, this is the same question we asked above regarding why God did not just create us in a state of perfection – and the answer to both questions is the same. Because the world as God created it allows us the leeway of having free will and affords us the opportunity to choose to see God, become aware of His kindness, to build a relationship with Him, and to reveal His glory through our actions. In doing so, we earn the goodness that God ultimately wants to give us – attachment to the Infinite.
4. Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv (Leshem), Sefer Ha-De'ah, Vol. 2, Derush 4, Anaf 11, Sec. 1 –The revelation of God's glory, and the goodness bestowed on us: They are one and the same.

This is what the Sages stated, that all was created for His glory, meaning for the revelation of the light of His Holiness, by which His Kingdom will be revealed in the entire universe, and the glory of God will be revealed to all humanity. This is the greatest of all pleasures, and there is no pleasure beyond it. All the goodness in the world will only be details in the context of the greatness of the future revelation of God’s glory. This is the explanation of the statement in several Torah writings that God’s intention for creation of the world is to do good with its creatures. Although the verse states that "all that God did is for His sake" (Proverbs 16:4)… the truth is that this is all one matter, for the revelation of Divine glory is itself the greatest pleasure, and this is the wonderful goodness mentioned by the Prophets and by the Sages as the destiny of the world – all of them derive from the Divine revelations, and they are all one matter.

וזהו מה שיסדו שהכל ברא לכבודו שהוא לגילוי אור קדושתו ית"ש שיתגלה כבודו ומלכותו בכל המציאות כולו ויהיה נגלה כבוד ה' לכל בשר והוא העונג דכל העינוגים והעדן דכל העידונים שאין למעלה מזה וכל היעודים כולם הם רק פרטיו... וזהו מה שנמצא בכמה ספרי קדושי עליון שאמרו שכוונת כל הבריאה הנה היה כדי להיטיב לבריותיו הגם שהכתוב אומר (משלי ט"ז ד') כל פעל ה' למענהו... אך האמת הוא שהוא הכל דבר אחד כי גילוי כבודו ית"ש הוא גופא עונג כל העינוגים ותכלית כל הטובות וכל היעודים כולם הנאמרים בדברי הנביאים ובדברי רז"ל בטוב העתיד הם כולם המציאויות שבהעולם אשר ייצאו ויתהוו מפרטי גילוייו והם הכל דבר אחד.

The infinite goodness that God performed with humanity is manifest in giving human beings the opportunity to bring glory to His Name by recognizing Him as the source of all. In that way we are able to earn the true and absolute goodness. So the two ideas – kindness and glory – merge into one: God created the world in order that man will receive Divine goodness and He also created a mechanism by which we are able to earn our goodness, by revealing the glory of God.