Why Are We Living

This is the time of year when we are supposed to do some serious soul searching. We are to contemplate our role in this world, and what Hashem expects of us.

The Ramchal makes two compelling arguments as to why our focus should not be on this world, but on Olam Haba, the World to Come. The majority of man’s efforts should be meriting Olam Haba.

The first argument is that it makes no sense to assume that man is living to acquire pleasures, and afterwards, he dies.

It cannot be that we are meant to live in such an imperfect world, where there are so many difficulties. We deal with pain and suffering, and endure great disappointments. It has to be that this world is filled with tests and obstacles. But if we overcome them, we are rewarded with eternal bliss in the next world.

The Ramchal’s second argument is that it is not possible that G-d would blow into us, our precious souls, that come from the Throne of Glory, only for this world,

Our souls crave spirituality, and they are not impressed by any physical pleasure, that one might experience. The soul is meant to be the vehicle that will help us rise to great spiritual heights. Its nourishment comes from the Torah and Mitzvot that we observe.

Our bodies are with us until 120, but our souls are eternal. They represent the Divine aspect of our being. Just as G-d is eternal, so, too, our souls.

This is why we should be coming to the conclusion that material pursuits and pleasures, are fleeting. The spiritual, remains with us forever. This realization should allow us to take our day to day worries, more in stride. When we connect to Hashem, we have peace of mind.

And the reward for acquiring such peace of mind, is eternal bliss, where we will experience more joy than anything we have ever experienced.