Q&A: Why Are We Here?
Why Are We Here?
Question
I spend a lot of time grappling with existential questions, both from the human perspective and from the religious one—for example, why were we created? What is our role here? And so on. These are obviously not questions I’m the first to think about, but for me they exist on a very pressing level, especially in the religious and theological context. I’ll start דווקא from a somewhat unusual angle: the blessing “Blessed is the true Judge”—is it meant to bless God for what He does even when it is painful and searing for us, because that is the truth, meaning because that is how it needs to be even though we do not understand it? If so, then the blessing is really over some good or benefit being done for us—like a person thanking a doctor for a difficult and painful surgery that saved his life. In that case, it is not unconditional thanks to God, but thanks for something beneficial. And even that is not really thanks to God, but thanks for reality, which can only operate in this way for our true benefit (and God, in that case, is the Judge of that truth). Or is there something deeper here, like submission to God and nullification of one’s personal will? In other words, should one live with the feeling and understanding that the world was created without consulting us first, since after all we were invented against our will, on a path of beneficence that ultimately requires this world, with all its hardships, as preparation for something better—and therefore one should take everything in good spirit, since this is the best path for us? Or should one see the world as an opaque riddle to which we are subject under God’s will, with no reward at all, and submission is obligatory simply because He is God and we are the created beings, without our knowing or understanding what is happening here or why?
Answer
In the end, it seems that the world is meant to do good. But in order to bring about that good, difficult steps are also required. The Hazon Ish, in his book Faith and Trust, explains that trust does not mean believing that things will be good, but that whatever happens will be what needs to happen. True, in the final analysis I assume that he too would agree that everything will ultimately lead to improvement and beneficence, but there is no necessity that it will be good for you personally. When a sinner is punished, it is not good for him, but the punishment improves the world and perhaps him as well. Should he thank the lawgiver for the punishment? I do not know. But we, humanity as a whole, should thank the lawgiver, because overall the outcome is better when there are punishments.
Like this, the Talmud says that a lost item is returned based on identifying marks. The Talmud asks: why? After all, the owner of the lost item would not want it returned without witnesses and only on the basis of identifying marks, because that opens the door to swindlers (the marks do not establish with complete certainty that the recipient is really the owner). The Talmud answers that the average person would still prefer that a lost item be returned based on identifying marks, because if the policy were not to return it based on marks, then I too might end up in a situation where I lost something and someone found it, and I have no witnesses that it is mine, only identifying marks—and my lost item would not be returned to me. Therefore I myself prefer to take the risk that a lost item might be returned to a swindler who is not the owner, because otherwise there is a greater chance that my own lost item will not be returned. Now think: in a specific case where a swindler comes and receives my lost item based on the identifying marks he gave—should I thank the lawgiver for deciding that lost items are returned based on identifying marks? Theoretically perhaps yes (since as a policy that is what I would want done), but practically I doubt I would do so (I would probably be angry with him).
In summary, I thank Him for the world He created, but not for each and every thing He does to me (some of which are unpleasant). But in theory I understand that everything is probably intended for good purposes.
In general, in my opinion there is no point in discussing questions about our purpose and role in the world, or the purpose of our creation. We have no way of arriving at a reasonable answer, so it is a waste of time. Do what you think is right to do—commandments, morality, pleasures—and that is that. These deliberations do not move anyone anywhere. It is only a word mill. And regarding this I would recommend what the Sages said (Berakhot 10a): “Why do you involve yourself with the hidden matters of the Merciful One? What you have been commanded, that you must do; and what is pleasing before the Holy One, blessed be He, let Him do.”