Q&A: The Purpose of Life
The Purpose of Life
Question
A basic assumption in the thought of the medieval authorities (Rishonim), and to a large extent in most study halls in our time, is that the purpose of life is to serve God. Maimonides speaks about knowledge of God, and accordingly one should direct bodily conduct, character refinement, and social order toward that. The Kuzari speaks about receiving the divine element, while the human parts of a person are only a preparation for it. Hasidism speaks about cleaving to God, and so do almost all the spiritual movements among the Jewish people in modern times. When people speak about the difference between the religious and secular outlooks, they often emphasize this point: that in the religious outlook there is a purpose that precedes our decisions, and there is one purpose rather than many purposes that each person constructs in his own way.
This outlook is connected to a teleological (utilitarian) conception of the commandments. Maimonides, for example, explains the commandments as a way of life that enables knowledge of the Creator, and so it is only natural that he would define the goal of life as knowledge of the Creator. And so too each thinker in his own way.
The Rabbi usually explains that we fulfill the commandments out of a kind of "metaphysical gratitude," and avoids teleological explanations of the commandments (although he does not deny that from the Holy One's perspective there may be a purpose, but we do not understand it and fulfill them only because we are obligated). This is a more deontological conception of the commandments.
This seemingly "bounds" the commandments. Performing them is an intrinsic obligation imposed upon us, but if we do not speak about some general purpose toward which they are directed, that "frees" many areas of life. It opens the possibility of choosing other meanings for life—moral, hedonistic, and so on. According to this, it is not correct to say that the purpose of life is cleaving to God. It is more accurate to say that we do not know the purpose of our creation, and each person should choose a goal or give life meaning according to the best of his understanding. One must only not forget that we are obligated to fulfill the commands that the Creator imposed upon us.
Does the Rabbi agree?
Answer
Indeed.
Discussion on Answer
Hello Yitzhak. It's better to continue a discussion like this in sequence. It's hard for me to come back to it after some time when I've already forgotten what we were talking about.
1. I'm not completely sure that this is in fact Maimonides' view. He speaks about proper conduct in life, but I don't recall him saying that all of this is intended so that we may serve God. Proper conduct is itself service of God (taking care of the body that He created for us).
2. I don't see any connection at all between this discussion and Nachmanides' words. Why should my view contradict the obligation of "You shall be holy"?
3. The obligation of Torah study is indeed as much as you can. But if you are occupied with something else that you need (not necessarily for serving God), then you have not necessarily neglected Torah study. You yourself mentioned earning a living here.
4. Of course, you can broaden the definition of serving God to include all beneficial actions, and then it is reasonable to define such an obligation as ongoing at all times.
So that I can know whether I understood the Rabbi correctly: is the Rabbi's view different from what Maimonides says, that one should sleep and eat in order to be able to serve God? And from Nachmanides' famous words on "You shall be holy"? After all, there he says that one should follow the purpose of the commandment, and he understands the prohibitions of forbidden foods and sexual immorality as connected to excessive desire.
And regarding the commandment of Torah study—is it not an obligation that in principle exists all the time (even though there are many reasons that justify not studying)? If so, there is a conception here that life is centered around Torah, except when one is occupied with commandments and earning a living.