Q&A: Does God Want Us to Enjoy the World?
Does God Want Us to Enjoy the World?
Question
Hello Rabbi,
Do you know of any discussion in Torah sources regarding a person's love of himself and of his life?
I work in emotional support for a religious man who refuses to enjoy the world unless it is God's will, and right now we are having a Socratic dialogue about God's attitude toward loving His world and toward a person's love of himself.
This Jew is in deep existential depression, and I would like to present him with sources from Judaism showing that God wants a person to love himself and his life here in this world, and not only the World to Come.
Answer
The context of the question is really fascinating. This is philosophical therapy. What I remember at the moment is:
- The saying of Reish Lakish, who cried on his deathbed because he had not managed to eat everything he had: Gittin 47a (if I recall correctly, there are parallels as well).
- The saying of Hillel the Elder, when he went to the bathhouse, that he was taking care of his body and that this was God's will: https://agadastories.org.il/node/735
- Of course, the blessing over enjoyment before partaking (Berakhot 35a). The Talmud says that it is forbidden to enjoy this world without a blessing. It follows that with a blessing, it is perfectly fine.
- Bava Kamma 91b: Rabbi Elazar HaKappar Berabbi said: What is the meaning of the verse, “and make atonement for him, for that he sinned against the soul”? Against what soul did this one sin? Rather, it is because he deprived himself of wine. And if this one, who deprived himself only of wine, is called a sinner, then one who deprives himself of everything all the more so.
One should ask the encyclopedists of aggadah. Tz"l, where are you?
Discussion on Answer
Is the Rabbi in favor of philosophical therapy?
I am in favor of whatever helps.
Regarding the Mishnah, “Eat bread with salt.”
See the book Accounting of the Soul, by Rabbi Mendel Lefin of blessed memory, “Collections Following Collections,” on what pertains to chapter 2, patience.
Hello to the therapist. I do not know what kind of relationship there is between you and your patient (psychiatrist, psychologist, teacher, mentor, friend, etc.), but if you are not a psychiatrist or psychologist, and your patient suffers from deep depression, then you need to refer the patient to professionals. And I hope the patient will have a complete recovery in body and soul.
Rabbi,
It seems to me that the third proof, from the blessing over enjoyment, is questionable.
On the face of it, the enjoyment the questioner had in mind is not the same enjoyment mentioned by the Talmud there, because the enjoyment referred to regarding misuse of consecrated property is merely consumption.
Possibly.
Lest a person say: Since jealousy and desire and honor and the like are an evil path and remove a person from the world, I will separate from them to the utmost and go to the opposite extreme, so that I will not eat meat, nor drink wine, nor marry, nor live in a pleasant home, nor wear fine clothing, but only sackcloth and coarse wool and the like—like the priests of the idol worshipers—this too is an evil path, and it is forbidden to follow it. One who goes in this way is called a sinner,
for it says regarding the Nazirite, “and make atonement for him, for that he sinned against the soul.”
The sages said: If the Nazirite, who abstained only from wine, requires atonement, then one who withholds himself from everything certainly does so all the more. Therefore the sages commanded that a person should withhold himself only from those things that the Torah alone has forbidden him, and he should not forbid permitted things to himself by vows and oaths. Thus the sages said: Is what the Torah prohibited not enough for you, that you forbid other things to yourself as well? Included in this are those who fast constantly—they are not on a good path. And the sages forbade a person to afflict himself by fasting. And regarding all these matters and the like, Solomon commanded and said: “Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise; why should you destroy yourself?” (Maimonides, Laws of Character Traits, chapter 3, halakha 1, based on Ta'anit 11a)