Q&A: The World to Come
The World to Come
Question
If it were proven through signs and wonders that there is no World to Come (God Himself would say so), and at the same time there were complete certainty that the Torah is from Heaven (there would be a divine revelation), would that lower the status of the commandments? In other words, would we continue to observe the commandments? After all, that would mean the commandments were not intended for us at all, but only for some kind of rectifications in the upper worlds. And if so, why should we keep them???
Answer
“Would we continue to observe” is a question each person has to ask himself. Whether one ought to observe them is a principled question. Truth obligates, not because of the bonuses I get from it. See the laws of Repentance, beginning of chapter 10.
And one more logical comment. The fact that there is no World to Come does not mean that the commandments were intended for the upper worlds. What is the connection? Maybe they were intended to improve our condition here and there is no World to Come, or maybe they were intended for the upper worlds and there is a World to Come. If anything, then if there is no World to Come, that would mean they were intended for us, because the reward we receive is in this world (and that is the rectification the commandments bring about).
To the best of my judgment, the commandments do not bring repair in this world; at most they have a psychological effect on certain people. That is why I said that the commandments are meant either for the upper worlds or for the World to Come.