The Purpose of Life in Judaism: Why This World Is Only a Corridor to the World to Come

The Creator is good, and His ultimate desire is to bestow goodness upon His creations. It is clear that His final purpose was not to create a human being merely for life in this world of troubles and suffering. God, the Creator of the entire universe, could have easily created man with all the conditions necessary for a life of perfect happiness and fulfillment.

The very fact that man was created differently is clear proof that his purpose must be something beyond this world. Every thoughtful person understands that the Almighty, Who is all-powerful, created man in a perfect way. The conclusion, then, is that the true purpose of man’s creation is not life in this temporary world.

Indeed, this world is only a corridor, a passageway, leading to the grand hall, that is the World to Come. Life here is fleeting, but it prepares us for the eternal life that follows. Only there will man’s soul find true joy and fulfillment. We cannot even begin to imagine the magnitude and nature of the delight that awaits, as it lies completely beyond human comprehension. Since God is absolute goodness, He desired to bestow good, and for that very purpose He created beings capable of enjoying the goodness He wishes to share with them. One who fulfills the mitzvot (commandments) of God’s Torah merits entry into this eternal world of goodness.

This raises the obvious question: Why, then, was our present world created at all? If God’s intention was to bestow goodness, He could have created man and placed him directly in the World to Come, the place of eternal delight.

There are two main answers:

1. The nature of man is to reject unearned gifts.
Human beings feel shame when receiving something for nothing — what our sages call “the bread of shame.” If God were to place man directly into the World to Come and allow him to enjoy eternal pleasure without any effort or merit, man would constantly feel unworthy, haunted by the uncomfortable thought: Why do I deserve this? What did I do to earn it? God therefore placed man first in this world, where he is tasked with fulfilling the commandments of the Torah. This is not an easy mission and often involves deep inner struggles against desires and inclinations, as well as external pressures from society. After this effort, when man receives eternal reward in the World to Come, he experiences it not as a handout, but as something he rightfully earned through his toil.

2. The purpose of the mitzvot is to perfect a person’s character.
The reward in the World to Come is reserved for those who strove with all their strength to refine their traits and reach moral and spiritual perfection. The ultimate goal of the Torah’s mitzvot is to shape a human being who is not only righteous but also kind and giving toward others. In this way, he becomes similar in a small measure to his Creator, about whom the sages taught: Just as He is merciful, so too must you be merciful.

A person who uses all his strength to refine his soul and reach the heights of goodness is worthy of closeness to the Creator and of basking in the radiance of His Presence. God, as the source of all goodness, grants such a person the eternal joy of the World to Come. The true reward of that world is structured in such a way that only those who purified themselves, fought their battles, and perfected their character in this life are capable of fully experiencing the boundless spiritual good and everlasting blessing awaiting them.