Description: Defining Our Relationship with Hashem 04
Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh
Volume I Pages 31-34
Now I know what you are thinking.
Let me rephrase that. I know what I am thinking!
Whoa! This seems a bit much! That level of connection with Hashem, where it encompasses our minds and dictates our actions every second of our lives, seems quite overwhelming, and certainly seems very far away from us.
But let’s return to the opening statement of the Mesilas Yesharim – the first line, the first assumption he makes about his readers:
ולמה צריך שישים מבטו ומגמתו בכל אשר הוא עמל כל ימי חייו
What does a person have set his sights towards, and define his goals, in everything he works for, all of his life? Mesilas Yesharim takes us by the shoulder and shakes us a little. “You’re not just like, ‘living’ life, right? You are a Jew! You have a vision – you must have one. You have some goal you are striving for, and you have a plan to get there – correct? What is it? Let me help you clarify it.” This is what he tells us, and expects from us, even before we start learning mussar!
This is what’s so essential about learning mussar. Life is very serious, although we need to take it lightly at times to retain our sanity, overall, we have to recognize its importance and significance, and above all, seriousness.
That having been said, let’s think about where indeed are we headed. Eventually life comes to its ‘tachlis’, it’s purpose, which is the world-to-come, Olam Habah, Olam Ha’Emes, and Gan Eden. What does one do all day in Gan Eden? We know, as Chazal have taught us, that the pleasure in Gan Eden is so intense, that one moment there can’t be evaluated even if you experience every single pleasure that ever existed on this world, by every single person in the world, in all of history – it still can’t compare to one moment of Gan Eden. Yet, we know it’s not a physical pleasure. We are not Muslims, Baruch Hashem! I can’t even say what they think is up there, lehavdil bain hakodesh u’bain hatamaih!
What is the pleasure? Ramchal explains that as well.
שהאדם לא נברא אלא להתענג על ה' וליהנות מזיו שכינתו
A person was only created for the purpose to bathe in the glory of Hashem’s presence, and enjoy His company. What do we do in Gan Eden – we become amazingly close to Hashem! If a person isn’t so close to Hashem, there’s not an awful lot for him to do up there. If a person is close to Hashem – he enjoys that closeness in a measure unfathomable and immeasurable by any medium on this world.
Perhaps we’d like to fool ourselves, (which maybe we all do,) and think, OK, next world we won’t have a body or guf, we’ll be just neshamos, so that’s when we will be invested in devaikus in Hashem. In this world, we can enjoy ourselves, and no need to achieve devaikus. This is a mistake. The Ramchal develops this step by step in his first chapter. Devaikus has to be achieved here. Whatever we achieve here – is what we enjoy in the world-to-come. However close we can get to Hashem in this world, is the level of closeness we can then truly enjoy in Gan Eden, unfettered by the restraints of a guf and a physical world. But if there’s no connection forged, no relationship with Hashem – it doesn’t materialize in the next world.
Olam Habah is referred to as ‘Olam she’kulo tov.’ The world which is solely good. What’s the good that is there? It’s what Dovid Hamelech already taught us – ‘Vi’ani kirvas Elokim li tov!’ Only closeness to Hashem is truly good! This is something which we must give time and thought to – it’s the defining factor of our lives. The more we think about this, the more we will be inspired and motivated to truly turn our lives around and dedicate it to achieving this great purpose of ‘kirvas Elokim.’ Although it may seem overwhelming at the outset, but if we think about what is at stake – this is everything!
This is something we should daven for as well, Hashem should help us realize the value of this, the point of our lives!
Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh
Volume I Pages 31-34
Now I know what you are thinking.
Let me rephrase that. I know what I am thinking!
Whoa! This seems a bit much! That level of connection with Hashem, where it encompasses our minds and dictates our actions every second of our lives, seems quite overwhelming, and certainly seems very far away from us.
But let’s return to the opening statement of the Mesilas Yesharim – the first line, the first assumption he makes about his readers:
ולמה צריך שישים מבטו ומגמתו בכל אשר הוא עמל כל ימי חייו
What does a person have set his sights towards, and define his goals, in everything he works for, all of his life? Mesilas Yesharim takes us by the shoulder and shakes us a little. “You’re not just like, ‘living’ life, right? You are a Jew! You have a vision – you must have one. You have some goal you are striving for, and you have a plan to get there – correct? What is it? Let me help you clarify it.” This is what he tells us, and expects from us, even before we start learning mussar!
This is what’s so essential about learning mussar. Life is very serious, although we need to take it lightly at times to retain our sanity, overall, we have to recognize its importance and significance, and above all, seriousness.
That having been said, let’s think about where indeed are we headed. Eventually life comes to its ‘tachlis’, it’s purpose, which is the world-to-come, Olam Habah, Olam Ha’Emes, and Gan Eden. What does one do all day in Gan Eden? We know, as Chazal have taught us, that the pleasure in Gan Eden is so intense, that one moment there can’t be evaluated even if you experience every single pleasure that ever existed on this world, by every single person in the world, in all of history – it still can’t compare to one moment of Gan Eden. Yet, we know it’s not a physical pleasure. We are not Muslims, Baruch Hashem! I can’t even say what they think is up there, lehavdil bain hakodesh u’bain hatamaih!
What is the pleasure? Ramchal explains that as well.
שהאדם לא נברא אלא להתענג על ה' וליהנות מזיו שכינתו
A person was only created for the purpose to bathe in the glory of Hashem’s presence, and enjoy His company. What do we do in Gan Eden – we become amazingly close to Hashem! If a person isn’t so close to Hashem, there’s not an awful lot for him to do up there. If a person is close to Hashem – he enjoys that closeness in a measure unfathomable and immeasurable by any medium on this world.
Perhaps we’d like to fool ourselves, (which maybe we all do,) and think, OK, next world we won’t have a body or guf, we’ll be just neshamos, so that’s when we will be invested in devaikus in Hashem. In this world, we can enjoy ourselves, and no need to achieve devaikus. This is a mistake. The Ramchal develops this step by step in his first chapter. Devaikus has to be achieved here. Whatever we achieve here – is what we enjoy in the world-to-come. However close we can get to Hashem in this world, is the level of closeness we can then truly enjoy in Gan Eden, unfettered by the restraints of a guf and a physical world. But if there’s no connection forged, no relationship with Hashem – it doesn’t materialize in the next world.
Olam Habah is referred to as ‘Olam she’kulo tov.’ The world which is solely good. What’s the good that is there? It’s what Dovid Hamelech already taught us – ‘Vi’ani kirvas Elokim li tov!’ Only closeness to Hashem is truly good! This is something which we must give time and thought to – it’s the defining factor of our lives. The more we think about this, the more we will be inspired and motivated to truly turn our lives around and dedicate it to achieving this great purpose of ‘kirvas Elokim.’ Although it may seem overwhelming at the outset, but if we think about what is at stake – this is everything!
This is something we should daven for as well, Hashem should help us realize the value of this, the point of our lives!