The Way of God
- Portugal Business News - Valerie Charoux
- Aug 23
- 2 min read
What is the Meaning of Life? - Here is an extract of the book The Way of God by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto:
The Way of God
The end of the process of the human species:
The explanation of this matter is that the human species is created with a good impulse and an evil impulse, so it is not impossible for parts of it to be good and parts of it to be bad. However the end of the process must be that the evil ones will be pushed off, and that the good ones be gathered and made into one group. For the true good that is attained in the world to come is destined for this group.
The division of repayment into two time periods and two places:
However, the axiom of free choice automatically results in the possibility that we mentioned among the parts of the human species - that they be good or bad.
For there are truly good matters and bad matters found in one individual himself. And to pay attention to only some of their actions and not to the others - even if the ones that are given attention are the majority - is surely not from righteous judgement. For exact justice would require that all actions be repaid - whether they be large or small, many or few. Hence the Supreme Wisdom decreed to divide the repayment - for both reward and punishment - into two times and two places. This means that the sum of a person´s actions be divided between the majority and the minority; and that the majority be judged by itself in the place and time that is appropriate for it, and the minority be judged by itself in the place and time that is appropriate for it.
However, the true and main repayment will be in the world to come, as I have written: That the reward will be for the man who has merited to live on eternally, to cleave to Him (God), may He be blessed, forever; and the punishment is to be pushed away from the true good and to perish. However the judgement for this matter will only be according to the majority of the actions.
However, the repayment for the good deeds of the evildoer and the bad deeds of the righteous - being that they are the minority - will be found in this world, through his successes and his woes. For through it will the evildoer receive payment for the little merit that he has, through his successes; and the righteous one will receive the punishment of his iniquities, through his afflictions in it - such that, in this manner, judgement be perfect for all.
