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Reason God created the World+ world-to-come and resurrection

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Rabbi Ari Shvat

Elul 13, 5775
Question
Hello. I wonder what will people do when they resurrect. Presently, we have work and families and have a state to run etc... but then what will time look like? How will the resurrected people spend their time, doing what? Ultimately, what was the purpose of mankind’s creation, to do what for G-d in the universe? What is G-d getting out of our creation? What will people be like as resurrected beings as comparison to what they are now? I know that this is difficult to fathom but please could you give some opinions. Thank you
Answer
God, by definition, is perfect, and doesn’t need or “gain” anything from this world. Nevertheless, He created the world out of altruism (=selfless giving, to give to us without gaining, which is part of His perfection), to give us the ultimate perfect gift, which is the soul (=a spark of Himself) in “His image”, giving us the possibility to emulate or copy Him (for our sake). The Torah is the guidelines to teach us how to realize our Godly potential (according to the 13 Godly traits and ideals, see Shmot/Exodus 34, 6-7). In general, Judaism stresses this world and striving to choose well and destine our fate as individuals, nations, mankind, and universe. You will clearly notice that the Torah refers very little to future worlds, because what should concern us is the present, not theoretical curiosity about fore coming worlds, where free-will and commandments will be basically non-existent. Nevertheless, for your knowledge, there are 2 different stages: the World of the Souls (often called: Heaven) where our souls presently go after we die, as opposed to the later stage of Revival of the Dead (sometimes called: Resurrection). In the former, there is no element of time, work, or physical, only spiritual pleasure and improvement. In the latter, after that spiritual “seminar”, our improved souls will return to our physical bodies (renewed with total health) in a physical world, receiving and giving altruistically, just like God, but there will be such a clarity, that free will is going to be very limited there.
את המידע הדפסתי באמצעות אתר yeshiva.org.il