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1.09.2007

HASHEM-----why not create just olam haba?

qwert Posted - 13 October 2000 15:30


Hashem obviously wants people to chose bad cuz otherwise why would there be such a thing as a Yetzer hara, and he makes it bigger for tzadikim cuz he wants ppl to turn the wrong way, cuz if he didn’t and said take your medicine this is how you do it and its for your good there wouldn’t be so many problems like there are now

MODERATOR Posted - 13 October 2000 15:44


Hashem also gives you a Yetzer Tov, which he would just remove if He wanted you to choose bad. The strength of the Yetzer Tov and Yetzer Horah are always balanced by Hashem so that you are able to choose good if you so choose.

Here's news: Your Yetzer Horah itself wants you to beat it.

Look at your Yetzer Horah not as an unbeatable opponent whose purpose is to beat you but a sparring partner whose purpose is to make you as strong and skilled as possible. It will fight just hard enough to make you put in a good effort, but never too hard for you to win.

And Hashem makes sure that each individual gets the particular sparring partner best suited for his individual needs. In whatever areas you need more training, or have greater potential, that's where your Yetzer Horah will spar with you.

And the stronger you get, the more effort your sparring partner is going to have to exert in order to get you to an even higher level of skill and strength.

That's why Tzadikim have a "greater" Yetzer Horah. It means that if they want to get even stronger, they have to fight a stronger opponent.

And the strength and skill that you get from the spiritual exercise with the Yetzer Horah is what is gives you never-ending, infinite happiness forever in Olam Habah.

The reason we have "so many problems" today (and not only today) is because people have a choice. They can choose to get up, put in the effort and earn their muscles. Or they can sit back and have their Neshoma get beaten up. It's a lot easier, but less rewarding in the long term.

Most of us get trounced a lot. But that doesn't matter. What counts is that we get back up and fight again. And again. And again. And whereas with a physical trainer, you are never guaranteed of reaching your goals, in the fight with the Yetzer, Hashem guarantees that if we keep trying, we'll slam him down so hard that he'll never get up again.

Forever.


nree613 Posted - 07 November 2000 18:50


ME,

The answer you gave QWERT is coined Nehamah D’Kisufah (Embarrassing bread).

The question that that really answers is like this. If G-D created the world to benefit mankind why didn't he just create the world to come?

On that they answer the answer you gave qwert.

The question remains that embarrassment is a creation, so don't create embarrassment and just create the world to come.


MODERATOR Posted - 07 November 2000 20:01


This question is resolved by the material in the "Basic Judaism" forum, and discussed directly in the "Death and Suffering" forum, under "Why bother living?" -- see my post of 20 July 2000 16:31, and the ensuing discussion.

In short, since Olam Habbah means connecting to Hashem such that you will enjoy the infinite pleasure that Hashem kavyochol enjoys, in order to get Olam Habbah you therefore have to be able to become connected to Hashem. Actually, to become part of Hashem, so to speak.

Now since Hashem is perfect, and by definition there is only one version of perfection (2 different things cannot be absolutely perfect in the same way) there is also only one way to become part of Hashem.

So Hashem extracted His essence, His Will, what makes Him Him, which could not be different than it is, since His essence is perfect (like He is) and perfection only has one version.

That essence is the Torah. When we fulfill the Torah we are enabling ourselves to connect to Hashem. Since the Torah works through Bechirah, there had to be Bechirah. there's no other way to connect to Hashem. Even Hashem could not create such a thing. And since the Torah works with rules such as l'fum tzaarah agra, that is the path to perfection.

The Nahamah d'kisufa concept as such is an oversimplification. It's meant more as a reference than a fully explanatory answer. Unfortunately, a lot of people, even knowledgeable ones, don't get past the elementary stage with this. Then, when the sophistication of their ability to question things exceeds the sophistication of their level of knowledge, they get confused.


Admonit Posted - 13 November 2003 3:15


Quoting R' Mod

"When we fulfill the Torah we are enabling ourselves to connect to Hashem. Since the Torah works through Bechirah, there had to be Bechirah. there's no other way to connect to Hashem. Even Hashem could not create such a thing. "

I don’t understand this- how does the Torah work thru Bechirah and there couldn’t be any other way? please explain in more words if possible.
thank you


MODERATOR Posted - 13 November 2003 3:30


Whatever way the Torah works, it could NOT have worked nay other way. That would be asking if Hashem could have been any different than He is now, and the answer to that of course is no.

There is only one version of Perfection, such that any chance would be a step down. Hashem is Perfect, and however he "is," he could not have been any different way.

Schar v'Onesh does not work the same way that let's say a contest works, where the winner gets a prize. The Torah is not some kind of game which if we win we get reward. Rather, the Torah is an expression of Hashem's essence - connecting to the Torah by doing Mitzvos is connecting to Hashem right then and there. If we were able to "feel it", we would be able to realize that we have merited Olam Habah right when we do a Mitzvah.

After we die, our physical bodies are removed and the "blindfold" is off; our senses are no longer dulled by material existence and we are able to feel what we always had - the effect of doing Mitzvos.

Schar is more the effect of the Mitzvah, than it is the "reward" for doing it.

Therefore, the Torah could not have been different, because Hashem could not have been different. Hashem, when giving the Torah, merely articulated His essence kivyachol, and however it came out, it came out. It could not have been different.

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