I have recently been reading Mesilat Yesharim (Path of the Just) and according to the Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto) this life is just a series of tests and sufferings that a person has to endure. Is it correct therefore to assume that acccording to Judaism happiness is not the purpose of existence in this world and one should almost expect bad things to happen to them? Similarly, does this mean that a person shouldn’t actually strive for things that will make him happy such as marriage, children and a secure wage, as happiness is not the purpous of one’s existance in this world?
Thank you for your question, which is a very good one. As you point out, the Ramchal (and indeed mainstream Orthodox Judaism) don’t see this world as the true purpose of existence, but merely a place where we can earn our true reward for the world to come. This is done through performance of the Mitzvot (the commandments), and thus becoming closer to G-d. However, one of the fundamental Mitzvot is to serve G-d with happiness (implied by Deuteronomy 28; 47). All of the Mitzvot have to be done in a state of happiness, and conversely the Mishna tells us that the only happiness is that of performing Mitzvot. In addition, the things you mention – marriage, children and earning a secure wage (none of which are guaranteed to bring happiness in the conventional sense) are all Mitzvot, and therefore we should do them not solely (or primarily) for our own personal gain, but rather in order to draw closer to G-d.
This answer has been very brief, as your question touches on a very large issue, but I hope it has helped.
Rabbi David Sedley
Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. The answer was helpful but it did open up a further question. If the purpose of life is to become close to G-D, and therefore to find ultimate happiness through being close to G-D, then does this mean that ideally a person should be happy as a result of doing the Mitzvot and therefore being close to G-D ,regardless of their external circumstances. For example should a person who has suffered many tradgedies in their life still be totally happy because they are close to G-D ?
This is a very big question, which deserves more than this venue allows. Nevertheless, basically the answer is ‘yes’. The Mishna in Brachot says that a person should make a blessing on bad things just as they do on good things. In other words we should thank G-d even for the bad things in our lives (and in the same way that we thank him for the good things). Nevertheless, at some times it is also a mitzvah to be sad, such as after suffering a bereavement, or during the ‘3 weeks’. I know it sounds like a contradiction to have a mitzvah (= happiness) to be sad but not only is this the case, but many people have told me that this in fact works. In Kohelet King Solomon says ‘A time to rejoice and a time to weep…’ (or something like that). Sometimes the mitzvah is to be sad. There are also the examples of Rabbi Akiva and Nachum Ish Gamzu who always only saw the goodness of everything that G-d does, even when it seemed bad at the time. I don’t have the references to hand, but I’m sure you could find these examples and perhaps that will answer your question more fully.
Hope this helps
Rabbi David Sedley