“What profit does man have for all his labor which he toils under the sun?”
^(Kohelet 1:3)
The Rambam writes (Shemoneh Perakim 5): It is proper for a person to employ his own special characteristics in the service of his intellect, as we have expanded in the previous chapter. He should focus on one thing: achieving understanding of Hashem, may He be uplifted and exalted, each person according to his ability. What I am referring to is knowledge of Him. One should direct all of his actions and words to this purpose, to the extent that none of his activities should reflect any purposelessness, meaning anything which does not bring him to this goal.
For example, one should eat, drink, have marital relations, sleep, awaken, conduct all his activities, and rest with the sole intention of keeping his body healthy. The meaning of a healthy body is one which has perfect health to grasp wisdom and acquire good character traits and intellectual levels, until it reaches that objective. For this reason, one should not indulge in eating only that which is tasty, but that which is most beneficial. The same is true regarding all other earthly pleasures. One should do only that which is beneficial. If it is enjoyable, so be it. And if it is difficult, so be it, as well.
If a person has lost all his appetite for food, he must arouse it by tempting himself with delectable dishes. If he has become depressed, he should play music to lift his spirits. A walk in the park or through interesting buildings might bring him out of his dark mood. The intention behind these acts should be to bring his body to its full health. And the purpose of good health is to acquire knowledge of Hashem.
When a person is involved in earning money, also, his aim should be to maintain his health, so that he can continue in his quest of knowing Hashem.
External joy and imagined pleasures are not paramount. Only inner tranquility, love, and trust in Hashem are supreme. These are the things with which one should refine his soul
(Malbim, Mishlei 15:17).
The Mesillat Yesharim (Chapter 1) states: The foundation of devoutness and the root of perfection in the service of Hashem lies in a man’s coming to see clearly and to recognize as a truth the nature of his duty in the world and the end towards which he should direct his vision and his aspiration in all of his labors all the days of his life.
Chazal have taught us than man was created for the sole purpose of rejoicing in Hashem and deriving pleasure from the splendor of His Presence; for this is true joy and the greatest pleasure that can be found. The place where this joy may truly be derived is the World to Come, which was expressly created to provide for it; but the path to the object of our desires is this world, as our Sages have said: This world is like a corridor to the World to Come (Avot 4:21).
The means which lead a man to this goal are the mitzvot, which we were commanded by Hashem, may His Name be blessed. The place of the performance of the mitzvot is this world alone.
Therefore, man was placed in this world first, so that by these means, which were provided for him here, he would be able to reach the place which had been prepared for him, the World to Come, there to be sated with the goodness which he acquired through them. As our Sages have said (Eiruvin 22a): Today for their performance, and tomorrow for receiving their reward.
When you look further into the matter, you will see that only union with Hashem constitutes true perfection, as David Hamelech said (Tehillim 73): But as for me, the nearness of Hashem is my good,” and (ibid, 27:4), “I asked one thing of G-d; that will seek – to dwell in G-d’s house all the days of my life…” For this alone is the true good, and anything besides this which people deem good is nothing but emptiness and deceptive worthlessness. For a man to attain this good, it is certainly fitting that he first labor and persevere in his exertions to acquire it. That is, he should persevere so as to unite himself with the Blessed One by means of actions which result in this end. These actions are the mitzvot.
