{"id":92,"date":"2006-10-05T18:44:51","date_gmt":"2006-10-05T18:44:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/summametaphysica.com\/ge\/50020-purpose\/"},"modified":"2018-04-23T20:21:58","modified_gmt":"2018-04-23T20:21:58","slug":"50020-purpose","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/50020-purpose\/","title":{"rendered":"500.20 PURPOSE (pps.100-103)"},"content":{"rendered":"

hard cover page 100<\/p>\n

The purpose of man is to quest for his potentialities, spiritual, intellectual, and all other.<\/strong>385<\/sup><\/p>\n

My heart rages
\nLike a boiling pot,
\nLike a stormy sea.
\nI aspire for the heights,
\nFor lofty visions
\nFed by divine lights,
\nBy souls hidden in the realms above.
\nI will not be bound in chains,
\nBut I will bear a yoke;
\nI am a servant of God
\nBut not a slave of slaves.
\n-Kook386<\/sup><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The purpose of each individual human is to seek his own particular potential, spiritual,387 <\/sup>intellectual, etc. (within moral parameters). Each person presumably has his own potentialities different from anyone else’s.388 <\/sup>To some extent man is thus not measured against an absolute, but rather against his own particular potentiality.389<\/sup><\/p>\n

The task of man has been defined by Luria . . . as the restoration of his primordial spiritual structure or Gestalt. That is the task of every one of us, for every soul contains the potentialities of this spiritual appearance outraged and degraded by the fall of Adam. whose soul contained all souls.
\n-Scholem390<\/sup><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As Scholem indicates in the preceding passage, Lurianic Kabbalah sees man as trying to regain what he once lost, whereas our formulation views man as trying to reach fresh heights of spirituality. However, under either formulation man’s quest for spiritual potential remains a central task. Luria views this as the primary\/preeminent task of man, and we see it as the foremost primal quest of man.<\/p>\n

===================================
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d NOTES \u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d-<\/p>\n

385 <\/sup>See Greenberg, Perspectives: Voluntary Covenant,<\/em> p. 17. “The purpose of the Jewish covenant is to realize the total possibility of being. It is not like a utilitarian contract designed to achieve limited ends where, if the advantage is lost, the agreement is dropped. The Jewish covenant is a commitment, out of faith, to achieve a final perfection of being.”
\nCf. Luzzatto, Mesillat Yesharim,<\/em> p. 335. “The deterrents to Holiness are a lack of true understanding and much association with people; for earthiness finds its counterpart and takes on new strength, and the soul remains trapped within it, unable to escape. However, when one dissociates himself from them and remains alone, preparing himself for the reception of His Holiness, he is conducted along the path which he wishes to travel; and. with the help that God gives him, his soul grows strong within him, overcomes his physical element, unites itself with the Holiness of the Blessed One and perfects itself in it. From this level one proceeds to an even higher one. that of The Holy Spirit, his understanding coming to transcend the bounds of human nature. It is possible for one to reach such a high degree of communion with God as to be given the key to the revival of the dead. as it was given to Elijah and Elisha.”
\nCf. Luzzatto, The Way of God, <\/em>p. 95. “. . .the purpose of the creation of the human species is that man should become worthy of attaining true good, namely, being drawn close to Him in the World to Come. . . .
\n“. . . This preparation involves two aspects, one concerning individuals, and the other, humanity as a whole. “The preparation of the individual is his attainment of perfection through his deeds. That of humanity as a whole involves the preparation of the entire human race for the World to Come.”
\nCf. Kaplan, If You Were God,<\/em> p. 75.
\nCf. Herberg, Judaism and Modern Man<\/em>, p. 96, citing Schechter, Some Aspects of Rabbinic Theology,<\/em> p. 199, and Buber, Prophetic Faith, <\/em>pp. 102, 114. “This obligation under which man is placed is a great and fearful one, for it is nothing less than a call to perfection. ‘Walk before me and be perfect’ (Gen. 17:I), are the words in which Scripture records God’s injunction to Abraham, and his words to Abraham are his words to all of us. It is a call to holiness: ‘You shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy’ (Lev. 19:2). IL is, in short, a call to the imitation of God.”
\nCf. Moses Ibn Ezra, Arugat ha-Bosem,<\/em> as cited in Stitskin, Eight Jewish Philosophers<\/em>, p. 115. “. . . it behooves man to seek its wisdom. Plato supple- mented his definition of philosophy with the notion that the aim of philosophy is for man to become like God as far as possible.”
\nCf. Hick, “Faith and Knowledge,” in idem, Readings in the Philosophy of Religion<\/em>, p. 518. “But if we are right in supposing that God’s purpose for man is to lead him from human Bios, or the biologial life of man, to that quality of Zoe, or the personal life of eternal worth.”
\nCf. Leibniz, Principles of Nature and Grace<\/em> (1718), trans, from Philosophische Schrifien,<\/em> ed. Gerhardt, VI, 606, in A. O. Lovejoy, The Great Chain of Being<\/em> (Cambridge, Mass., 1936), p. 248. “Our happiness will never consist but in a perpetual progress to new pleasures and new perfections.” As cited in Passmore, The Perfectibility of Man, <\/em>p. 48.
\nNote also the following viewpoints on the theme: A major current in Jewish thought is that the Torah is the purpose of creation. See Agus, The Evolution of Jewish Thought, p. 62.
\n“Man’s purpose on earth, they [the Essenes] postulated, is to refine his soul, keeping it pure from the taints of greed, lust and worldly ambition.” Ibid., p. 103. “Luzzatto defines the purpose of man’s life as being the attainment in the hereafter of the joy of ‘contemplating the radiance of the Shechinah, which is the one true joy.’ ” Ibid., p. 322, citing Iggerot Ramanal, <\/em>11,232.
\n“Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom: and to depart from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28).
\n“Fear God, and keep His commandments; for that is the whole man” (Koheleth 12: 12-13).
\n“Man’s task is to make the world worthy of redemption.” Heschel, God in Search of Man<\/em>, p. 380.<\/p>\n

386 <\/sup>Bokser, Abraham Isaac Kook<\/em>, p. 372.<\/p>\n

387 <\/sup>See Stitskin on Abraham Ibn Ezra in Eight Jewish Philosophers<\/em>, p. 121. “Once the soul perceived its own true nature it will apprehend how to actualize its potential by the power of intellection and come near to God.”<\/p>\n

388 <\/sup>This is an important Hasidic theme.<\/p>\n

389 <\/sup>Note Martin Luther’s comment,”No one is without some commission and calling.” J. N. Lenker, ed., The Precious and Sacred Writings of Martin Luther<\/em> (Minneapolis, 1903). vol. 10, Church Postil Gospels: Advent, Christmas and Epiphany Sermons,<\/em> p. 243, as quoted in Passmore, The Perfectibility of Man,<\/em> p. 13. Thus in the theological debate concerning Noah’s righteousness, we would side with the “relativists.”<\/p>\n

390 <\/sup>G. Scholem, Major Trends inJewish Mysticism p. 278. His note 105 reads as follows: “The idea is based on the mystical intepretation of an Aggadah on Adam, cf. Midrash Tanhuma, Parshat ki Tissa, #I2 and Exodus Rabba par. 40.”<\/p>\n

~continued~
\n<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
CONVERSION TABLE for this multi-page\u00c2 unit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
you are currently on hard cover p. 100<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
< BACK<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\nNEXT PAGE ><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\t\t\t\tPages pointer<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\nhard cover page<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1
\n2
\n3
\n4<\/td>\n		>
\n>
\n>
\n><\/td>\n		100
\n101
\n102
\n103<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

hard cover page 101<\/p>\n

And God blessed them, and God said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth, and conquer it.”
\n-Genesis 1:28<\/p>\n

Populate the earth and conquer it. But there was no one to conquer it from-Adam and Eve were the sole human inhabitants of the earth. And further, why the positioning of the two important directives in one sentence?<\/p>\n

Rather, the sentence should be understood as: “Populate the earth and master it! Conquer its potential-you and (through) your offspring.”<\/p>\n

The commentaries note that there is a letter (vav<\/em>) missing from the word ve-kiv-shu-ha<\/em>, “and conquedmaster it.” The key word is incomplete, deficient. We suggest that the key word is left “open” because the quest itself is not finitely demarcated. It is boundless. For potential brushes up against infinity. The quest is not one attainable by a single person or generation. It is a goal to be quested after by the elevation of generation after generation, onward through time.<\/p>\n

When gratuitous hate (sin’at chinam<\/em>) is ascendant, man’s spiritual development is stymied. All is for naught. When the Jew focuses his awesome potential energies invalidly instead of positively and outwardly, his forward ascent comes to a halt. A Beit Hamikdash<\/em> (Holy Temple) or synagogue becomes simply an affectation, inasmuch as its primary goal, the spiritual elevation of man, is blocked.<\/p>\n

Once one has established the bounds between what a religion claims and what it can prove, one may then seek to elevate oneself spiritually. Judaism provides a route. It gives direction, while Jewish law circumscribes the path which may be taken. Well-established direction provides plentiful room for spiritual construct and elevation.<\/p>\n

Halakhic man is also a homo religiosus in all his loftiness and splendor. His soul, too, thirsts for the living God, and these streams of yearning surge and flow to the sea of transcendence to “God who conceals Himself in His dazzling hiddenness” [the<\/p>\n

~continued~
\n<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
CONVERSION TABLE for this multi-page\u00c2 unit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
you are currently on hard cover p. 101<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
< BACK<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\nNEXT PAGE ><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\t\t\t\tPages pointer<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\nhard cover page<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1
\n2
\n3
\n4<\/td>\n		>
\n>
\n>
\n><\/td>\n		100
\n101
\n102
\n103<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

hard cover page 102<\/p>\n

first line of a kabbalistic piyyut recited at the conclusion of the third Sabbath meal].
\n-Soloveitchik391<\/sup><\/p>\n

Thus, attainment of a share in the world-to-come is more in the nature of development of potential than of reward and punishment.
\n-Bleich392<\/sup><\/p>\n

[In] Judaism the idea of the good is penultimate. It cannot exist without the holy. The good is the base, the holy is the summit. Man cannot be good unless he strives to be holy.
\n-Heschel393<\/sup><\/p>\n

. . . within Judaism the sacred, as far as it may be a human concern at all, is not found in the realm of Being, but in that of Becoming. Man is called upon to sanctify himself; to sanctify this earthly Adam in this world. K’dusha,<\/em> holiness, is sanctification. And sanctification is a process in time and not a miracle outside of time.
\n-Berkovits394<\/sup><\/p>\n

To be human, in the personalistic sense, is to be potentially divine. As such he is driven to live in consciousness of responsibility and challenge to realize his potential.
\n-Stitskin395<\/sup><\/p>\n

As a person rises in knowledge and understanding, in the study of Torah and in the cultivation of good attributes, in his intellectual and moral propensities, he marches forward toward the future. . . . By perfecting his ways and actions, personal and social, there is open to him a great light that directs him to endless progress.
\n-Kook396<\/sup><\/p>\n

. . . man dwelling as he does in two different worlds and undergoing profound inner struggles-is given the chance to rise far beyond the level of our existence and the place in which<\/p>\n

===================================
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d NOTES \u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d-<\/p>\n

391 <\/sup>Soloveitchik, Halukhic Man,<\/em> p. 40.<\/p>\n

392 <\/sup>Bleich, expounding on Maimonides, in With Perfect Faith,<\/em> p. 5.<\/p>\n

393 <\/sup>Heschel, Man’s Quest for God, <\/em>p. 95.<\/p>\n

394 <\/sup>Berkovits. Faith After the Holocaust,<\/em> p. 59.<\/p>\n

395 <\/sup>Stitskin, Eight Jewish Philosophers<\/em>, p. 5.
\nCf. ibid., p. 25. “. . . if the ultimate aim of man, according to Maimonides is yediat Hashem-‘knowledge of God’-this can be attained by a process of self-authentication which leads to a knowledge of God. Martin Buber likewise asserted that ‘God does not wish to be defined by us, but simply to be realized by us.’ ”<\/p>\n

396 <\/sup>Bokser, Abraham Isaac Kook,<\/em> p. 232.<\/p>\n

~continued~
\n<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
CONVERSION TABLE for this multi-page\u00c2 unit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
you are currently on hard cover p. 102<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
< BACK<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\nNEXT PAGE ><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\t\t\t\tPages pointer<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\nhard cover page<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1
\n2
\n3
\n4<\/td>\n		>
\n>
\n>
\n><\/td>\n		100
\n101
\n102
\n103<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

hard cover page 103<\/p>\n

he spiritually finds himself, and to act on higher worlds without end.
\n-Steinaaltz397<\/sup><\/p>\n

===================================
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d NOTES \u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d-<\/p>\n

397 <\/sup>Steinsaltz, The Thirteen Petalled Rose, <\/em>p. 46.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
CONVERSION TABLE for this multi-page\u00c2 unit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
you are currently on hard cover p. 103<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
< BACK<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\nNEXT PAGE ><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\t\t\t\tPages pointer<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\nhard cover page<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1
\n2
\n3
\n4<\/td>\n		>
\n>
\n>
\n><\/td>\n		100
\n101
\n102
\n103<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

hard cover page 100 The purpose of man is to quest for his potentialities, spiritual, intellectual, and all other.385 My heart rages Like a boiling pot, Like a stormy sea. I aspire for the heights, For lofty visions Fed by divine lights, By souls hidden in the realms above. I will not be bound in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":450,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":[],"yoast_head":"\n500.20 PURPOSE (pps.100-103) - David Birnbaum Summa Metaphysica I<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/50020-purpose\/\" \/>\n<link rel=\"next\" href=\"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/50020-purpose\/2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"500.20 PURPOSE (pps.100-103) - David Birnbaum Summa Metaphysica I\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"hard cover page 100 The purpose of man is to quest for his potentialities, spiritual, intellectual, and all other.385 My heart rages Like a boiling pot, Like a stormy sea. I aspire for the heights, For lofty visions Fed by divine lights, By souls hidden in the realms above. I will not be bound in […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/50020-purpose\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"David Birnbaum Summa Metaphysica I\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-04-23T20:21:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/\",\"name\":\"David Birnbaum Summa Metaphysica I\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/50020-purpose\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/50020-purpose\/\",\"name\":\"500.20 PURPOSE (pps.100-103) - David Birnbaum Summa Metaphysica I\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2006-10-05T18:44:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-04-23T20:21:58+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/50020-purpose\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/50020-purpose\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/50020-purpose\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\"}]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"500.20 PURPOSE (pps.100-103) - David Birnbaum Summa Metaphysica I","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/50020-purpose\/","next":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/50020-purpose\/2\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"500.20 PURPOSE (pps.100-103) - David Birnbaum Summa Metaphysica I","og_description":"hard cover page 100 The purpose of man is to quest for his potentialities, spiritual, intellectual, and all other.385 My heart rages Like a boiling pot, Like a stormy sea. I aspire for the heights, For lofty visions Fed by divine lights, By souls hidden in the realms above. I will not be bound in […]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/50020-purpose\/","og_site_name":"David Birnbaum Summa Metaphysica I","article_modified_time":"2018-04-23T20:21:58+00:00","twitter_card":"summary","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/","name":"David Birnbaum Summa Metaphysica I","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/50020-purpose\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/50020-purpose\/","name":"500.20 PURPOSE (pps.100-103) - David Birnbaum Summa Metaphysica I","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/#website"},"datePublished":"2006-10-05T18:44:51+00:00","dateModified":"2018-04-23T20:21:58+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/50020-purpose\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/50020-purpose\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/50020-purpose\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home"}]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/92"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/92\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":258,"href":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/92\/revisions\/258"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.summametaphysica.com\/ge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}