There are different types of people seeking different levels of comfort for their souls. The Ramchal taught us about the perfectionist in our last lesson. This is a person who seeks only the very best of everything. And why not?! But if that person seeks perfection, they should seek it no less in spiritual matters. How sad that individual may feel when upon arriving in the spiritual world above — after their 120 years in this world — they find they had not reached the goal they could actually have attained. What a tragedy! For those who realise what perfection entails and who demand it of themselves in this world, let them not diminish in their demands for expecting the best of themselves in this world.
That doesn’t mean – of course – that one find further ways of acquiring material things in order to tell the souls above of how much one acquired. Rather, we are talking about becoming everything one is capable of becoming. Each to his own. We all know our limitations and our strengths. The question is whether we are actively striving to attain those levels.
In today’s lesson the Ramchal goes one step further. He tells about the individual who is not really interested in attaining perfection (for whatever reason that be.) But there are such individuals who know well that still — as things stand in the next world, we acquire our “canopies” according to the good things we do here. The more good a person does, the more fruit will be ready for one in the World to Come. Again – we do not refer to physical delights of any kind. We’re speaking about the spiritual closeness towards the Creator of all the worlds. The soul wants to cleave to God. But cleaving is only attained through actions of goodness and kindness and doing what is required of one here. Once one is there, it will be too late!
The Ramchal leads us along this path to realise that if such individuals can only realise that the spiritual delights achieved in the next world are dependent upon our good deeds here – while we still have a chance! Imagine then when the souls see each other Above, and realise that others have achieved so much more than we have? How do we feel in this world when we see others acquiring more than we do? Doesn’t it instigate competition and a desire to do more?! Well – it is certainly an approach the general world takes. It usually insights jealousy – but practically there is no need for this.
If of course, we were the perfectionist – we’d just be busy with ourselves. But sometimes, there are people who are less than this. Let them learn the lesson of acquisition from this world. The feelings of inadequacy in this world when we see others doing better than us. Let us then realise (if this category is ours) that once we leave this body in this world, that we will have no chance to gain further good in the next world. We must do it all now while we are still here. As much as we can! And then some more!
