Introduction:
How curious is the human being! Within the depths of our psyche lies a fascinating contradiction that demands understanding. On one hand, death upsets us, causing profound grief and mourning. On the other hand, we possess an innate sense of eternal existence – a notion that we are, in some way or another, creatures of forever, possessing the quality of eternal being. This seems inconsistent, for if we are indeed immortal, why should death – a mere illusion – aggrieve us so?
Conversely, if we were to assume that we are mortal, our relationship with death will remain no less perplexing. If we are but finite beings who exist for a short span bookended by infinite voids that we call a “lifetime,” why are we shocked and hurt by the expected return of the infinite void?
These questions beckon us to unravel the paradoxical nature of mankind, to decipher whether our human psyche tells lies or if there is perhaps a hidden truth in nature's enigmatic book of the human soul.
The Coexistence of Mortality and Immortality:
Let us read the book of our souls for the truth it might contain about reality.
The conflicting notions of mortality and immortality coexist within us. How can this duality be reconciled? The intertwined nature of opposites holds the key to this enigma.
Our immortality is attained only through the experience of mortality. We cannot question why we grieve if we are immortal, as we are immortal only because we grieve.
Confronting death evokes anguish because of a profound awareness of our immortal essence, a sense that we really should live forever. This sense is challenged and threatened by death, and the resultant tension induces anguish. Why is there a tension, if we are either mortal or immortal? Because immortality is attained through the very struggle with mortality. The pain we feel when confronted with death reminds us that things are not as they ought to be, and it is this aspect alone of elusive, divine immortality that we can feel concretely – the terrible pain of its absence. While our understanding of immortality may be limited, the profound anguish we feel in its absence resonates deeply within us. We know nothing about our immortality like we know the anguish of its absence, and it is this anguish that drives us to pursue eternal life: Mortality hurts because we ought to be immortal, and if we ought to be immortal, we will, somehow, be immortal.
This is the resolution to the contradiction called man: We sense immortality and also struggle with its apparent opposite, because it is through that struggle that we become immortal. If we wouldn’t suffer its opposite, we would never become immortal; our contradiction-filled souls reflect and illuminate our tortuous and complex paths to greatness. In the universal human anguish in the face of death there is a hidden message: Humanity is, potentially, immortal.
Our painful confrontation with our mortality affirms its opposite. Mourning death is the means by which we cheat it.
Transcending Mortality:
We can transcend our apparent mortality and unlock our innate immortality through various avenues. Our actions can create an enduring legacy of goodness that outlasts our physical form and echoes beyond our finite lives; the noble deeds and contributions of great minds and compassionate hearts shape the world forever. Furthermore, our souls might be purified and earn continued existence beyond the confines of physicality. It is also conceivable that we will eventually achieve actual bodily immortality or even resurrection of the dead.
These are the pathways through which humans yearning for transcendence and spurred on by the pain of its opposite pursue eternal life.
The Paradox and its Unsolvable Nature:
What remains to be understood is the reason behind our paradoxical nature. Why are we designed in such a way that we must navigate death's anguished labyrinths to achieve immortality? If we are destined for greatness, why must we attain that through suffering smallness? This paradox remains elusive and beyond our grasp of complete understanding. From our perspective as seekers of life and goodness, death and evil have no justification and must be accepted paradoxically. However, we can discern that as creatures of becoming rather than creatures already perfected, our journey towards perfection involves feeling evil’s pain in order to attain goodness, and enduring death’s sting in order to attain life. It is through these struggles and contradictions that we find meaning, growth, and ultimately, a path to eternal existence.
Conclusion:
The complex tapestry of the human soul weaves together the paradoxical elements of mortality and immortality into a unity that defies complete unraveling. Though we might never fully explain this paradox, we can embrace the profound truth that we are beings in constant evolution that thrive on the tension of contradiction. Our greatness is forged by grappling with the challenges of smallness, mortality, and the pains of death. The essence of our humanity lies in our power to transmute evil into good, and this is our path to a divine realm of eternal life, purity and bliss.
By embracing this paradox and recognizing the purpose behind our struggles, we can find meaning in pain and suffering. The anguish that is inherent to the human condition contains a powerful message: “We are not supposed to suffer.” This message fuels our growth, propelling us towards a future illuminated by the promise of perfection. The human journey, with all its contradictions, offers the opportunity to transcend mortality and embrace the eternal aspects of our being. This is the essence of being human. From death emerges life; from impureness, purity – this is the Law of Man.1
Concepts:
Good and Evil/טוב ורע
Life and Death/חיים ומוות
Sources and References:
Numbers 19
Yoma 14a
For more on this subject, see “Out of Impure, Pure: The Red Heifer, Decree of the Torah.”
See Rav Kook in Midbar Shur drush 23