Bad things happen to good people, good things happen to bad people. It's the statement that drives us all crazy, we all want to know G-d would create a world where this could happen.
This is what really leads to the downward spiral of the נהנה. Once he sees this, he sees that if there was G-d there would be none of this theodicy. Additionally, he finds that the only thing left for him to do in this world is to experience pleasure. He also sees that in the next world we are nothing - if we're nothing now, then we won't be anything there. He therefore takes it to it's end: it doesn't matter if you're powerful if you're dead. There's no more reward in the next world - you're forgotten forever. This is it. He also concludes that in this world all there's left to do is party! At death there's no accountability - we should just party because there's no G-d here or in the next world.
For the נהנה, the יתרון to life is hardcore hedonism - no G-d, there's just man and he can't accomplish - he gives up on everything!
Although I definitely see how the נהנה got to this point, I think it's fair to say that we don't all have to get to this point. There are different answers that appeal to everyone when it comes to the question of why do bad things happen to good people? Why do good things happen to bad people? But I think it's up for us, on our own quests to find the meaning in life, to find the answers that most appeal to us. Maybe we will come to the conclusion of the נהנה, or maybe we will come to some different conclusion.
What's your conclusion?
HAKOL HEVEL!
ReplyDeleteJust joking...
My conclusion is that everyone can come to their own conclusions. Whatever works for them. Should it really matter to you what my conclusion is? No. As long as we're happy about our lives, and we think we're on the right track, I'm not sure the conclusions matter.