T268 PNC - Without Focus on the Purpose, Why Does a Person Need Life?

Beginner: When a person doesn't focus on the tachlit — the ultimate purpose, serving Hashem — why does he even need life? The soul always longs to fulfill the will of its Creator. When the soul sees the person isn't doing His will, it begins to long intensely to return to its root, and starts drawing itself to depart from the body. From this the person becomes ill — the soul's power within him is weakened as it pulls away, because he is not fulfilling its desire (it wants only the will of Hashem). So why do medicines bring people back to health? Here is the secret: the soul sees that this person is willing to force himself against his desire and habit. He is used to eating bread and other normal foods, but now he overrides his desire and accepts bitter medicines and unpleasant drugs for his health. When the soul sees that he can force himself for some purpose, it returns to him — hoping that he will eventually force himself for the true purpose, to do the will of his Creator. Intermediate: T268: B'lo tachlit — lamah lo chayim? Ha-neshamah me'shtokeket l'mal'ot ratzon Borah — k'shero'ah she-eino — "shofetet l'tzeit" → choli. Refu'ah me'sheevet ha-neshamah ki ro'ah she-yodea li-fnos atzmo neged ratzono u-tziva la-tachlit (mar'or shel sammim) — tikvah she-yifnos atzmo gam la-tachlit ha-amiti. LM 268.