Why Did the Creator Burden Us with Creation?
If the purpose of the Torah and the entire creation is but to raise the base humanity to become worthy of that wonderful sublimity, and to cleave onto Him, He should have created us with that sublimity to begin with, instead of troubling us with the labor that there is in creation and Torah and Mitzvot.
We could explain that by the words of our sages: “One who eats that which is not his, is afraid to look at one’s face.” This means that anyone who feeds on the labor of others is afraid (ashamed) to look at his own form, for his form is inhuman.
Because no deficiency comes out of His wholeness, He has prepared for us this work, that we may enjoy the labor of our own hands. That is why He created creation in this base form. The work in Torah and Mitzvot lifts us from the baseness of creation, and through it we reach our sublimity by ourselves. Then we do not feel the delight and pleasure that comes to us from his generous hand, as a gift, but as owners of that pleasure.
Baal HaSulam, “The Love of the Creator and Love of Man”
The first rule that we know regarding the intention of the Emanator is that He desires to do good. He wished to create creatures that would receive His goodness. And for the goodness to be complete, they must receive it rightfully and not as charity, so shame would not blemish it, as one who eats that which is not his.
To be rewarded, He created a reality which they will have to correct, something that He does not need, and when they correct it they will be rewarded.
Ramchal, “Klalei Pitchei Hochma VaDaat”
(Rules of Gates of Wisdom and Knowledge)
This is the rule: The Creator seemingly restrained Himself, meaning, He restrained His ability, while creating His creatures, not to create them to the extent of His force, but rather according to what He desired and aimed in them. He created them deficient so they would complement themselves, and their completion will be their reward, since they have so labored to attain it. And all of that was only because of His desire to do the perfect good.
Ramchal, Daat Tevunot (Knowledge of Intelligence)
The purpose of the whole Creation is that the lowly creatures will be able, by keeping Torah and Mitzvot, to rise ever upward, ever developing, until they are rewarded with Dvekut with their Creator.
But here come the Kabbalists and ask, why were we not created in this high stature of adhesion to begin with? What reason did He have to burden us with this labor of Creation and the Torah and the Mitzvot? And they replied: “He who eats that which is not his, is afraid to look at his face.” This means that one who eats and enjoys the labor of one’s friend is afraid to look at his face because by doing so he becomes increasingly humiliated until he loses his human form. And because that which extends from His wholeness cannot be deficient, He gave us room to earn our exaltedness by ourselves, through our work in Torah and Mitzvot.
Baal HaSulam, “The Giving of the Torah,” Item 7
The primary foundation upon which this entire building stands is that the Upper Will wished for man to complement himself and all that was created for him, and that itself would be his merit and reward. His merit—since it turns out that he engages and toils to obtain that complementation. And when he attains it he will enjoy the fruits of his labor and his share in all his work. His reward—for in the end, he will be the whole one, and will delight in the pleasure for all of eternity.
Ramchal, Daat Tevunot (Knowledge of Intelligence)
If the purpose of the creation of the worlds is to delight His creatures, then why did He create this corporeal, turbid and tormented world? Without it, He could certainly delight the souls as much as He wanted; why did He bring the Neshama into such a foul and filthy Guf?
They explained that there is a flaw of shame in any free gift. To spare the souls this blemish, He has created this world, where there is work. They will therefore enjoy their labor, for they take their pay from the Whole, in return for their work, and are thus spared the blemish of shame.
Baal HaSulam, "The Study of the Ten Sefirot", Part 1,
Histaklut Pnimit [Inner Reflection], Chapter 1, Item 6