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The Mesillas Yesharim is certainly one of the most influential and popular seforim ever written. It is considered a basic text in most yeshivos and is widely studied by Jews throughout the world (both in the original language and in translation). Before we can address the reasons for the immense popularity of this work, we first need to address one of the ...

The relevant quotations from Emunos V'Deos are, respectively, here (end of Maamar 1) and here (introduction to Maamar 3). In the first-mentioned place he cites Isaiah 48:17, אני ה' אלקיך מלמדך להועיל מדריכך בדרך תלך - "I am Hashem your G-d, who teaches you for your benefit, who guides you in the way that you should go." In the second place he starts by ...

Many great Tzadikim have praised the Mesilas Yesharim and have said that all they attained was due to learning from it. This includes the Vilna Gaon, Bnei Yissochor, Rabbi Chaim Volozhin, Koznitzer Maggid, and the Opter Maggid. (See here.) The fact that it was accepted by all, Misnagdim and Chasidim, attests to the greatness of this sefer.

The Targum on Mishlei 2:4 translates תחפשנה as sitzb'yah - desire, suggesting that the analogy in Mishlei emphasizes that you should be highly motivated and driven. By contrast, yaga'ti seems to by definition refer to the actual work that someone retrospectively put in to acquire Torah. Note, however, that the Malbim (Mishlei, 2:4) distinguishes between ...

While there are any number of Biblical verses that support the idea that God created this world for the purpose of bestowing good, the fundamental reason for believing this is theological. Because Judaism sees God as the source of all existence, He is therfore perceived as being entirely independent of creation, needing nothing whatsoever. From this it ...

There is a story printed in Rabbi Zevin's Sippurei Chassidim (translated by Artscroll as "A Treasury of Chassidic Tales"). I haven't read it in a while, so I don't remember all the details, but here's what I do remember: The son of one of the Rebbeim (it might have been Ger or Belz) became Rebbe when his predecessor passed away. Some of the Chassidim ...

The premise of your question is that the Torah should explicitly tell us the purpose of our existence, and since it does not explicitly describe Olam Haba, this raises a difficulty with the claim that Olam Haba is the purpose of our existence. I don't know what basis there is for your assumption that the Torah should explicitly state the purpose of our ...

Since Olam Habah is beyond the Torah, as there are no Mitzvos or Aveiros there, and the Torah is only for those that are living on this world therefore there is no mention of Olam Habah in the Torah. http://www.hidabroot.org/CommunityDetail.asp?FaqID=9822 עולם הבא הוא בעצם עולם שמעבר לתורה. שמה לא מקיימים מצוות ואין אפשרות לחטוא בעברות, כמו שחכמים ...

The haskalah certainly valued the Ramchal's poetry, plays and other non-torah related works for their literary qualities. Chassidim reference his more kabbalistic works including 138 gates of wisdom, kinas Hashem tzavkos (found in ginzei Ramchal) and others. Though I'm not aware of any work they would deem as "classic".