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The Ramchal teaches that goodness is the reason that G-d created the world, to give of His goodness to another (human).

But he also wrote: Man was created for the sole purpose of rejoicing in G-d and deriving pleasure from the splendor of His presence; for this is true joy and the greatest pleasure that can be found.

I know pleasure is something good or enjoyable, but how does the goodness that G-d bestows result in receiving pleasure?

And how is this related to working for achieving deveikut? Closeness to G-d as the most good and pleasureable thing?

(As taught in a number of places, G-d created the world in order to give pleasure to His creations and bestow Divine Goodness upon them - see Etz Chaim, Shaar HaKlalim 1; Mesilat Yesharim 1; Derech Hashem 1:2:1.)

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  • Actually, we do not know why G-d created the world. All we can do is do what seems right to us and be all we can be (Rambam).
    – Turk Hill
    Feb 14, 2020 at 23:56

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'To bestow goodness'; in order for men to enjoy it, by enjoying it this gives pleasure.

The second question is dealt with by Derech Hashem in the first section chapter 2. In short what he says is that in order to achieve or have something in totality, one must be the owner of that thing. G-d alone is perfect, not lacking anything and is in essence this way. No other being can be this way in essence, or else they would be G-d. So other beings cannot be perfect. Nor can they be given G-d's perfection, since when you are given something for free, by definition it is somewhat external to you, since you did not earn it. (Perhaps this is why lottery winners waste their money much more than people who earned money through hard work). So if G-d made us naturally perfect, it would be lacking since we didn't earn it and make it a part of our essence.

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