Is it permissible to enjoy this world?

Hello and blessings. There is a topic I wanted to clarify. I understood that a person will be punished in the world to come for enjoying this world, because pleasures create shells in the soul. Is it forbidden to enjoy this world at all? Is it forbidden to enjoy food and drink, reading books, and various entertainments - is this a sin? And as a woman, how can I fill my time with actions that are for the sake of Heaven? I have a lot of confusion on this topic. How can one avoid punishments in the heavenly court?

Hello and blessings

A person is not punished for enjoying this world. Punishment is only for sins, and enjoying is not a sin! 

The Torah gives a place of mitzvah and importance to all kinds of pleasures, and when they are in the right place and time, they are indeed a mitzvah! Like eating on Shabbat and Yom Tov, morning bread, marriage, the joy of Shabbat and Yom Tov, and many more. 

But even in cases where it is not exactly a mitzvah, all the time of relaxation is 'preparation for a mitzvah'. For controlled enjoyment, which creates relaxation and joy, is a tool for a mitzvah. A sad and depressed person cannot serve Hashem with joy! 

The problem is only with a person who is busy chasing after pleasures at the expense of his physical and spiritual duties. 

Lead a healthy, calm, and joyful life, with a general intention to do the will of Hashem, and in this you will merit to do His will every moment. 

[I emphasize that this should be a general goal of life, not something that requires thinking about it every moment]. 

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