עֲקַבְיָא בֶן מַהֲלַלְאֵל אוֹמֵר, הִסְתַּכֵּל בִּשְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים וְאִי אַתָּה בָא לִידֵי עֲבֵרָה. דַּע מֵאַיִן בָּאתָ, וּלְאָן אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ, וְלִפְנֵי מִי אַתָּה עָתִיד לִתֵּן דִּין וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן. מֵאַיִן בָּאתָ, מִטִּפָּה סְרוּחָה, וּלְאָן אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ, לִמְקוֹם עָפָר רִמָּה וְתוֹלֵעָה. וְלִפְנֵי מִי אַתָּה עָתִיד לִתֵּן דִּין וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן, לִפְנֵי מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא:
Akavya ben Mahalalel says: Take to heart three things and you will not be brought to transgression: Know whence you came and whither you are going and before Whom you are destined to render judgment and accounting. Whence did you come? From a putrefying drop. [the drop of semen. And even though at the time of conception it does not putrefy (not putrefying in the womb until after three days, and when it does putrefy, it is not fit for fertilization), it is still called "putrefying" for it is close to doing so immediately upon its being outside the womb. And one who takes it to heart that he comes from a putrefying drop is rescued from pride.] And whither are you going? To a place of dust, worms, and maggots. [One who takes this to heart is rescued from lust and from the desire for wealth.] And before whom are you destined to render judgment and accounting? Before the King of the kings of kings — the Holy One Blessed be He. [One who takes this to heart separates himself from sin and does not stumble into transgression.]
Arukh HaShulchan
Anyone possessing intelligence should also consider the following: If you see a human king building a grand palace, you will notice opposites among the construction materials. There will be precious stones, such as jasper and onyx, as well as other fine materials. There will also be cement, clay, and earth. Does one think that the intent of the king is for the clay and earth? Of course not! Certainly the purpose of the building is to showcase the fine materials and precious stones, while the cement, clay, and earth only serve to strengthen the structure. Similarly, the King of Kings the Holy One blessed be He created man from a pure spiritual soul which is a part of the divine, and she returns to G-d after death. And as for the biological material that the body is made of, which in reality is no different than clay and earth, can anyone think that the purpose of man is for that material? Anyone who thinks so can only be a fool, and not in his right mind. This, then is what Akavia ben Mahalalel meant when he said (Pirkei Avot 3:1) "Look to three things and you will not come to sin. Know where you came from, where you are going..." - this means the soul, which is a part of the divine and will return to its source, and it’s opposite, the body: "where you came from..." - from a fetid drop (of semen). "...and to where are you going..." - To a place of earth and the worm. Here too, the explanation is that the purpose of man is his G-dly soul. Therefore, since one's purpose is G-dliness and matters of the soul, before all else a person needs to know the foundation concepts of our holy and pure Torah.
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