It is the yearnings that transcend the entire world that give the world life and happiness
The "light of Israel" is the example shown by Israel, that is, the teachings of Israel, as seen through the national-historical experience of the Jewish people.
People often think that for life to be richer and fuller, one must occupy oneself with the affairs of this world, leaving aside "unnecessary" higher aspirations. The reverse is the case, however; the example shown by Israel demonstrates that when a person strives for higher goals, those goals enliven the world, making it richer, fuller, and more complete.
One must not think that eternity is the opposite (much less the enemy) of the present moment. On the contrary, when a person is connected with eternity, he or she progresses more effectively in the realm of the transient.
The moment is important not in itself, but because without it, eternity would be incomplete. The transient is an integral part of the eternal. On one hand, we must strive for eternity to make the moment more complete; on the other hand, the moment is not something separate and unnecessary, in opposition to the eternal, but is, at the same time, a part of it.
In summary, various religious conceptions, addressing the question of the relationship between "this world" of transient life and "that world" of true and eternal life, generally follow one of two approaches. The first approach sees this world in a positive light, but merely as a preparation for the future world, with no inherent value of its own (this is the usual understanding of the words of the Mishna: "This world is like the antechamber of Olam haBa"). The other approach views this world as an obstacle that must be rejected in order to reach eternity. (This spiritualist approach is usually rejected by Judaism, but variations of it can be found in some European sources.) Rav Kook believes that contempt for the material world, which is an element of both approaches, though more sharply expressed in the second, is fundamentally incorrect, and that reality "avenges itself." Strong souls, sensing the spiritual importance of the material (although such people would never use such words themselves), frequently reject religion, since, in moving to the purely spiritual and severing itself from its foundation in reality, religion loses its vitality and cannot answer the spiritual needs of such people. Accordingly, Rav Kook offers a third approach. He sees "this world" as an integral part of eternity, and thus eternity is filled with the light of transient life, which now takes on a full, spiritual and religious meaning. See also paragraphs 141 and 142 below.