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Originally Posted by Yamah
I'll try my best... the problem is this is an extremely large topic and it hangs on many other premises. If you're interested in this idea further I'd recommend reading Derech HaShem (the Way of God) by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzatto.
God is Perfect Good. Perfect Good desires to give Good to others. We were created to be recipients of God's Goodness.
This world (Olam HaZe) is inferior and imperfect. The next world (Olam Haba) will have a higher degree of perfection. Thus, a greater degree of Goodness can be given to those who dwell in the next world. The whole reason for the existence of this world is to prepare God's creation for the receiving of His Goodness (which is a separate topic that I can elaborate on if desired).
God desires to give goodness to ALL of His creation and thus wishes to prepare as much of His creation as possible to receive His Good. Thus, He created many different ways in which His creation can become prepared to receive His Goodness. In short, all of these ways are methods of Purification - retaining all possible attributes of perfection and ridding all attributes of imperfection. The two primary methods of doing so are through (1) incarnating in this world so that we can learn and grow and become more perfect willingly and (2) spending time in Gehenom where our visions of perfection are made clear and we are made to suffer through all of our regrets and mistakes in this world in order to get past them.
After the whole process of reincarnation and purification is completed, 99.9% of individuals make it through to the Next World.
The two exceptions are: (1) the irredeemable few who will not be made ready no matter how much they are to suffer - these are simply annihilated since there is no reason to make them suffer for naught (Suffering serves the purpose of Rectifying; if Rectifying is impossible then Suffering is just cruelty and God is not cruel) and (2) the barely redeemable who require the entire length of created time to be purified. They will only make it into the next world after the end of time.
How was that?
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Yes, you seem to be describing something like the evolution-involution process, or some karmic system whereby the soul is growing by its experiences to eventually realise its true omnipotent nature.
But what is the definition of 'good' that you're using? Is this absolute to you? Because I don't personally see the idea of goodness-badness to be set it stone, or to refer to specific things.
Hm.. I guess it goes down to this good-bad thing. By that, do you mean lightness and darkness..?
And by purgatory.. do you mean a sort of non-material dream or nightmare, like when we go to bed and detach from our bodies to roam the unconscious?