How to Live with Purpose and Intention

There are over six billion people in the world, and each one holds a unique and personal purpose and plan.

At the beginning of creation, Hashem created one person with a unique plan, and the importance of each person has never diminished. Hashem can love each of the six billion people just as He loved the first person, without weakening the connection.

How can we know our personal purpose?

The intention of Torah is not that every person should learn and behave in exactly the same way, but the Torah guides each of us towards the utmost development of our personal ability.

The purpose of Torah learning is to build ourselves as human beings so that we can live our lives in the most ideal way. Some people mistakenly avoid contact with Torah out of fear of losing their freedom of choice and the concern that it will mold them into a very specific model. But the purpose of learning is in fact to guide each individual to achieve their personal potential.

Observing commandments does not mean losing creative ability, on the contrary, adhering to behavioral rules that are positive and true, allows each person to make better use of their creative ability.

Intentions

The purpose of a person's life depends more on the intentions of their actions than on what they do or portray outwardly. A person who dresses religiously and lives in a religious community or studies all day in a yeshiva does not necessarily live a better life than someone who lives differently.

How can I know if I am on the right path? My goal and intention must be to reach the closest and most tangible connection possible with Hashem, and when this is my truth, I can trust that I am developing as a person. 

For example, a father who spends a fortune on his daughter's wedding celebration—is his behavior good or not? It depends on his intentions. If his goal is to advertise his wealth so that he can earn respect, it is clear his action is very negative.

If however his intention is due to the greatness of the wedding day, as his child begins her life and lays a foundation for the next generation of Torah observers, then he has many reasons to celebrate! It is a wonderful way for a father to celebrate this significant moment in his life and to thank Hashem for allowing him to experience it.

But intentions are not everything. What needs to follow? It will be addressed in the next article.

From the book "The Journey of Dan in Search of Life's Meaning," by Roni Dayan. To purchase the book at Hidabroot Shops, click here.