What It Means to Be Truly Alive: The Wisdom of King Solomon on the Purpose of Life

“The wicked, even in life, are called dead — while the righteous, even in death, are called alive.” (Talmud, Berachot 18b)

There are lives that are truly alive, and there are lives that are already dead. There are “living” days — and there are “dead” days. A dead day is one that has passed and vanished: a person woke up, ate, drank, worked, enjoyed, and went to sleep — and that was it. The day is gone forever. Like pages torn from a calendar, one after another — until the book is empty. That is how many people burn through their days, weeks and years. Their life amounts to tons of food consumed, years of sleep, money earned and spent (the remainder belonging to the heirs), and fleeting pleasures that disappeared like smoke.

“I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and emptiness.” (Yeshayahu 49:4)

But there are other kinds of lives — whose pages are not torn and thrown away, but filled and preserved, day after day, until they form an eternal chronicle. Of Avraham it is written: “And Avraham was old, coming with his days.” He did not merely live days — he brought them with him! Each day of his life remained full and alive.

What separates a living life from a dead one? That question is the true question of life.

What Makes Life Worth Living?

Imagine a magnificent, high-tech car. A child admires its shiny paint and bright lights; a mechanic admires the engine; a salesman focuses on the manufacturer and brand. But the driver — what must concern him most of all? Not the glittering details, but the question: How do I drive this, and where am I going?

If he becomes absorbed in the accessories and forgets the destination, the car will never fulfill its purpose — it may even crash into a ditch.

Human life is the same. The superficial enjoy the sensations and pleasures — “Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” The intellectuals analyze the “technical design,” studying science and nature. The philosophers probe deeper, seeking meaning. But the truly wise person asks first: “Where is this leading me? What is my purpose? How am I intended to live?”

The Wisdom of Shlomo Hamelech

Shlomo Hamelech, the wisest of men, had everything: wisdom, wealth, peace, prestige, global fame. His reign was Israel’s golden age. Yet he asked the most piercing question of all: “What profit has man from all his labor under the sun?”

He tried every path — wisdom, pleasure, achievement, and wealth, and concluded again and again: “All is vanity and a chasing after wind.”

Finally, at the end of Kohelet, he declared the simple, eternal truth: “The end of the matter, when all is heard: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man.”

That’s the essence of life. Not wealth, pleasure or status — but reverence for God and living by His will. In the end, everything else fades. The only life that truly lives on is the life aligned with divine purpose.

If you live your life doing God’s will, you’ve boarded the right train — your days are eternal. But if you live without purpose, and without that awareness — then, as harsh as it sounds, all the food, comfort, and achievements were for nothing. All of it passes away. All of it dies.