The Purpose of Life: Where Are You Headed?

"Akavya ben Mahalalel says: Reflect upon three things and you will not come to sin: Know from whence you came, where you are going, and before whom you will give an accounting. From where did you come? From a putrid drop. Where are you going? To a place of dust, worms, and maggots. And before whom will you give an accounting? Before the King of Kings, Hashem." (Avot 3:1)

"Why were you born? For what purpose were you created?"

It is amusing--and yet tragic--to realize that most people cannot give a clear answer to these questions. People live for sixty or seventy years or more, without even figuring out (or wondering) what they're actually doing here. Decade after decade they plod through life, moving from childhood to adulthood to old age without aims or goals. Therefore, the holy Tanna (Mishnaic Sage) reminds us to think! Look around you; observe. Where did you come from? Where are you headed? Isn't it worth spending some time pondering the question of your existence in this world?

An experiment

Scientists researching intellectual behavior conducted an experiment in two different African villages inhabited by primitive tribes. They placed a sophisticated American refrigerator in the center of each village in the dead of night, watching from a distance using hidden cameras to see how the local natives reacted to their discovery.

In the "Koko Loko" tribe, one of the natives wakes up early to take his dog for a walk. On the way, he spots the unidentified object, a huge brown box made of an unfamiliar material. He examines it from all sides while his dog sniffs suspiciously, and then both of them try to move it. Finally, the native concludes that something important and heavy must be inside (probably a gift from heaven because we, the "Koko Loko" tribe, are very nice...)

The native calls the respected tribal chief, who arrives wearing his ceremonial feather hat. By now, dozens of curious onlookers have gathered. The chief knocks on the box, and then asks for a large knife, which he uses to pry open the package, to thunderous applause. Before everyone's eyes, a large rectangular object is revealed. The chief walks around the object, examining and observing it carefully. He pulls hard on one of the protrusions, and suddenly the door opens, again to rapturous applause from the crowd. He stands back, allowing everyone to see shelves and a drawer inside. The chief then opens the drawer and removes a booklet. He flips through it, passes it to his subjects, and everyone greatly enjoys the detailed pictures. But the chief is puzzled, wondering what this curious and novel contraption could be. Suddenly, he has a brainwave. No longer will his belongings and clothes be strewn haphazardly on the earthen floor of his hut. From now on, they will be arranged on the shelves of this large box. What a wonderful idea... and after he announces it, the applause is deafening as all acknowledge the astounding wisdom of the chief...

In the "Bone Batata" tribe, the story repeats itself. There too, the chief opens the package to loud acclaim. However, after finding the booklet, he stops and thinks. He looks at the pictures and then examines the parts, comparing them carefully. He unwinds the electrical cord and realizes that it needs to be connected to something like a hole in the wall. Accordingly, he has holes drilled in the wall of the hut into which he inserts the plug, but nothing happens. Again he stops and thinks and concludes that something was indeed supposed to happen when the plug was inserted, and if nothing has happened, it means the holes he made in the wall are not suitable. Swallowing his pride he summons two tribesmen and hands them the booklet. They are to travel to the nearest large town in search of advice. The tribesmen set out on their long journey but when they reach the nearest town, no one can help them and so they set out once again, for the big city, where a wise man deciphers the strange booklet...

Several weeks later, the two tribesmen return to the village with a technician and a generator to connect the refrigerator to electricity. The chief immediately appreciates the tremendous potential of this machine. Food can be stored there and remain fresh; now  there will be no need to hunt every day. This simple box can transform his tribe's way of life.

Life is a gift

And what of us? Will we behave like members of the Koko Loko tribe, with their shallow and superficial thinking, or will we be smarter, at least like the Bone Batata chief? He was wise enough to realize that the unidentified object had been made by someone with a purpose in mind. Taking the booklet in hand he examined the parts and tried to figure it out. When he was still at a loss, he was humble enough to seek out expert guidance. After all, the box must have been made for a reason.

The Creator created a sophisticated and wonderful world. Only fools with shallow, superficial minds are content to use it just to eat, drink, and and be merry, before eventually dying. That couldn't have been the manufacturer's intention! Moreover, within each of us is a sublime spiritual soul that aspires to greater heights. We are not like animals with their heads buried in hay and the feeding trough. If the manufacturer had wanted us just to eat, drink, and have fun, He wouldn't have provided us with a soul which has no use for physical pleasures. The more a person contemplates the riddle of life, the more he understands that there must be a much deeper meaning than what meets the eye. He begins to ponder and question, seeking and researching, until eventually he reaches the truth, the correct and true use of this world as intended by the manufacturer.

And so we discover that this world is just one stop in the complete life journey of a person. The more we shape our soul according to the manufacturer's instructions, which are the Torah and the commandments, the more we prepare ourselves to receive our reward in the world to come. And Heaven forbid the opposite, if we damage or destroy our soul, it will suffer greatly afterward.

This is what the Tanna says: Take a look! Think! Where did you come from? Where are you going? Ask yourself the right questions, and then seek out the answers.

After all, we're not just talking about refrigerators--we're talking about life itself!

Where are you going?

"From where did you come? From a putrid drop. Where are you going? To a place of dust, worms, and maggots..."

The Mishnah says, "Where are you going?" in the present tense, not, "Where will you go?" This teaches us that at every moment, a person is moving closer to his end. Each day, we get closer to the day of death, and the hourglass of time is running out. A person who celebrates his 30th birthday is thirty years closer to his death... 

And if so, "The day is short and there is so much work to do..." Every moment of life must be treasured and utilized to the utmost.

There is judgment and there is a Judge!

"...And before whom will you give an accounting? Before the King of Kings, Hashem."

It was King Solomon who authored the book of Ecclesiastes, to tell us about the true meaning of life. The book concludes with the words: "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, 'I have no pleasure in them' ... And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to Hashem who gave it ... The end of the matter, all having been heard: Fear Hashem and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For Hashem will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil."

A Jew goes through life with firm knowledge that "there is judgment and there is a Judge." This world is not lawless. Hashem brought us here to fulfill a specific purpose, and when the time comes, the soul will return to its place to give an accounting before Hashem for all its deeds.