On Sunday evening, July 28, Let’s Get Real With Coach Menachem hosted a virtual shiur featuring Rabbi Manis Friedman, world renowned famous author, counselor, and lecturer.
Coach Menachem Bernfeld shared that most of us are busy with more tangible things and don’t have time to think about our purpose and the meaning of life. We aren’t so connected to davening and learning. Without the proper goal, we’re missing the main thing as a Jew. This shiur is here to help us to try to connect, so that, step by step, we can live our purpose.
Next, Rabbi Friedman spoke. If we don’t know why we’re here, we get depressed. First, why are we always looking for purpose in life? Who says there’s purpose? “If we had not been created with purpose, we would not have any concept of purpose. It wouldn’t exist.” Just like no one would be homesick if there wasn’t a home. Purpose is not my purpose; it’s my Creator’s purpose for me. That’s why I am here and that’s what my life is about.
If I’m created for a purpose, and I never know my purpose, that is pure torture. The purpose means my Creator’s purpose.
Living because I’m living doesn’t make sense. There has to be a purpose. You can’t say the purpose of life is pleasure. What is the purpose of pleasure?
The Sages say that it’s easier not to be born; and you’re born against your will, you live against your will, and you die against your will.
So, the question is: Who needs me? There is a purpose or a need for me to be here and it’s not my need.
There’s a story in the Gemara: a sage was riding down the road on his donkey. He saw an extremely ugly individual. The sage stopped and said, “How did you get so ugly?”
The man replied, “Don’t complain to me. Go to the Designer who designed me.” This comment helped him realize that he wasn’t ugly, because he realized there was a designer.
Our attitude all the time should be to realize Who made me.
Many things in life are not to my liking because no one asked me. Even my very birth and my very existence came about, and I wasn’t asked.
This means there is a Maker. He designed me for His purpose. The Torah tells us what Hashem expects from His world, from His people, from His nation, from each individual, why we were designed, and how we can partner with Him in fulfilling His plan. Now, everything makes sense. Things don’t have to go my way. G-d has a plan and a vision. He created us as partners in His vision. So, things don’t go my way because I don’t know which way it should go. Torah teaches what helps His plan and what delays it, what pleases G-d, and what displeases Him.
Moshe Rabbeinu was told that he was not going to go into the Land. Moshe was worried about the people. What will be with them after he passes. He asks Hashem to appoint a leader so his people will have a shepherd.
G-d says to tell the people to bring a sacrifice to Me which is very pleasing to Me. It is my bread. Rashi says this conversation is similar to a princess who knows she is dying, and she asks her husband to take good care of the children. The husband’s response is to say to the princess to tell the children to take care of him. Moshe said take care of the people. G-d says, you’re worried about the children, worry about Me. Tell the children to worry about Me and to provide My bread.
G-d is saying: As vital as it is for Me to take care of the people, it is as vital for the people to provide for Me. What does this mean? Without a shepherd we could be killed. What is G-d worried about?
Yes, without G-d we would be killed. When G-d says this is My need, it’s forever. The pleasure G-d gets from our mitzvah is forever and it’s essential for Him like bread.
It resonates with us that my purpose in life is not me. I need a purpose. To think that the Creator of the world is the purpose of my existence is pretty exciting!
G-d cares and created me for a reason. We need to revolutionize thinking in the world. Number one life and the Torah, and religion is not about me. We need to reeducate the world. It’s G-d’s world and His plan and He wants us to be part of it. The purpose is not for us to be rewarded and get to go to Heaven. The purpose is to bring Heaven down to Earth.
The world is ready to serve and not be served. This is a much healthier way to live and so much holier and so much more Jewish.
Serving Hashem with simchah is not what I can get from Him, but what I can do for Him. There is avodas Hashem. What are you doing for Hashem?
If, G-d forbid, tomorrow the world blows itself up and stops existing, who would be the loser? Of course, the Creator. That’s why Hashem says: Don’t do these sins; you are destroying My world. On the other hand, anything we do to make this world a little better, He is grateful for. You’ve made His world better, not your world. Everything good that we do becomes Divine and meaningful forever.
The primary purpose of mitzvos is to make this world a dwelling place for Hashem.
By Susie Garber
