Recently, I sent a package at the post office. Bringing the package there, I remembered I needed a pen. I went to the car to take one. Walking back, close to the post office, I remembered I forgot the package in the car. I had to walk back again.
It reminded me of a story from Rabbi Avigdor Miller.
Why the Third Angel?
After a person passes to the next world they are greeted by 3 angels. One to calculate their good deeds. One to calculate their bad deeds . And one to calculate their Torah.
The question arises – why is this third angel necessary? Torah is basically included in accounting of the first two angels? The answer is is that a person has a purpose in life to fulfill to make this world a greater place. This angel is here to calculate if the person actually delivered what he was supposed to do in this world.
Here is the story to illustrate:
Delivering the Package
A person was hired to deliver a package to California. The employer told him: “Be careful. Follow the road signs, don’t go to fast. Fill the truck with oil and the best gas. Check the tires.” When the delivery man came back the employer asked him – “how was the trip?” He responded: “I did just like you told me. I followed the road signs. I filled the truck with good gas and oil. I checked the Tires.” “Yes” the man said “But did you deliver the package?” The delivery man – very embarrassed – replied “Oh. I am sorry I forgot to deliver the package.”
Our main purpose in life is to achieve our purpose. Each one of us is unique and based upon our qualities and strengths – will our purpose be related.
How to Find Your Purpose
The purpose of the person is found through learning and observing Torah. The first chapter of Mesilat Yesharim / the Path of the Righteous by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzatto – talks about how a person is to find their personal purpose in life. It says that every day a person has to reflect upon and clarify what they were sent to this earth to do.
Torah and Purpose
A Jew learns Torah to find their purpose. Thus attending lectures on Judaism at many orthodox Torah congregations, they are uplifted. A gentile finds their purpose by following the 7 Noahide laws.
One finds one personal purpose by seeing their strengths, interests and weaknesses. One sees how they can use his strengths and interests to help the world in a way congruent with Torah and Mitzvot.
For instance if one is good at art, they can make beautiful Jewish paintings.
If they are good at organization, they can help a Torah organization by volunteering or working for them.
If one has an ability to teach, they can teach Torah courses.
If has business acumen, they can use their charity funds to help Torah causes.
Escapism / Killing Time in Judaism.
The Torah is real. It puts you face to face with reality, so you can deal with it and enjoy it the best you can. Escapism / Killing Time in Judaism is a non-entity. Some feel pressure, so they have to escape – so they tune out of their problems for a while only to find them afterwards – sometimes worse than before. This is a plague of the alcoholic. He drinks to forget. But the worries do not disappear.
Pastimes for Purpose
The Torah tells you, yes there are times when one needs to relax. We have a full day a week dedicated to this concept – Shabbat. But instead of escaping, we build relationships and build ourselves in the process. Vacations can also be purposeful, to get away to be able to function better when one returns. Or to be able to relax to think out where one is going in life. Sports are good to help a person be in shape.
Jewish Meditation – Hitbodedut
Tzaddikim / righteous people used to take a fixed period during the day to sit in a secluded place to reflect upon life. The purpose was to focus in on where they could be better and how they could connect better with the One Who created the world.
Purposeful Living
One who lives a life with purpose, lives differently than one who does not. To one who does not, life is a melange of bunch of nice scenarios and situations. In they end, they have memories, but when they realize they did not achieve their purpose they sometimes look back and see much of life as lost time.
One who lived with purpose uses every moment to become closer to the purpose that they were brought to the world to fulfill.
Every Day is a New Day to Start a New
Some people worry about what they did in the past, preventing them from getting back on the path to purposeful living. They think they can’t or they are averse to change. Change can be done little by little. This is the Torah way. Every journey starts with one small step. It only takes the decision to make that first step in the right direction. There is always hope.