In search of: What is the meaning of life?
Probably one of the most popular search queries in history — even before Google — has to do with the meaning of life. The quintessential caricature of waxing philosophical is why am I here? What is my purpose? Does anything I do matter?
These questions are undoubtedly important ones, but they make a surprising assumption; that there is meaning to life at all. Shouldn’t the first question be, “Does life have meaning?” Or is the assumption that it definitely does, it’s just a matter of finding out what it is?
Like any good Jew, we’ve started off on the right foot: asking a question about the question. Now we can attempt to answer them both.
First things first: is there meaning to life? The Jewish answer: absolutely. Meaning implies purpose, so as long as life has a purpose, it can definitely have meaning.
Rav Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, one of the greatest authors of Jewish philosophy, addresses this questions in his foundational work, Mesillat Yesharim (The Path of the Just). He states that the Creator created the world out of the desire to bestow goodness — and He designed the world perfectly for that purpose, right down to every aspect of the natural world and man’s physiological makeup. Thus, our existence certainly has a purpose: to be the recipients of the goodness the Creator bestows upon us on a constant basis.
This dynamic occurs on a spectrum. On the simplest level, we all receive countless blessings as long as we’re alive: we’re breathing, doing, and most of us can talk, walk, eat, and enjoy life on many levels. But pleasure can go a lot further than that. The same way you can refine your palate to enjoy sophisticated nuances of flavor in wines or bourbons or coffee, you can also refine your sense of pleasure to include the sublime nuances of intellectual and moral development.
Many of us can relate to this on some level: does anything in the world feel as amazing as pushing yourself through a grueling workout? Learning something new that causes a total paradigm shift? Holding back from issuing a biting remark to a family member out of compassion? Putting extra effort into pro-bono work or dedicating time and talent to a charity project? Not eating dessert when on a diet? You feel like Superman in those moments.
And it gets even better.
Life is complicated. Like parenting, it’s the kind of thing we joke about wistfully, wishing we had a manual. Fortunately, although many don’t realize this, life does. It’s called the Torah. There’s a common misconception about the Torah, that all it contains is a bunch of rules and stories. But the reality is, embedded in the sometimes enigmatic text are profound life lessons that are relevant even today.
One of the most critical of those lessons is just this idea — what the purpose of our existence is, why it matters, what we need to do to actualize it, and how to live the best, happiest, most fruitful and meaningful life possible. The Torah shows us that one of the main ingredients in an incredible life is mitzvot — those observances that are a lot more than just rituals. They train us to be humble, grateful, disciplined, loving, compassionate, sensitive, and joyful. They give us the wisdom to understand ourselves and the world around us. It’s all in there. You just need to know how to uncover it, or find a teacher who can show you how.
So if you need answers to existential questions, try seeking out a Torah teacher who knows his or her stuff. You might be surprised by what you find!