Sometimes a child’s question can really get us thinking. One of the students from Mount Sinai recently asked me, “Rabbi, Why did Hashem create us? What is the purpose of life?”

This question as profound as it is, is also based on a premise that we innately know that indeed there is a purpose to life. The question is not, “if there a purpose to life,” but rather, “what is the purpose?”

According to Jewish thought, every soul has their own unique mission that can only be fulfilled by that soul. The universe waits for the moment for each soul to arrive, to carry out their unique mission.

But how do we find out what our unique mission is?

The Parsha this week discusses how the land of Israel was proportioned to each tribe and each family. This was done by a means of a lottery. Each piece of land that was given to a family represents ones primary mission in life, their allotted piece of the world destined for them to elevate and refine.

The fact that it was done through a lottery suggests that life’s mission is pre-ordained in heaven.

While there is no simple solution to find out what our unique mission is, there are 2 indicators that can point us in the right direction.

The first indicator is, when we find a lot of resistance towards a certain good initiative or spiritual goal. Kabbalah talks about negative forces that would stop a soul from fulfilling its mission. So when you find opposition and stumbling blocks in front of a certain Mitzvah, that can be a clear sign that here lies your souls life mission.

Another indicator is by following the clues that Hashem leaves for us, we call this “Hashgacha Protit,” G-d’s divine providence. When we look around our life and certain oppurtunities come our way, we can be able to find our unique contribution to G-d’s world.

Those are two ways to help find out unique mission in life. Finding our mission also helps with dealing with life’s challenges and setbacks. For when focusing on life’s real mission, it gives us a sense of direction and meaning, making the journey of life smoother and more meaningful.