I officiated at a funeral the other day for an elderly lady who just a few years ago I officiated at the funeral of her own daughter who passed away from cancer. Besides all her other challenges in life, having to mourn the death of ones own child, has to be one of those real tough ones to handle
When G-d commanded to divide the land of Israel amongst the twelve tribes – The bible says, “With lots you shall separate the land.” The land was divided by relying on a suprarational method and was not divided according to rational thinking.
According to one opinion in Jewish law, when one depends on a raffle for an outcome, we say, the raffle is merely guiding the person in the direction of the raffle. Another opinion in Jewish law states that the raffle actually has the power to grant ownership to the winner of the lottery, so no other act is necessary to gain acquisition and ownership of the object.
In the same way, that the land for the tribes as a whole was granted by depending on Divine guidance, something that goes beyond rational thinking and explanation – every member of the tribe was awarded their own lot in life, to develop, grow, and thrive in the same way.
Our sages tell us, the same applies to each individual person and their own lot in life. We are all placed here in this world with a very specific and unique mission, our own lot to develop. The circumstances and place a person finds himself in, was granted to them similar to a lot by Divine providence, something that doesn’t always make rational sense.
Why was I born to these parents, or why was I born in this country, or why was I given this set of strengths and weaknesses? Some people might want to escape to what appears to be other more lush pastures. They say, someplace else or in other circumstances, things would be different or things would be better.
Once two souls came up to heaven, both did good. The rich one helped pull out people stuck in the mud, and the poor chariot driver invited the needy to his home. Both, where sent back again to this world. The rich one should have done what he is most suited to do, to invite the hungry to his abundant table, and the chariot guy should have pulled the stuck chariots out of the mud.
The things that are met with the greatest of internal hardships and difficulties is usually the reason we were sent down here to this world. Our mission and lot in life, our unique purpose in the world usually comes disguised at the most difficult time or set of circumstances.
The comfort is that not only does Divine providence steer us in the direction of what’s best and most compatible with our soul’s mission, it also grants us ownership over the hardship. The power to succeed is always implanted and imbued within us and in our surroundings, to achieve, to accomplish, and thrive in that portion of life that was granted to each one of us.