In the previous installment, we noted that to gain a deeper understanding of life’s difficulties, we need to broaden our perspective beyond the finite, seeking the widest context to find the most meaning. By pulling back the lens further, we can view this life within the larger context of our neshama.
This shift in perspective is essential, because without it, the ego steps in to fill the void. When the ego reigns, every bump and bruise is met with angry defiance, reinforcing the belief that we are bad and deserving of pain and punishment. If we feel angry at Hashem and unloved by Him because of our trials and tribulations, we are not living in the world of truth. As a result, we will continually take out our frustrations on ourselves and those around us.
Fundamentally, bitachon is the acceptance and recognition that every experience comes directly from Hashem, given out of His love for us. It means knowing unequivocally that nothing happens by chance and that every aspect of our lives is under complete and total Divine supervision.
There isn’t always a why we can grasp from our limited perspective. Bitachon is keyed into the acknowledgment that some of life’s most painful ordeals are beyond our understanding. Even when we can’t fathom the reason, we trust that it is perfectly tailored for our good.
The Deeper Meaning
Each person possesses a unique purpose in this world (tafkid). In pursuing and fulfilling this mission, we facilitate the “repair” or “rectification” of our soul, a process referred to as our tikkun. Our talents and strengths – and many of life’s challenges – are tailor-made to help us accomplish what the soul requires. The word that most precisely describes this system is mazal. (Mazal, literally meaning “constellations,” refers to the astrological influence a person is born under. It denotes an inscrutable correlation between the natural world and a person’s nature, having little to do with modern-day astrology, fortune-telling, and horoscopes.)
Mazal is often translated as “luck” because, from our perspective, what happens to people often appears random. Mazal is more accurately defined as the confluence of conditions and circumstances that we require to complete, to perfect, ourselves. That is indeed mazal’s charter – to protect and promote our tafkid-tikkun, the reason we are in this world in the first place.
Studies consistently show that people who find meaning in their struggles develop greater emotional intelligence, deeper relationships, and a clearer sense of purpose. Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, demonstrated that meaning-making is our most powerful psychological tool. His research revealed that when we can connect our suffering to a larger purpose, our capacity for resilience becomes virtually limitless.
What makes this so powerful is that meaning-making actually rewires our neural pathways. When we find purpose in our pain, the brain releases neurochemicals like dopamine and serotonin – the same compounds found in antidepressants. This isn’t just positive thinking; it’s biological transformation. Research on “benefit finding” shows that people who identify growth opportunities in adversity experience measurable changes in their immune system, stress hormones, and even gene expression. Tikkun appears to trigger our deepest healing mechanisms. We’re literally designed by Hashem to transform suffering into strength, but only when we can connect it to something greater than ourselves.
The concepts of tafkid, tikkun, and mazal are often confusing, so in brief, they form a comprehensive framework for understanding a person’s life journey. Consider someone with a natural creative talent – that talent reflects their mazal. Their tafkid is to use this talent to inspire and uplift others, making a unique and positive impact on the world and contributing to tikkun olam (“repair of the world”). Throughout their life, they may face challenges such as self-doubt or financial hardship. Overcoming these obstacles not only brings them closer to fulfilling their tafkid but also advances their tikkun.
Before a person is born into this world, the instruments – qualities and characteristics, physical and mental abilities, and available resources – are synchronized to optimize the soul’s path toward perfection.
In the upcoming installments, we will explore the intricacies of mazal and tafkid-tikkun, along with factors related to negligence and the natural world. For now, we emphasize that while mazal may influence our life experiences, it is ultimately irrelevant to our happiness and life satisfaction.
Questions of fairness and justice begin to fade when we examine the intricacies of this framework – not only because our challenges help perfect us for the ultimate pleasure in Olam Haba (“the World to Come”), but also because they do not inevitably diminish our pleasure in this world. As we saw in a previous installment, the findings confirm what Chazal taught long ago: life satisfaction does not correlate with circumstances. The soul’s mission – and its corresponding mazal – may shape what happens to us, but as we’ve learned, our happiness and emotional health are ultimately a function of our choices.
To be continued.
