There is a story about a Kabbalist known as the Netziv, who was very wealthy-- financial genius, in fact. One night he had a dream in which he saw and heard two angels talking.
One angel said to the other: “Should we show him all that he was supposed to achieve in this lifetime that he is not doing? “Yes” replied the other angel. “Let’s show him. Maybe it will help him get back on track.”
The angels lifted the curtain and showed the Netziv the thousands of students he was meant to teach, and the many books he was meant to write and the spiritual Light he was supposed to reveal. Then they asked him directly,
“Where are the books? Where are your good works? Where are the people you were supposed to influence with spiritual wisdom?” “Do you think you were given a mind to achieve a sack of gold? Is that what you were put in the world for?” These questions pierced through to the soul of the Netziv. When he awoke, he committed himself 100% to fulfilling what the angels had shown him—establishing a school with many students and becoming a prolific writer.
For us, this story contains an important message.
We are all tasked with a mission in this world by the Creator Himself. Our job is to ask what it is, be open to the answer we get, and then set out to accomplish it.
