Living With Purpose When Life Doesn’t Make Sense

“purpose is not a destination; it is a way of living”

We often speak about purpose as if it’s something we “find”, a calling that arrives through clarity or inspiration, like a lightning bolt from heaven. But Parashat Vayeshev, one of the most dramatic and emotionally charged portions of the Torah, offers a different, and far more honest, view of how purpose really unfolds.

It begins with a hopeful word: Vayeshev, “and he settled.”, suggesting tranquility, stability, and perhaps even the sense of having finally reached one’s destination. After years of struggle, wandering, conflict, and fear, Yaakov wants peace. He wants to exhale. And who can blame him? Yet, almost instantly, the Torah thrusts him, and us, into turmoil: Yosef thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, Yaakov grieving, Yehudah facing personal crisis. Nothing feels settled at all. And this is precisely where the Torah teaches us about purpose.

Purpose Is Often Hidden in the Disruption

When Yosef is tossed into the pit, there is no voice from the heavens saying, “Don’t worry, this is part of your destiny!” In the moment, it feels like a disaster. That’s often how purpose works in real life.

A career detour.

A relationship ending.

A challenge that knocks the wind out of us.

We may ask: Why is this happening? What am I supposed to do now? Yet, as the story continues, it becomes clear that the events that seemed random or cruel are actually the very steps that position Yosef to fulfill his future role, saving nations from famine. Purpose is sometimes hidden inside the disruption.

Purpose Lives in Your Gifts, Even Before You Understand Them

Yosef’s dreams get him into trouble. His brothers resent them. His father is confused by them. Yosef himself doesn’t know what to make of them. But his dreams point to something essential: he is wired for leadership, insight, and responsibility. Purpose does not begin when others validate your talents. Purpose begins when you take seriously the gifts HaShem has already placed within you, even the ones people misunderstand. Sometimes our deepest calling begins with something we’ve always had, but only later learn how to use.

Purpose Comes From Aligning With What Only You Can Carry

Each character in Vayeshev carries a unique role.

• Yosef has dreams, not just of power but of responsibility. Though he does not yet understand them, they point to his future purpose: preserving life.

• Reuven attempts to save Yosef, driven by his own inner mission of repentance.

• Yehudah begins a process of leadership that will one day produce Mashiach.

• Even Tamar, through courage and clarity, ensures the continuity of a divine promise.

Purpose in Vayeshev is not a single storyline but many threads, each person contributing something only they could bring. So too in our lives: Purpose is less about finding “the” calling and more about uncovering the assignments only we can fulfill, through our personality, circumstances, and choices.

Purpose Is Discovered Through Faithful Action, Not Perfect Certainty 

When Yosef is in Potiphar’s house, we read: “And God was with Yosef, and he was a successful man.” (Bereishit 39:2) Why call him “successful” when he is still enslaved? Because success, purposeful living, is measured not by external freedom, but by internal alignment. Yosef acts with integrity, excellence, and courage wherever he is placed, not only once fate lifts him to the palace. 

He uses his abilities, organization, leadership, insight, even in the home of Potiphar, even in prison. Purpose is not a destination; it is a way of living. You don’t need to know where the story is going. You just need to bring your best self into each chapter. He cannot yet see the full arc of his purpose, but by living faithfully in each moment, he walks into his destiny.

Purpose Means Trusting That the Pit Is Not the End

Perhaps one of the most powerful lesson of Vayeshev is this:

The pit is part of the purpose.Not because suffering is inherently meaningful, but because the Torah teaches that no moment is wasted. When Yosef later tells his brothers: “You meant it for harm, but God meant it for good.” (Bereishit 50:20) he articulates a spiritual truth: Purpose often becomes visible only in hindsight. We move forward with trust, even when we can’t yet see how the lines will connect.

The pit is not the end of the story. Not for Yosef. Not for Yaakov. Not for Yehudah. Not for us. What felt like a dead end was actually a doorway. Often, our moments of struggle become the very environments where resilience, wisdom, empathy, and strength take root, qualities we need in order to fulfill our purpose later on.

Purpose Is a Partnership With HaShem

Vayeshev teaches that purpose is not a solo endeavor. It is a divine partnership, co-created through our choices, our character, and HaShem’s guiding hand. We do our part: acting with integrity, courage, and faith. HaShem does HaShem’s part: creating the opportunities we cannot see. Together, they weave a story far more meaningful than anything we could script alone.

Vayeshev invites us to redefine purpose:

• It is not comfort but calling.

• Not clarity but commitment.

• Not a smooth path but a meaningful one.

We discover our purpose when we ask:

“What is the task that only I can do in this moment?”and then step toward it, faithfully, courageously, and with the belief that even our pits can become gateways to greatness.

A Thought to Carry Into the Week

If you’re in a moment of clarity, cherish it.

If you’re in a moment of confusion, don’t despair.

In Vayeshev, purpose doesn’t arrive neatly packaged.

It unfolds slowly, often painfully, but always with direction.

Wherever you find yourself this week, in a stable place or in a pit, remember:

Purpose is not something you wait for.

It is something you live into.

One faithful step at a time.