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Why Celebrate My Birthday?



Question:

It's my birthday this weekend but I have always felt funny about celebrating it. My birth was a bit of an accident -- my parents said I was a surprise, and I was born six weeks premature. Is there any meaning in celebrating the day that I wasn't really supposed to have been born?

Answer:

Your birthday is chosen by G-d -- not your parents, your astrologer or the obstetrician. Birth is G-d saying that the world can't go on without you. It is the day that your soul's mission had to begin.

There were already nearly six billion people on earth when you were born. Did the world really need you? Can one more soul really make a difference? Obviously the answer is yes; otherwise G-d would not have sent your soul to this earth. The fact that you were born means there must be some unique gift that you have to offer the world that none of those other six billion people could possibly achieve.

There were already nearly six billion people on earth when you were born. Did the world really need you?Your birthday is an opportunity to reflect: This is the day that my soul was dispatched on its mission. How is the mission going? Have I been contributing my part to the furthering of G-d's purpose to create heaven on earth? Have I been doing my bit to enhance and improve myself and my world? How much time and energy do I spend on meaningful pursuits? How much time could I add to that amount in the coming year?

Far from being an accident, your birth was clearly a deliberate act. The fact that you surprised your parents and arrived early just shows how urgently the world needed you -- your soul couldn't even wait a few weeks for the due date to get down here. G-d had another due date in mind.

Your soul was sent down by priority delivery. Make sure your soul always remains a priority.


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By Aron Moss   More articles...  |   RSS Listing of Newest Articles by this Author
Rabbi Aron Moss teaches Kabbalah, Talmud and practical Judaism in Sydney, Australia and is a frequent contributor to Chabad.org.
About the artist: Sarah Kranz has been illustrating magazines, webzines and books (including five children's books) since graduating from the Istituto Europeo di Design, Milan, in 1996. Her clients have included The New York Times and Money Marketing Magazine of London

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Reader Comments
Latest Comments:
Posted: Aug 1, 2009
Amazing
THANK YOU SO MUCH, i really don't know how to thank the one who wrote this answer, it really makes sense. You made my day, thanks a lot.
Posted By Anonymous

Posted: July 24, 2009
Why are there evil people?
One person asked why evil people were made. Well, if there weren't any evil, there would be no good. And plus, nobody is really evil because evil is just the absence of good. So, you can be good, less good, not-so good, but still, everyone is good (or whatever word you want to say). So, God didn't make evil people, he just made people who were less good than others.
Posted By Abigail Miller, St. Louis, MO

Posted: June 5, 2009
Hmm, interesting answer.
That is an interesting answer to a question like that. I was wondering the same thing about myself, and it helped. Thanks to whoever wrote that answer.
Posted By Anonymous



 


Life & Death
Why Celebrate My Birthday?
What is a Soul?
What Happens After We Die?
What is the Jewish View on Martyrdom?
How Do I Know that I have a Soul?
How Do I Know What Is My Mission in Life? (I)
How Do I Know What is my Mission in Life? (II)
Dealing with Difficulty
Coping with Pain
Do Autistic Children Have Special Souls?
Why Does G-d Create Severely Handicapped Babies?
What is a Shalom Zachar?
Do Jews Believe in an Afterlife?
Am I Going to Burn in Hell?
Life After Death in the Bible?
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