Still searching for that meaning

The Yirei Elokim spends his final speech refuting the views of his fellow characters. To the Amal he says he should build, create, get rid of injustice, and make a difference, and he will eventually be judged positively for those actions. To the Chacham he warns that man is limited in power and it is important for him to accept his limitations and from there use his wisdom to make the world a better place. And lastly, he tells the Neheneh to recognize that there is a G-d in the world and He will hold the Neheneh accountable for his actions.

The Yirei Elokim leaves us off with the following thought: In this world, we must try to accomplish while knowing that one day we will be held responsible by G-d and accepting the fact that we can't know everything. He says that through this acknowledgement of the existence of G-d and the acceptance that we will never understand everything, only then can we find meaning in our lives. Then our world is completely transformed and the physical pleasures the Neheneh loves, the creativity and good that the Amal strives for, and the intellect of the Chacham can be used to find this meaning.

In class we were asked about our thoughts on this conclusion. Now that I've had some time to think about this, I'd like to share. In theory, the Yirei Elokim's beliefs sound amazing. It ties off all loose ends, considers every viewpoint, and makes a promising argument. Beautiful. But I have a few issues. We still don't have a clear "yitron" or purpose for life laid out for us. The Yirei Elokim seems to be saying that finding meaning is possible, but doesn't tell us exactly how to find this said meaning. I can't help but feel a little disappointed. Out of all the character's conclusions on life, the Yirei Elokim's is the best. But still, for me it is not good enough.

Maybe I will never be satisfied. Maybe finding meaning is a life-long pursuit. Surely it's not something that can be summed up on paper. Perhaps we won't know how to find real meaning or what that meaning looks like until it actually happens. Maybe one day it will just hit you right in the face and you'll have a moment of total clarity. Maybe meaning is something that takes it's time, dropping hints here and either until it finally all comes together. Who knows.