There's so much at stake, but there are only two key components to winning the lottery.

#1: You must have the right numbers.

#2: The timing: You must have the right day for those numbers.

(This is in addition to buying the ticket, but this you already know!)

Tricky, isn't it?

But let's talk about winning for a moment. Have you ever delighted in the thought of winning the lottery? If so, you have probably thought about what you would do with the money.

I recently indulged in such a fantasy. Part of this daydream included exactly how I would thank G-d for this great gift. I could practically feel the emotion swelling up in the heart of my daydream. Then I was hit with a stark realization. Why not thank Him today?

Imagine all the great results that have occurred in your life because you were in the right place at the right time? Your lucky streak started right from your very beginnings!

Jewish philosophy explains that where we go and when is Divinely ordained. G-d guides each individual to be in the precise place where they can achieve their maximum potential. When this is accomplished, the situation is also elevated. So we have the lucky number, this is our unique self. The timing is determined from above, so we have the proper time.

Congratulations! You have won the lottery! All that is left is for us to make the right choice in dealing with our life.

At times we may think that our life is lacking. The proof is that we have problems! There may be up to a dozen various situations that are failing, and that's on a good day. Funny thing about our difficulties in life: after 30, 40 or 50 years one would think that we would have them solved! But they persist.

And for very good reason. Chassidic thought explains that many of the problems and challenges we face are really an opportunity for a meaningful life. They present us with an opposite force against which we strive and develop. Growth and fulfillment are part of the struggle, and obstacles are only opportunities in disguise! They, too, are part of the fortunate path paved before us.

The problem is that we often see only the small picture. We think that we are casting the lot and we are choosing the day. When we do not like our circumstance, we desire another. It is so easy to forget that the lot is being cast from above.

Not coincidentally, Purim means "Lots." This refers to the lots that the wicked Haman cast to determine the day to carry out his wicked decree. However this only accounts for one lot. The word 'Purim' in Hebrew implies plural. Which is the second lot?

Perhaps the second lot is the one cast by G-d Himself. Haman cast a "Pur" to choose a day of destruction; simultaneously G-d cast a "Pur" to choose a day of awesome celebration. And so we celebrate Purim. This represents our awareness of the Divine hand in the course of events, and most importantly - the events of our own life.