Maintaining a State of Joy

Rabbi Nachman of Breslav, is connected with the phrase that it is a great Mitzva to constantly be in a state of joy. The holiday season, with its beautiful laws and customs, enhances this possibility of achieving a state of joy.

The question is how are we able to maintain this feeling, on a daily basis, when we are faced with various challenges. The Mussar books give suggestions as to how we might reach this goal of remaining happy. They all would like us to be aware that we are in a constant battle with the Yeitzer Hara, or evil inclination.

The role of the Yeitzer Hara is to take away our joy. It is interesting that the numerical value of the word, Amalek, is equal to the word, “Safek,” which means, doubt. Amalek and the Yeitzer Hara, according to some opinions, are one and the same. If we begin to question ourselves, and allow ourselves to begin worrying about many aspects of our lives, the Yeitzer Hara and Amalek, are winning.

We must recognize that all negativity, and particularly, worrying, is the greatest impediment to take away our joy.

The classic book, “Orchot Tzaddikim,” goes so far to say that the opposite of Simcha, is worry. Every individual causes himself great harm by giving in to worry. It is the work of the Yeitzer, as nothing positive comes from worry.

The ultimate way towards maintaining joy, comes from developing a closeness with Hashem. When one achieves a level of intense love and devotion towards G-d, he will feel the Divine protection. He will be able to feel happiness and contentment at all times.

Rabbi Nachman’s statement represents a goal that we are to attempt to reach. He never said that it was easy to attain such a level. However, he believed that if we apply ourselves and do the spiritual work necessary, we will be able to fulfill the Mitzva of being in a state of joy at all times.

Symbolism of Four Species

The Four Species that are taken each day of Succot, except for Shabbat have their own significance. Part of the ceremony involves , “Na’anuim,” that refers to the waving of the species.

This is one aspect of the Arba’ah Minim, that allows us to acknowledge Hashem’s Presence in all directions of the world. This represents our special bond with the G-d of Israel.

The other aspect of this Mitzva, involves the bond between every Jew of all backgrounds. We bind all four species together, as a sign that we are trying to create unity among all Jews.

Each of the Four Species, represents a different kind of Jew. The Etrog, or citrus fruit, has a good taste and good smell. This represents one who has Torah knowledge and good deeds.

The Lulav, or palm branch, has taste but no fragrance. This refers to one who possesses Torah that is not accompanied by good deeds.

The Myrtle has good fragrance but no taste. And the willow has neither taste or smell, which would refer to one without Torah or good deeds.

The Rabbis have said that purification from sin leads to unity. This means that when we are able to rid ourselves of pettiness, jealousy, Lashon Hara, and cause less hatred, we are able to become unified as a people.

The binding of the Four Species, and the four types of Jews, is a symbolic attempt to create such unity.

For years, the IDF did not get the credit they deserved for being that one entity, where there was real unity. Our precious soldiers fought hand in hand with their fellow Jews, without caring at all, what were the religious or political beliefs of their comrades.

Today we are so deeply indebted to the brave heroes, of the Israeli army. They are unified in their resolve to defend our people, as they have a deep love for their country and fellow Jew. They are the example of what the binding of the Four Species, were meant to accomplish.

Succot in the Temple

During the time of the Temple, one of the highlights was the ceremony known as Simchat Beit Hashoeva, “The Rejoicing at the Place of the Water Drawing.” The Talmud mentions that one who has not witnessed this ceremony, has not seen a joyous occasion in his life.

The ceremony involved taking water from the creek below the Temple. At the top of the altar, the Kohein would pour water and wine at the same time. This was accompanied with instruments playing, and the Shofar sounded.

The festivities were held in the women’s section of the Temple. The young Kohanim would ascend four pillars, and would light them with worn out garments of the Kohanim. All of Jerusalem was lit up by these pillars.

The Talmud in Masechet Succah, describes the festivities. “Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Hanania stated: ‘When we used to rejoice at the place of the Water Drawing, our eyes saw no sleep. How was this? The first hour was occupied with the daily morning sacrifice; from there we proceeded to prayers; from the prayers, to the additional Mussaf sacrifice; then to the House of Study; then the eating and drinking; then the afternoon prayer; then the daily evening sacrifice; and after that, the rejoicing at the place of the Water-Drawing all night.”

This is another example as to how the Beit Hamikdash was the focal point of Jewish life. It symbolized the special bond between G-d and the Jewish people.

The pilgrimage festivals were extremely uplifting. The connection to this holiness was meant to carry the Jewish people throughout the long, dark winter.

They would get their spiritual batteries recharged during their next visit on Pesach. It is understandable how the destruction of our two Temples, caused Jews to go astray from true Torah values. The Temple served as a source of strength and hope. G-d’s Presence was felt in a very strong way. We must understand the loss, in order to pray for its rebuilding. May that time come speedily in our time.

Feeling Joy

There is no holiday in the Jewish calendar that places so much emphasis on joy as Succot. There are three different references in the Torah, that connect the idea of Simcha, or happiness, with this holiday.

It is strange that there is a commandment to be happy. This is an emotion that a person feels. How can we be expected to feel joyful, simply because this is a Torah commandment.

It appears that there is a connection to this entire holiday period. If the proper intention was paid to all of the preparations before this before the month of Tishrei, this is part of the process.

During the month of Elul, the Shofar was blown each morning. The week before Rosh Hashanah, we began the Selichot service.

The Ten Days of Teshuvah between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, were very intense. The peak of this period was a full day of fasting and asking for forgiveness, on Yom Kippur.

We have been elevated as a people with this injection of spirituality, for the past forty-five days. The feeling of joy that is felt when we build and enter our Succah, is a natural consequence of this spiritual elevation.

The Succah has a certain of magic to it. When we live in our temporary dwelling, we can almost feel the Divine Presence descending upon us. The colorful decorations add to this happy feeling.

We can see that it is appropriate to ask us to be joyful on Succot. We are being told that this will be the natural consequence of observing this entire holiday as delineated in the Torah and by our Rabbis.

Kohellet

There are five Meggilot that are part of the twenty-four books of Tanach. Each of these Megillot is read on a different holiday.

Meggilat Esther is read on Purim. Song of Songs is read on Pesach. Meggilat Ruth is read on Shavuot. Megillat Eicha (Lamentations) is read on Tisha B’Av, and Kohellet is read on Succot.

Song of Songs and Kohellet were both written by King Solomon. Most opinions say that he wrote Song of Songs in his youth, and Kohellet in his old age. Song of Songs is a love story that seems appropriate to be written by a man in his youth. Kohellet seems to be more of an older person reflecting on his life.

There are other opinions that it was the reverse. He wrote Kohellet when he was a young “know it all,” and Song of Songs when he appreciated the love of his “wife of his youth.”

Kohellet is read on Succot in order to clarify what a person’s priorities ought to be. There is always a tendency to become complacent when someone feels financially secure. The fall was a prosperous time for the farmers, which is why they needed a reminder about not getting off track.

Shlomo Hamelech makes it clear that he has really been the perfect example of, “been there, done that.” He claimed to have tried every possible physical indulgence “under the sun.”

His important conclusion is that “all is vanity.” There simply is no material pursuit that will give a person lasting joy. Our imperfect world, leads to a great deal of frustration.

When all is said and done, the only pursuit in this world that gives meaning and contentment, is to “Fear G-d and observe the commandments, for this is all there is for man.” The simplest and most perfect joy is right in front of us. We only need to open our eyes to appreciate this truth expressed by the wisest of all men.

He’s Watching

The Talmud in Masechet Bava Kama gives two definitions regarding a thief. One is called a “Ganav,” and the other is called a “Gazlan.”

The Ganav steals secretly when the owner of the object is unaware and is not looking. The Gazlan steals with force and could even be an armed robber.

It is somewhat surprising that when the Ganav is caught and brought to justice, he is penalized by paying double the amount that he stole.

The Gazlan, who acts more brazenly, is only required to return what he stole, or pay its value. The Torah says, והשיב את הגזילה, that he must return the stolen object.

The Talmud explains the reason for this law. The Ganav has demonstrated that he fears man more than he fears G-d. For this he is penalized.

The Gazlan is showing more desperation by his actions. He is not necessarily a denier of G-d. He needs money so badly that he’s willing to take the risk that both man and Hashem are watching. He’s hoping he will somehow get away with his crime.

This is an appropriate message as we are making our final pleas for a good year. As Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakai told his students on his death bed, “May your fear of G-d be as great as your fear of man.” They were surprised by such a simple parting message.

He explained that this is not a small thing. We must constantly remember that “Hashem is watching,” and everything depends on Him. Depending on man, leads to futility.

Dwelling in the Succah

The classic explanation as to why we dwell in Succot for seven days, is to remind us of the temporary huts that the Jews lived in during their time in the desert.

It was also to remind us of the ענני הכבוד, the “Clouds of Glory, that traveled with the Jewish people during their forty year journey, in the merit of Aharon.

These two reasons combine to emphasize our absolute dependence on Hashem at all times. The Succot showed how temporary life is, and how vulnerable we are.

It was decided to celebrate Succot in the fall, because that was the most prosperous time of the year for the farmers as they gathered their crops. Most Jews were farmers and they needed to be reminded not to forget that their success and prosperity was all from Hashem.

It seems that this year, in particular, the message of dependence on Hashem rings loud and clear. We give thanks every day in the “Modim” prayer of Shmone Esrei, for “the miracles that are with us each day.”

This has been a year of outward miracles as we have been bombarded with so many rockets, that due to Hashem’s protection, caused very little loss of life.

As we sit in our Succot this year, we should feel overwhelmed with gratitude for Hashem’s protection. We must not take anything for granted. We should feel blessed that Hashem has chosen us from among the nations for our special role of teaching morality and goodness to the world.

Three Categories of Mitzvot

The “Duties of the Heart,” written by Rabbeinu Bachye, around the year 1100, is meant to help intensify the way one worships G-d.

He emphasizes “Kavanna,” which means intent, as a key towards achieving this goal. Before performing any Mitzva, there should be a moment of pause, where one asks that the performance of that Mitzva, should bring him closer to Hashem.

Rabbeinu Bachye wanted us to be aware that there are actually three categories of Mitzvot. There are those that are performed with our intellect and emotions. These include the fear and love of Hashem, acknowledging His existence and unity, and being aware to sanctify His name.

There are also Mitzvot that we perform with speech. We pray to G-d, we are careful to use our speech so that we do not hurt others, and we try to use our words, to comfort the mourners and the downtrodden.

Succot is the holiday that emphasizes the third category. We use our physical bodies to build our Succah. We show how we cherish this Mitzva, by decorating it, which shows our love for the Mitzva. We must use our feet to purchase our Lulav and Etrog. We try to buy a set that glorifies our G-d. In Temple times, all of the men had to physically appear at the Beit Hamikdash to offer sacrifices. This holiday serves as a reminder that we are meant to serve Hashem with every aspect of our being. The reward for such service, is a feeling of closeness and contentment to our Creator. There is nothing in this world that can bring such happiness and joy.

From Yom Kippur to Succot

The Keli Yakar makes an interesting observation about this holiday period. He wrote that Jews do not sin from Yom Kippur until Succot.

There are two possibilities as to why this is true. The first is that we have been inspired and elevated from the Ten Days of Teshuva, as well as experiencing a full day of fasting and prayer. This spiritual high that we are on lasts for another five days, at least, until the Succot holiday begins.

The second possibility in explaining the Keli Yakar, is that we are so busy with the building of our Succah, and the purchase of the Four Species, that we simply don’t have the time to commit any transgressions.

This second explanation confirms the theory as to why there is a general lack of idealism and drive in the younger generation. There is far too much leisure time, and far too much money. The combination of the two, spells trouble.

Because so often young people are “bored,” they use their free time and money to entertain themselves. This entertainment takes them away from the path of Torah and holiness.

The Rabbis recommend that we fill our lives with a legitimate job, and study Torah when we are free. The two keep us away from sin.

We do need to point out, as Douglas Murray has done so eloquently, is that the younger generation in Israel, are the exception to the rule.

Their bravery, love of country, and love of their fellow Jew, is truly inspiring. We are living among modern day heroes and giants.

The Keli Yakar teaches us an important lesson about human nature. It is one that we must carefully take to heart.

Kol Nidrei

The main figure related to Yom Kippur during the time of the Beit Hamikdash, was the Kohein Hagadol, the High Priest. He was appointed the messenger of the people, to help them receive atonement.

The process of the Temple service of the High Priest, began a week before Yom Kippur. He was brought to the Temple, for a review of all of the details involved on the Day of Atonement.

During the period of the Sadduccees, when many Jews had rejected the Oral Law, the Kohein Hagadol needed to be cross examined by members of the Sanhedrin, to be sure that he was worthy of his lofty task. This was a very emotional moment as it was so unfortunate that such an interrogation was necessary.

The High Priest was kept awake the entire night of Yom Kippur, and he began his service at dawn. He offered many sacrifices and was privileged to enter the Holy of Holies only on this day.

He did confessions on behalf of himself, the other Kohanim, and all of Israel. When he uttered the holy Name of G-d in purity and sanctity, all of the Jews around him, fell on their faces.

When he successfully completed all of his duties on this day, his face radiated with holiness. There was great joy and celebration in feeling Hashem’s closeness, and in feeling that atonement was achieved. This feeling of joy continued throughout the holiday of Succot.

How sad it is that we have no Temple and have not merited seeing the Yom Kippur service. We should be in the mind set that if the Kohein Hagadol began his preparations seven days before Yom Kippur, we should make our own preparations as well.

There is so much to pray for this year in particular. And there is so much gratitude we need to express to G-d, as we have been witnessing Divine protection every single day, in the most miraculous way.

In the merit of the numerous heroes that have shown incredible resolve in defending our homeland, and to all those who have done huge acts of Chessed, we should be blessed with peace, good health, and prosperity.

The High Priest

The main figure related to Yom Kippur during the time of the Beit Hamikdash, was the Kohein Hagadol, the High Priest. He was appointed the messenger of the people, to help them receive atonement.

The process of the Temple service of the High Priest, began a week before Yom Kippur. He was brought to the Temple, for a review of all of the details involved on the Day of Atonement.

During the period of the Sadduccees, when many Jews had rejected the Oral Law, the Kohein Hagadol needed to be cross examined by members of the Sanhedrin, to be sure that he was worthy of his lofty task. This was a very emotional moment as it was so unfortunate that such an interrogation was necessary.

The High Priest was kept awake the entire night of Yom Kippur, and he began his service at dawn. He offered many sacrifices and was privileged to enter the Holy of Holies only on this day.

He did confessions on behalf of himself, the other Kohanim, and all of Israel. When he uttered the holy Name of G-d in purity and sanctity, all of the Jews around him, fell on their faces.

When he successfully completed all of his duties on this day, his face radiated with holiness. There was great joy and celebration in feeling Hashem’s closeness, and in feeling that atonement was achieved. This feeling of joy continued throughout the holiday of Succot.

How sad it is that we have no Temple and have not merited seeing the Yom Kippur service. We should be in the mind set that if the Kohein Hagadol began his preparations seven days before Yom Kippur, we should make our own preparations as well.

There is so much to pray for this year in particular. And there is so much gratitude we need to express to G-d, as we have been witnessing Divine protection every single day, in the most miraculous way.

In the merit of the numerous heroes that have shown incredible resolve in defending our homeland, and to all those who have done huge acts of Chessed, we should be blessed with peace, good health, and prosperity.

Love Every Jew

The observance of the Torah presents different challenges to different people. Although there may be a general acceptance to observe all of the commandments, some people find certain Mitzvot more difficult to observe than others.

The obligation to give ten percent of one’s income, might be extremely challenging to some, while others are able to observe it easily. The same could be said about the laws of Family Purity, or moving to Israel. There are different challenges for different people.

The Mitzva to love every Jew, might be the most difficult of all. Let’s face it, that there are plenty of Jews whose personalities and views, make them very difficult to love.

We are not able to enter Yom Kippur without having made peace with those that we may have wronged. The laws between man and G-d can achieve atonement on Yom Kippur. But the laws between man and man are not forgiven, unless a sincere attempt was made to ask for forgiveness from our fellow man.

We must be able to swallow our pride and be certain that we did not cause physical or monetary damage to another person. And we must not shame them, either.

The laws of the Torah are beautiful and challenging at the same time. But we must at least be focused on correcting the difficult law of being able to love every Jew, by being sure that we have not wronged them. We can then enter Yom Kippur with confidence that we have cleaned our slate.

Truth and Peace

The Book of Our Heritage, written by Eliyahu Kitov, describes all of the major events of the Jewish calendar, month by month. He has a novel idea regarding Teshuva.

He writes that if a person remembers two words, “truth and peace,” they will be great deterrents to prevent a person from sinning. If someone is always truthful and never lies, he will realize his accountability if he’s actually guilty of a crime.

The idea of peace is meant to avoid quarreling with others. If this is on the forefront of a person’s mind, he will also avoid speaking badly of that person, and other sins will also be avoided.

On a deeper level, Emmet and Shalom, as expressed in Hebrew, are the keys towards achieving peace of mind. In other words, we cannot have peace without truth.

This means being able to avoid delusions about people or a person’s reality. It is so much healthier to admit to the truth rather than avoid it. Eventually, the truth does come out, and it is recognized how much better it would have been, had this been confronted much earlier.

We must also be realistic about the positive and negative traits of our loved ones and friends. A refusal to accept people as they are, can lead to great heartache and disappointment.

It is much healthier to be able to accept and love these individuals, despite their flaws, rather than ignore them. We cannot expect others to be perfect, and it helps to know the possible limitations of certain relationships.

If someone has the courage to see the truth as it is, this is the secret in finding peace of mind. Truth and peace go hand in hand, and are extremely important attributes for an individual to possess.

Overly Pious Gedalia

The Fast of Gedalia has nothing to do with the High Holidays, other than the fact that all fast days are a call for repentance. It is more directly related to the events connected with the destruction of the Temple.

It is referred to in the Tanach as fast of the seventh month, which is Tishrei. The assassination of Gedalia Ben Achikam at the hands of another Jew, Yishmael Ben Netanyah, took place on Rosh Hashanah. The fast is always on the day after.

The King of Ammon actually hired Yishmael to kill Gedalia. He was upset that many Jews who had fled to Ammon, returned to Israel to be part of the remnant that remained after the destruction of the first Temple by Nebuchadnezzar. This tragic murder put an end to any hope of the Temple being rebuilt, at that time.

The Messilat Yesharim uses this incident of Gedalia’s assassination to teach that a person should not be overly righteous. Gedalia was warned of the plot to overthrow him. He “piously” chose not to believe such terrible Lashon Hara, and did not take measures to protect himself. He paid an unnecessarily heavy price for his foolishness. There are times when it is good to give the benefit of the doubt. But there are others, when self righteousness is potentially dangerous. Gedalia paid with his life for trading good sense with being pious.

The Gift of Teshuva

The Rambam discusses in great depth, the concept of Teshuva, repentance. Although he felt that the essence of Teshuva is Viduy, or confession, he devoted ten chapters to this subject.

He emphasized that we should be aware of this Mitzva at all times. A major aspect of our religious observance involves a constant attempt at self improvement.

Nevertheless, by the kindness of Hashem, we are granted a particular time of year, when He reaches out to us, so that we become closer to Him. These are the עשרת ימי תשובה, the Ten Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We fill these days with Selichot and additional special prayers. We make an extra effort to be on our best behavior. It is true that we are being judged at this time, and our sincere effort to return to G-d is extremely important in determining our future. But it is also important to see this time period as a gift from G-d, to allow us to clean our slate and be granted another chance to get things right.

We must be grateful and take advantage of this opportunity. We should never allow ourselves to think that our situation is hopeless and beyond repair. The power of Teshuva can reap incredible rewards. As the Torah says, “This matter (Teshuva) is very close to you. It is in your mouth and in your heart to do.” It is much easier than we think to be able to improve our lives and achieve joy and peace of mind. May we all be successful in this holy mission.

The Ultimate Joy

The Messilat Yesharim is a book that is a step by step process towards higher and higher levels of spirituality. The end of the book speaks of the great rewards when one applies himself towards serving Hashem to the best of his ability. The Ramchal, the book’s author ends with an extremely important point.

The desire of every human being is to feel a constant sense of joy and peace of mind. How wonderful it would be to live with no fears or worries.

There is only one way to actually achieve this level of contentment. There is no other pursuit possible in this world that can have this effect-especially for a Jew. This can be achieved by developing an unshakable bond with G-d. There are a number of people that are in this constant state of bliss. They are able to push aside the materialism and foolishness of this world. They are in a state of awareness how precious this bond is with Hashem, and they will not allow themselves to be distanced from Him. They feel protected and all that matters, is doing acts that are pleasing to the Creator.

King David expressed this numerous times in the Book of Psalms. He spoke of how closeness to Hashem was good. This was his one request, to dwell in the House of G-d all the days of his life.

We must certainly remember this message. There is nothing in this world that can give peace of mind and contentment except for serving Hashem, and developing a closeness to Him. This should be the focus of our prayers as we enter the High Holiday season. There is nothing more important in this world.

Handing Over Leadership

The end of the Torah describes the handing over of the leadership of the Jewish people. Moshe Rabbeinu was commanded to make a smooth transition to direct and encourage Joshua, for this most difficult task.

The ceremony of “Semicha” where Moshe placed his hand on the head of Yehoshua, was done before all of Israel. There was to be no doubt that he was the one designated by Hashem to lead the people into the Promised Land.

From the text of the Torah, we see that Moshe had mixed feelings about losing the position he held for forty years. At the age of 120, he was in perfect health, and he desperately wanted to enter Israel.

On the other hand, Yehoshua was his loyal student, and there was no doubt that he was the most deserving to succeed him. Moshe even suggested that he be allowed to become Yehoshua’s student.

We see a similar situation when King David was told that he would not be allowed to build the Temple. Although he was disappointed, he was happy to know that his son, Shlomo, would build it instead.

Parents and teachers should never be in competition with their children and students. They should be thrilled to see them surpass them. They should feel proud that their teachings and principles will live on, in the next generation. There always comes a time when the mantel needs to be passed to a new leader. Moshe demonstrated how to do this with grace and dignity.

Duties of the Heart

One of the classic books in Jewish literature is, “Duties of the Heart,” or חובת הלבבות, written by Rabbeinu Bachye. It was written in Spain at the end of the eleventh century.

Rabbeinu Bachye was trying to fill a void that was lacking in the service of Hashem. He felt that Jews were not sufficiently using their intellect to develop a closer bond with G-d.

He made a distinction between those commandments that a person does with his body, and those done through thought and emotion. For example, the holiday season has us blowing the Shofar, building a Succah, and taking the Lulav and Etrog. We fulfill these Mitzvot with physical acts.

But there are numerous Mitzvot that are done by way of thought or the intellect. We are to acknowledge the Oneness of G-d. We are to love and fear Him, and sanctify His Name. We are commanded to love every Jew, and not take revenge or hold a grudge. All of the Torah fits into these two categories.

The point of Duties of the Heart, is to teach us how to have the right intent in the fulfillment of all of the Mitzvot. Before performing any of the commandments, one should pause and think how the act that he is about to do, is designed to bring Him closer to G-d. Having the proper intent, or Kavana, is generally lacking by most Jews.

Perhaps this should be a New Year’s resolution that we show gratitude that we were given the Torah, in the way we observe its Mitzvot.

The greatest feeling of joy and contentment that man can achieve, is when he feels a deep bond and connection with Hashem. The advice and direction of Rabbeinu Bechaye, will help us acquire this cherished connection.

Rejectionist Theory

The last few chapters of the Torah discuss Moshe Rabbeinu’s concern for the future of the Jewish people. He predicts that there will be a time when complacency will cause the nation to turn away from Hashem, that will lead to their being banished from the land.

The Torah goes on to predict that when the nations of the world will witness this banishment, they will draw a fairly obvious conclusion. They will attribute it to the forsaking of G-d’s commandments. They will understand that the lost glory of the Jewish nation is a punishment for their sins.

These observations led to a very flawed conclusion. They used this rejection of the Jewish people as a proof that it was perfectly in order to begin new religions.

The Kuzari clearly clarified their mistaken conclusion. They told their followers that “G-d once loved the Jews, but because of their sins, they were rejected.” Now G-d loves us Christians. Or in later generations, the Muslims made the same claim that once G-d loved the Jews and Christians, but now He has chosen the Muslims.

This “rejectionist theory” was in place for many centuries, and it was used to justify the validity of two of the great religions of the world.

The emergence of the State of Israel blasted a big hole to this theory. This might be the biggest reason why there have been so many non-Jews converting to Judaism.

They have asked their scholars to explain how this so called “rejected” nation have managed to return to Israel. They have caused the desert to bloom and have built magnificent cities. More than seven million Jews live in this land. And the Israel Defense Forces, are the admiration of the world. The Jewish people are not looking very rejected, to say the least.

Since there is no answer to this question, the truth and validity of these other religions has been put into question. They have a great deal of explaining to do!

We understand that the warnings of the Torah have come true. But we also always knew that the G-d of Israel would never reject His people, and we would return. We must be so grateful to be living in such miraculous and amazing times.

Return

We are now in the season that we are supposed to be focused on Teshuva, repentance. We are meant to be grateful that G-d gives us this High Holiday period to do some serious soul searching. We are being granted the possibility of a fresh start and a new beginning. We must never feel that our situation is hopeless and desperate. The gates of repentance are available to everyone.

Chapter 30 in the Book of Devarim, is devoted exclusively to the subject of Teshuva. Moshe Rabbeinu discusses the time when blessings and curses will befall our people. He was speaking of the time when Jews will be banished from Israel and scattered all over the world. Even when we are far away physically and spiritually, we must decide to return to Hashem and His Torah.

Even if the remnants of the Jewish people span from one end of the earth to the other, we must return. Hashem will forgive us and gather us from even the most remote places, such as Ethiopia or far off Indian villages belonging to the Bnei Menashe.

There will be an ingathering of the exiles as Israel is settled by Jews from all over the world. This is one of the most obvious prophecies fulfilled in our lifetimes. This is referred to as קיבוץ גלויות, the return of the exiles.

Teshuva is a form of returning to G-d. We are also assured that this Mitzva of Teshuva is not so far away from us. We must sincerely wish to change our ways, and we will be helped from Above.

This chapter ends with the famous Pasuk that tells us how there are many choices placed before us. There is life and good, or death and evil. We are commanded to “choose life.”

This past year has been very difficult for the Jewish people. Through all of the grief and sadness, we must elevate ourselves and return to G-d. The miraculous physical return of our people, must be accompanied by a spiritual return. It is clear that our choice must be good over evil, and life over death. May the coming year be one that is filled with life and blessings.