Every year we gather with anxious hearts to pray for the new year that is coming upon us. We wish each other heartfelt well-wishes, eat foods that symbolize abundance and blessing, but there is always a sense of a great loss that lies ahead.
A new year begins, and we have no idea what it holds.
The prayer "And it shall be given to thee" expresses this sense of uncertainty well. On the Day of Judgment, the fate of the world will be determined. Who will ascend and who will descend. Who will enjoy rest and tranquility and who will experience upheaval. "Who will be afflicted and who will be enriched, who will be humbled and who will be exalted.".
Island of stability
There are years when everything seems stable and calm, and yet we feel the sense of uncertainty, because even a calm sea can turn into a raging sea in an instant.
But this year we enter Rosh Hashanah with the feeling that the sea around us is very agitated. In many ways we live on an island of stability in a space that is changing its face with enormous speed. The shock waves are shaking even the huge continent of Europe.
News reports present isolated events, and we don't always manage to connect the dots and see the whole picture. But those who try to see not just the trees, but the entire forest, are lost.
Islamic terrorist organizations are taking over growing swaths of the country. Everywhere they are wreaking atrocities, sowing terror, making millions of people miserable – and the enlightened world is silent.
Many countries in Europe are afraid to stand up to these crazy forces, because strong Islamic centers of power have been built within them as well. These are driving the waves of hatred for Israel and the various boycotts. Governments are giving in to the voices of the extremists, under the illusion that responding to them will bring them peace.
They do not understand that in the end, their own countries will pay the price.
Where is all this going? It's hard to know. One can offer scripts and scenarios, but only the Creator of the world knows what will really happen and what reality we will live in next year.
We can only trust in Him, grow in faith, and pray abundantly that our ship will safely pass through these tsunami waves.
Variety of colors
At this time, it is important to fortify the walls of unity of the Jewish people.
On Shabbat we read the parshas "You stand today all together," which shows the divisions that exist within the people of Israel. Indeed, there are "the heads of your tribes" and there is "the one who chops your trees and draws your water," but they all stand together before the Creator of the world and create the wholeness of the people of Israel.
This parsha emphasizes the importance of unity as a means of receiving God's blessings. The differences between one Jew and another and between one community and another are intended to complement each other and create the wonderful mosaic of the whole of Israel. One color is not as eye-catching as a variety of colors that blend together. Every Jew has special virtues, and it is important to find the positive point in every Jew and direct it towards building the nation.
When we all stand united and united before God our God, we will merit God's blessing, and in the end it will become clear that all the upheavals around us are intended for our good, as the Midrash says: "My children, everything I have done, I have done only for you. The time for your redemption has come!"'
Join the Haredim 10 Facebook page >>
Join the X page of Haredim 10 >>
Want more news, videos and stories? Join the Haredim 10 WhatsApp channel >>
