Signs that the Redemption is near?

For years, the American magazine, Sports Illustrated, has run a weekly mini-report entitled, “Signs of the Apocalypse” (or something like that).  It contains a one-or-two sentence announcement that features some weekly occurrence in the Sports world. Typically, it focuses on someone doing something really stupid. It highlights how incredibly awful highly-paid or famous people can be. Such   behaviour by those we honour, the piece suggests, is surely a sign that our world must soon end.

Mostly, these incidents entertain.

That magazine comes from America. We live in Israel, which follows a different religious and cultural orientation. So if someone in America thinks about Christian-inspired world Destruction, perhaps we can think about something different--a Jewish-inspired Redemption.

Consider now some recent examples from the news that, in some way—humorous and not so humorous-- might suggest that the world might be preparing for something New. If you don’t see how these headlines might pre-sage a Jewish Redemption, that’s okay. That just means that your ‘Redemption training’ isn’t up-to-date.

For APRIL, 2013:

-Breeding mental illness in the US (Al Jazeera English)   -Israel Made Me Beat My Wife (HonestReporting.com)

-Egyptian protesters operated on without anesthetic: report (Alarabiya English)

- Millions face starvation as world warms, say scientists (The Guardian)

-Back to the future: Iranian scientist claims to have invented ‘time machine’ (Alarabiya)

-IMF warns over rock-bottom interest rates (the Guardian)

-Science offers support to women who spurn their bras (The Times of London)

-Innovative Mikvot to Run on Shabbat Generators (Arutz Sheva)

- Electronic devices to be banned from court (Chicago Tribune)

- In Seoul, Kerry stresses 'possibilities of peace’ (Los Angeles Times)

- What God Wants (The New York Times)

 - Eating stale popcorn: Holiness through consumer empowerment (Times of Israel)

- Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Passes Away (Arutz Sheva)

 

- Labor MK tells Lapid: You're Thatcher with hair gel (Jerusalem Post)

 

- Technion ranks 6th in entrepreneurship, innovation (Jerudsalem Post)

-Two robbers attack Chicago store where owner fiercely fights back (Los Angeles Times)

-Bullying can be a crime, PM says (Toronto Globe and Mail)

-Jordanian Cleric: Happy to See Horror in America (Arutz Sheva)

-5 states running out of water (24/7 Wall St on MSNMoney.com)

-Old Fans Still Love Secular Singer Turned Religious (Arutz Sheva)

-Anti-Israel Protester No Match for Israeli Opera Singer (Arutz Sheva)

- Israeli Gymnast Takes Gold in European Championship (Arutz Sheva)

When The New York Times writes about what G-d wants, does that mean a ‘change’ has occurred?

When national political  leaders begin to think about criminalizing aggressive bullying—and robbery victims fight back fiercely—is there ‘change’ in the air?

Some lawyer once groused, ‘the only time they’ll keep  electronic devices out of the courts is when we reach Redemption’; well, someone congratulate him. Redemption must be here, because Chicago has just banned electronics in the courtroom.

More important, when a newspaper headline brings Holiness and consumerism together, does the world we inhabit change—or does the political accusation that Israeli politician Yair Lapid is nothing more than Margaret Thatcher with hair gel mean that nothing has changed?

Does the announcement of an Iranian Time Machine suggest that we can now travel to our future Redemption—or does it mean that the Iranians are crazier than we thought?

Can an Israeli win an international sports gold medal without Redemption?

Finally, when fans still embrace a now-religious singer, science helps women with their bras—and mikvaot (ritual baths) with Sabbath observance—can Redemption be that far away?

Is there change afoot?

Naturally, it’s possible that all of these headlines are meaningless. They may have nothing to do with the Jewish Redemption. Perhaps we needn’t worry about these things. But then, the New York Times does wonder about what G-d wants.

That’s a hint, isn’t it?