(Last update: September 27, 2019)
Beginning Sunday evening, September 29, 2019, Jews around the world begin a Holy ten-day period of Judgment. This period of Judgment means that this is the moment when our individual fates will be decided for the next twelve months.
On Rosh Hashannah, we tell HaShem, our G-d, that, "Before You all hidden things are revealed" (see the Mussaf service, shemoneh etray, in the paragraph that begins with, "אתה זוכר" --"You remember"). Before G-d, we proclaim, "everything is revealed and known" [to Him] (ibid).
On this day, it will be decided who will succeed, who will fail; who will be healthy, who will fall sick; who will live, who will die.
In case one believes nations are exempt from such judgment, the prayer cited above goes on: "Regarding countries, it is said on this day which is destined for the sword and which for peace, which for hunger and which for abundance" (ibid).
On this day, in other words, the entire world is judged. No one is exempt.
This ten-day period of Judgment begins with the first day of Rosh Hashannah. It ends with the Jewish Holy Day, Yom Kippur--the day our fates are sealed for the year.
This year, Yom Kippur will be Wednesday, October 9th.
The Jewish G-d is merciful. He doesn't just judge and seal our fate on the same day. He gives us ten days between the beginning of Rosh Hashannah (when we are judged) and the end of Yom Kippur (when He decides what will happen to us). We are to use these ten days to try to change or modify His Judgments for the better.
We can effect this change-for-the-better two ways. First, through heart-felt prayer . Second, by acting with greater piety during this period.
It's a G-dly gesture for our benefit. We get 'extra time' to mend our ways--and extra time to plead our case, to show we mean to change.
You see, Judaism teaches that G-d wants us to return to Him. He doesn't enjoy punishing us. Instead, He wants us to repair our behavior and mend our relationship with Him.
Our Jewish G-d isn't meticulous at this time about how we do this repair. He doesn't require exacting demands to be met or a precise order of actions to be taken in order to receive His favor. He simply wants us to make an effort--any effort--to show we are trying to improve.
Actually, our Jewish G-d is more lenient than that. He gives us a bonus. He gives us even more days to show Him we care about our relationship with Him.
Our tradition teaches that, even after the Book of Life is sealed on Yom Kippur, we all have an extra eleven days after that to repair ourselves. We have until a holiday called, Hoshannah Rabba (this year on October 20th) to change His Judgment of us.
Because we read in our prayers that nations ("countries") are also judged at this time (see above), we must remember that, while nations are judged on many levels, their ultimate judgment will be based upon how they have treated the Jewish nation (you can see this most clearly if you study the beginning of the Talmud Tractate Avodah Zara).
So look around the world. How have the nations treated Israel this past year?
Indeed, how has the United Nations treated Israel? How has the world of Islam treated Israel? How has the European Union (EU)--and the individual nations of the EU--treated Israel? How has the United States treated Israel?
Then, consider how some nations are doing. You'll see that some appear fine. Others appear to suffer.
Look again at how mother nature (controlled by G-d) treats the nations. In some cases, weather conditions--and future forecasts--are fine. But for others, weather patterns cause much suffering.
Look at the effects of immigration on Western nations. How's that going?
Remember, the UN believes in open migration. The UN also condemns Israel more often than all other nations combined (here, here). Is there a connection between these two things?
You can see a connection by looking at what the UN's belief in the human rights 'sanctity of migration' has done to a Europe that has a history of anti-Israelism and antisemitism. Sweden's migrants threaten to make Sweden the rape capital of the world (here, here)--unless, that is, some other Western Europe country grabs that title first (here).
Then, as a result of open, unrestricted migration policies, some EU nations now face wild, chaotic Islamic -controlled 'no-go' zones where local police dare not enter for fear of attack.
Western nations seem threatened in innumerable ways by non-Western migrants who don't speak the local language and who have massive unemployment problems--and a hatred for all things 'Western'. National budgets are threatened by the weight of paying benefits for these unemployed; and in too many EU communities, crime in migrant-heavy areas increases almost exponentially.
The West has problems--with weather, birth rates, cultural threats, and crime. The West also spits on Israel. Is their a connection?
The UN proclaims its religion of 'human rights' as often as it condemns Israel with lies. At the same time, UN Member States experience as host of 'ills': for some, it's an economy that stagnates; for others, it's crops that won't grow; for others, it's rampant crime; for still others it's a growing threat of civil war--or, increasing clashes between groups who entertain diametrically opposed agendas, and who won't abide by the rules of law.
Yes, Judaism teaches that nations will be judged based upon how they treat Israel. Even as we know that HaShem is patient, often allowing nations (and individuals) to 'roll merrily along' with hardly a hint of rebuke or visible Judgment, if you pay attention to the news, you can nevertheless see how this concept of Judgment begins to unfold. You can see that, after a millenna of Jew-persecution (and now, today's anti-Israelism), Western nations begin to pay a steep price, where the very fabric of national life is threatened by Islam (here, here, here ).
The lesson that many still refuse to learn is this: those who condemn, attack and scorn the Jewish nation will pay for that scorn and those attacks. Our Jewish G-d will see to that because all are accountable.
Rosh Hashannah lies before us. Our Days of Judgment are close.
Will nations correct in order to change their fate?
Will you?
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