In America, the presidential candidates speak as if one day they will have control. The president of Syria thumps his chest, believing in his own importance. Russia invades its neighbor, and the government of Israel acts as if it controls the future of the Holy Land.
But on Rosh Hashanah we say, "All believe that G-d grants sovereignty to kings.... to Him belongs the kingship." [2]
My friends, the Day of Atonement is approaching.
Do we know what we are atoning for?
Last week we stayed at the beautiful Kibbutz Lavi. A young man at the next table engaged us in conversation, which turned to the financial chaos in the United States. "Don't worry," he said, "America is very strong; it weathered the Great Depression and it will weather this also."
The Children of Israel began with "lech lecha." [3] Our Father Abraham abandoned the culture of idol-worshipping foreigners to dwell in the Holy Land where he could establish the nation whose only purpose is to serve the Ruler of the Universe and sanctify His Name.
Our teacher Moses led his Nation from the depraved Egyptian culture to Mount Sinai, where we could receive the word of G-d in purity and sanctity.
And Moshiach ben Dovid -- may he appear soon in our days! — will lead us out of alien soil to the purity and spiritual cleanliness of a renewed Eretz Yisroel.
My friends, we must get it out of our heads that our natural environment is Exile! We must cure ourselves of this sickness! For with it comes a terrible spiritual hopelessness and cynicism which tries to persuade us that we are inherently evil.
Western culture is founded upon the doctrine of "original sin." This is more than a concept; it is a necessity, for if you believe that you are intrinsically evil, you CANNOT hope to cleave to G-d. You will NEVER make it! Therefore ... why try? Live your life in depravity, and you might as well enjoy it, because you are an animal!
NO! This is not our way!
Every morning we say, "the soul You placed within me is pure. You created it, You fashioned it; You breathed it into me; You safeguard it within me..."
We must cleanse ourselves of the fatal cynicism of the nations around us, who intentionally cultivate their own lowliness in order to justify their amoral lifestyle. We must know in our hearts: We WILL see a perfect world! We WILL see perfect justice, perfect peace, perfect simcha, perfect children, perfect service of G-d if we only stick close to Him and keep His Torah with devotion!
The Prophet says, "So said G-d: [this people that survived the sword] ... has found favor in the wilderness, as I lead Israel to its tranquility. From afar, G-d appears... saying, ‘I have loved you with an eternal love... Behold, I will gather them ... from the ends of the earth... The One Who scattered Israel shall gather them in .... A voice was heard on high — wailing, bitter weeping — Rachel weeps for her children, she refuses to be consoled.... So said G-d: ‘Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears; there is a reward for your accomplishment — the words of G-d — and they shall return from the enemy's land... your children shall return to their border. I have indeed heard Ephraim moaning ... My inner self yearns for him; I will surely take pity on him — the words of G-d."
My friends, it is time to leave the alien lands, time to leave the alien thoughts and the alien mentality, the alien impurity and the alien desires, time to return to our G-d.
May we soon all merit to dwell in peace within the Biblical borders of the Holy Land, from the ... Lebanon ... from the Euphrates River until the Western Sea along with Moshiach ben Dovid and in the presence of the Holy Temple! [4]
May all who love and serve G-d be sealed in the Book of Life!
— Roy S. Neuberger
[1] Deuteronomy 11:24
[2] Rosh Hashanah Second Day Mussaf (789)
[3] Genesis 12:1
[4] Deuteronomy 11: 24ff
