Is Judgment Day Here? Print
Written by Victoria Radin   

Rosh HaShanah 5776 (Sept. 13/14, 2015)

Rosh HaShanah, known as Judgment Day is the Feast described in Leviticus 23:23 as The Day of Blowing the Shofar. It is the only Feast that falls on the New Moon or the darkest day of the month, ­­quite apropos for Judgment Day. All of the Fall Feasts of the L-rd occur during the month of Tishri [September/October]. Tishri, is an Aramaic word that means to loosen or untie. It has a double meaning in that during this month, man has the opportunity to loosen or untie his sins from himself through teshuvah [repentance] and to start anew with G-d. It is also the month during which judgment, which has been held back, will be loosened or untied and allowed to permeate the earth.

Rosh HaShanah is the civil 'Jewish New Year'. This is not because of its position in the Hebrew Calendar ­­(the first day of the seventh month­­) but because of the tradition, which says that this is the day G-d created Adam. Man will be judged, they say, on the same day he was created. The Hebrew sages taught that the end of the world, known simply as "ketz", would begin on a future Rosh HaShanah. Could this year (5776) be that Rosh HaShanah, the beginning of the end?

Rosh HaShanah 2015 (5776) is not only the beginning of a new civil year, but also the end of a [1]Shmitah year, being either auspicious or ominous, signaling either G-d’s favor or His wrath. The Shmitah year (7th year in a cycle of 7 years) in ancient times marked the period during which all planting was suspended. At the end of the Shmita, all debt was “wiped away”. For a nation that ignored G-d and His commandments, it did not always bode well for Israel. Ignoring the Shmitah, in fact, was one of the reasons G-d sent Israel into exile in Babylon (2 Chron. 36:21)

Furthermore, many Jewish scholars believe that 2016 (5776/5777) is the Jubilee year. This is the time in Israel when on Yom Kippur all property was restored to its original owners. Yom Kippur of 2016 falls on October 12th or on the 10th day of Tishri of the Hebrew year 5777.

 

As the nations to the north of Israel prepare for war today against G-d’s chosen people, we should reflect on the possibility that G-d may begin to restore all the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by an everlasting Covenant[2] through war. After the Israelites left Egypt and entered the Promised Land, the L-rd told the Israelites that they would take the land, “little by little” as they warred against the illegal inhabitants of the land.

“Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land.” (Exodus 23:30)

On August 28th, 2015, Breaking Israel News reported that a mystic rabbi in Israel has been given a warning to Israel during the month of [3]Elul, the month that precedes Rosh HaShanah.

For three and a half hours this past Saturday night, Rabbi Amram Vaknin, a 76-year-old Israeli mystic, fell to the floor as he received a warning from the next world… Rabbi Vaknin’s student, Gil Nachman revealed that Vaknin was cautioned that war is coming to Israel very soon. Nachman recounted the specifics that Rabbi Vaknin received in the message. “The Muslims are going to contaminate the water, the fruits and vegetables. They are going to damage the electricity,” he said. “And there are going to be people dying in the streets, thousands of people all over Israel.”

According to Nachman, Rabbi Vaknin was told that an Arab citizen of Israel and Member of Knesset Hanin Zoabi is the one planning it. Vaknin stated his belief that Zoabi is a spy for ISIS and Hamas and is providing the terror groups all the information they need to plan the attacks.

Why is this happening? According to Nachman, it is because the leaders of this generation “don’t want to do teshuva (to repent). They aren’t waking up. Hashem (G-d) wants to lead them in the right path. We all need to do teshuvah.

Nachman said that in the past, Jewish leaders such as Moses and King David knew about decrees against the Jewish people before they happened. These great leaders took it upon themselves to repent first, but the leaders of today are telling others to repent without doing it themselves.”

The New Moon celebration, which coincides with Rosh HaShanah, is called the Day of the Concealed Moon, until Israel returns to G-d with perfect repentance. In keeping with this theme, Orthodox Jews believe that repentance is the most powerful ‘weapon’ against their enemies.

“Our [Israel’s] weapon is not Tzahal (the IDF), not Netanyahu, nobody. Only teshuvah [repentance].” ––Gil Nachman

The Hebrew name for the month, Eisanim, means powerful, mighty one. It is the month during which the mighty One, Yeshua was born and the month during which, some believe, He will return. There are four names for the celebration:

1. Rosh HaShanah, meaning Top of the Year (The Civil New Year)

2. Yom HaDin, meaning, Day of Judgment

3. Yom HaZikkharon, meaning Day of Remembrance

4. Yom Teruah meaning, Day of Blowing the Shofar

As 'Judgment Day', it speaks of the day on which each man will be weighed in the balance:

"Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin." (Deuteronomy 24:16)

As the Day of Remembrance, it recalls that G-d will remember the promises made to the patriarchs. As part of the celebration, the story of the birth of Isaac born to barren Sarah is recalled (Genesis 21) as well as the birth of Samuel to barren Hannah (1 Samuel 1); Jeremiah's vision of the deliverance of Israel from exile is recited (Jer. 31:1-19); and the binding of Isaac by Abraham (Genesis 22). Each story is recited to recall to G-d's remembrance:

Birth After Barrenness

Deliverance After Exile

And Rescue From Sacrifice

Each of these stories, for believers, should recall that G-d has promised barren Israel fruitfulness (Isaiah 54); that He will return Israel from exile (Isaiah 43:5-6) and rescue her from sacrifice when Israel's enemies surround her (Ezekiel 38:18-23).

Today, especially as we see anti-Semitism perpetrated throughout the world and Muslim military forces gathering at the borders of Israel on the North we need to remind G-d in our prayers of his promises to Israel and ask Him to rescue them from their enemies.

As the Day of Blowing the Shofar, the reason for the shofar blasts should be recalled. The sages teach that before a king punishes his subjects for neglecting his decrees, he gives them a final warning. The shofar blasts are G-d's final warning before the final judgment on Yom Kippur when the gates of Heaven are closed. The one hundred shofar blasts that are sounded on Rosh HaShanah are a call to G-d to rise from His throne of Judgment to His throne of mercy.

"On Rosh HaShanah, man is judged. But what sacrifice does he bring? He brings himself." –– Jonathan Rosenblum (The Secret)

As Israel faces war on the horizon and America faces judgment for immorality and wickedness, and with a looming financial disaster that will affect the entire world, we need to repent and pray as never before.

Bezrat HaShem (With the help of G-d)



[1] Every seven years Israeli farmers and other agriculture industry workers observe the Shmita. The Shmita represents the end of a shared calendar cycle according to the Bible and is a time when debts are forgiven, and the land is allowed to rest from the constant farming endured during the year. This year is known as the Sabbath year as it occurs every seven years, aligning with Shabbat that occurs every seven days. This cycle of allowing the fields to rest was mandated in the Torah and is still practiced by modern Israelis. In the book of Exodus the Israelis are commanded by G-d to "“Plant your land and gather its produce for six years. But on the seventh let it lie fallow and it will rest". 

 

[2] Genesis 17:1-8, 26:1-5, 35:11-12

[3] Elul is the month of repentance (teshuvah) in preparation for Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.