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all the blessings
and curses that will befall the nation of Israel depending on their attitude
after they have come into the Promised Land, and have reaped and harvested of
its bounty. Likewise we can look at this from a spiritual standpoint.
Once we have received the gift of the promised Olam Habah ( world to come or
in non-Jewish terms, salvation ), how do we relate to G-d to the Messiah to
the Ruach Hakodesh ( Holy Spirit ). Do we take for granted the blessings
that the Lord pours out upon us? Do start believing that it is in and of
ourselves that we have blessings in so many areas of our lives. When we say
yes to the beckoning of the Ruach Hakodesh and accept the reality that G-d
wants to be G-d in our lives and to take us and turn us into the likeness of
His unique Son, do we say yes but not in the long-term sense!
We are like the Israelites, about to cross the Jordan into the
Land of Promise, eager to be at peace without wandering about almost aimlessly
in a wilderness. The thought of being in one place, eating what we sow
enjoying a land flowing with milk and honey and having either a dismissal or
demise of our enemies. Peace and prosperity! The desert kept us lean and mean
but very dependent on the Lord. Now we have the long sort out of peace
and tranquility mixed together with a little prosperity. The tendency is to
grow cold and distant from the G-d we had to depend on, we have been delivered
from our enemies. The need and reliance on G-d, wanes, after all did He not
want to bless us with comfort!
This comfort and ease with very little time for G-d is in my
opinion a test. This test is either recognized at this time of year, the time
for repentance a time to realize that we failed the test, yet we still have
recognized that we still have the Spirit of HaShem within us to draw us back
to G-d. As Isaiah tells us that G-d is married to the backslider, these are
words of comfort. It is, however, up to us to say yes to HaShem and not
say, I am to busy. The season of repentance and judgement is a time of
joy as well, for it says G-d loves us that He set aside a special time for his
children to come back into the arms of their Father.
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are also the two appointed
times and season that the greatest of the two utterances or as is commonly
called the commandments are placed squarely before humanity. The greatest as
Yeshua our Messiah and Rebbe taught is to love the Lord your G-d with all your
heart, mind and strength and to love your neighbor as your self. It is
on these two commandments that the whole Torah hangs. It is up to us to
obey our loving G-d and make restitution with our brother ( neighbor ) and
with our G-d, who is a very loving father. Let us take this time to
remember that our sages taught that three books are opened on Rosh Hashanah;
one of the iniquitous ( resha'im gemurim), one of the just ( tzadikuim gemurim
) and one for those who are in the middle ( benonim ). The just are
immediately inscribed and sealed for life: the iniquitous are
immediately inscribed and sealed for death. The middle person is held
over from Rosh Hashanah till Yom Kippur. If they merit it - and repent,
they are inscribed for life. If not - they are inscribed for death. As
G-d told Moses to tell the Israelites and all those that were with Israel -
choose life! ' Leshanah tovah vetechatem l'alter lechayim tovim (
May you be inscribed and sealed immediately for a good life ).