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The Game of Life
TuS Makkabi Berlin players pose for a team group photo before their first round match in the DFB Cup against VfL Wolfsburg at Mommsenstadion stadium in Berlin, Germany on August 13, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Annegret Hilse
JNS.org – You may be familiar with the story of the passionate British soccer fan who was asked whether he considered soccer a matter of “life and death.” He said, “No. It’s much more important than that!”
Well, I’d like to address what I would call some of the “more important” things in life.
The final countdown has officially begun. It’s a week to Rosh Hashanah. Hopefully, you’ve sorted out your synagogue seating arrangements, festive meal schedule and a few new Yom Tov recipes. Now for a look at other matters …
This Shabbat, we will read two short but intense Torah portions, Nitzavim and Vayelech. Together, they comprise a grand total of only 70 verses, but they are packed with powerful messages for life, particularly for this season in our calendar.
“You stand firmly today, all of you together, before G-d … ” is the beginning of the first reading, Nitzavim. Moses is addressing the entire nation as he prepares for the end of his life and to pass the baton onto Joshua, his successor, who will take the people into the Promised Land.
Moses speaks of the unity of Israel, the accessibility and practical relevance of the Torah way of life for all of Israel, that we all have freedom of choice, and how God appeals to us to choose our path in life wisely.
According to commentary, the opening line, “You stand firmly today,” is actually a veiled reference to Rosh Hashanah, which is always observed in the week following this reading. The Hebrew word, hayom, “today,” is a word that will be heard many times over Rosh Hashanah. No doubt, many different melodies come to mind from just this one word. Hayom, this day, is the Day of Judgment; it is therefore not surprising that the word reverberates through our Yom Tov holiday prayers.
So, how are we to prepare for the Days of Judgment ahead?
Firstly, we are encouraged to focus not only on the necessary physical or culinary preparations but, more importantly, to get ourselves into a state of spiritual readiness.
Have you ever had the frightening experience of preparing for the wrong test? You spent hours reviewing your history syllabus, and when you arrived at school, you received the English exam? If you have, I’m sure it was panic-inducing and unnerving, to say the least.
Well, we all have to pass our own tests in life. What would happen if we arrived at the Heavenly exam and the questions put to us were not at all what we spent our lives preparing for? We’ve focused on our businesses, our health, our sports and leisure activities—all necessary and natural. But what if we’ve forgotten about the other areas of life that are “more important?”
The Talmud (Shabbat 31a) has shared some inside information about the questions we will be asked at the legendary Pearly Gates. Guess what? None of the questions pertain to our wealth, health or occupations. We will not be asked about our share or property portfolios, our waistlines or our athleticism.
We will be asked whether we conducted our business affairs faithfully with honesty and integrity, if we fixed regular times for Torah study, if we did our best to raise a family, and if we looked forward to the Final Redemption.
Does this come as a shock to you? Did you imagine that if you would say, “Let me into heaven because I made the Fortune 500,” or “Open the Gates of Heaven for me because I ate my broccoli or I never developed a pot belly,” or even “I supported the winning NBA or Super Bowl team, or Manchester United or Liverpool,” you would gain entry?
The eternal questions deal with the truly important things in life. Were you a worthy human being? Were you honest and upright? Did you dedicate yourself to studying God’s wisdom? Are you leaving a legacy of children and grandchildren who will learn from your fine example? Did you aspire higher and were hopeful of a better world for all?
Of course, health is important. Ask anyone who is suffering from illness. Wealth is a big one, too. We all want to live comfortably and be able to give generously. And to have a break from work and engage in sports, whether as a participant or spectator, has its merits, too. But these are all means to a higher end. When the game of life is over, the truly important things—our higher value system and the legacy we leave top all those considerations. A healthy and wealthy life is not as important as a worthy life.
We still have a week to prepare for the right exam—to focus our time and attention on higher values, and to recalibrate our priorities in preparation for the new year. If we do it, we’ll be able to answer the questions much more confidently. May we be prepared and be blessed.
I wish you all Shanah Tovah. May our prayers for our unfortunate hostages, valiant defenders and regional peace through our strength and resilience be answered positively. Amen.
The post The Game of Life first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Germany: 5 Killed, Scores Wounded after Saudi Man Plows Car Into Christmas crowd
Magdeburg Christmas market, December 21, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Christian Mang
i24 News – A suspected terrorist plowed a vehicle into a crowd at a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg, west of the capital Berlin, killing at least five and injuring dozens more.
Local police confirmed that the suspect was a Saudi national born in 1974 and acting alone.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his concern about the incident, saying that “reports from Magdeburg suggest something bad. My thoughts are with the victims and their families.”
Police declined to give casualty numbers, confirming only a large-scale operation at the market, where people had gathered to celebrate in the days leading up to the Christmas holidays.
The post Germany: 5 Killed, Scores Wounded after Saudi Man Plows Car Into Christmas crowd first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Syria’s New Rulers Name HTS Commander as Defense Minister
A person waves a flag adopted by the new Syrian rulers, as people gather during a celebration called by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) near the Umayyad Mosque, after the ousting of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, Photo: December 20, 2024. REUTERS/Ammar Awad/File Photo
Syria’s new rulers have appointed Murhaf Abu Qasra, a leading figure in the insurgency which toppled Bashar al-Assad, as defense minister in the interim government, an official source said on Saturday.
Abu Qasra, who is also known by the nom de guerre Abu Hassan 600, is a senior figure in the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group which led the campaign that ousted Assad this month. He led numerous military operations during Syria’s revolution, the source said.
Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa discussed “the form of the military institution in the new Syria” during a meeting with armed factions on Saturday, state news agency SANA reported.
Abu Qasra during the meeting sat next to Sharaa, also known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, photos published by SANA showed.
Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir said this week that the defense ministry would be restructured using former rebel factions and officers who defected from Assad’s army.
Bashir, who formerly led an HTS-affiliated administration in the northwestern province of Idlib, has said he will lead a three-month transitional government. The new administration has not declared plans for what will happen after that.
Earlier on Saturday, the ruling General Command named Asaad Hassan al-Shibani as foreign minister, SANA said. A source in the new administration told Reuters that this step “comes in response to the aspirations of the Syrian people to establish international relations that bring peace and stability.”
Shibani, a 37-year-old graduate of Damascus University, previously led the political department of the rebels’ Idlib government, the General Command said.
Sharaa’s group was part of al Qaeda until he broke ties in 2016. It had been confined to Idlib for years until going on the offensive in late November, sweeping through the cities of western Syria and into Damascus as the army melted away.
Sharaa has met with a number of international envoys this week. He has said his primary focus is on reconstruction and achieving economic development and that he is not interested in engaging in any new conflicts.
Syrian rebels seized control of Damascus on Dec. 8, forcing Assad to flee after more than 13 years of civil war and ending his family’s decades-long rule.
Washington designated Sharaa a terrorist in 2013, saying al Qaeda in Iraq had tasked him with overthrowing Assad’s rule and establishing Islamic sharia law in Syria. US officials said on Friday that Washington would remove a $10 million bounty on his head.
The war has killed hundreds of thousands of people, caused one of the biggest refugee crises of modern times and left cities bombed to rubble and the economy hollowed out by global sanctions.
The post Syria’s New Rulers Name HTS Commander as Defense Minister first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Sweden Ends Funding for UNRWA, Pledges to Seek Other Aid Channels
View of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) building in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib / Flash90.
i24 News – Sweden will no longer fund the U.N. refugee agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) and will instead provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza via other channels, the Scandinavian country said on Friday.
The decision comes on the heels of multiple revelations regarding the agency’s employees’ involvement in the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel that triggered the war in Gaza.
Sweden’s decision was in response to the Israeli ban, as it will make channeling aid via the agency more difficult, the country’s aid minister, Benjamin Dousa, said.
“Large parts of UNRWA’s operations in Gaza are either going to be severely weakened or completely impossible,” Dousa said. “For the government, the most important thing is that support gets through.”
The Palestinian embassy in Stockholm said in a statement: “We reject the idea of finding alternatives to UNRWA, which has a special mandate to provide services to Palestinian refugees.”
Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel thanked Dousa for a meeting they had this week and for Sweden’s decision to drop its support for UNRWA.
“There are worthy and viable alternatives for humanitarian aid, and I appreciate the willingness to listen and adopt a different approach,” she said.
The post Sweden Ends Funding for UNRWA, Pledges to Seek Other Aid Channels first appeared on Algemeiner.com.