Ten Days that Shake the World
From the first day of Rosh Hashana until and including Yom Kippur all mankind stands in judgment before Heaven. This is why they are referred to as "Days of Awe".
Do you see the world trembling with awe? And would you truthfully say that you are shaking with fear of ending up with an unfavorable judgment for the year that has just begun?
This is the real challenge of this very special part of the year. Only when one actually imagines himself being judged for life or death can he be moved to seek atonement for the mistakes of the year gone by in the spirit of the "Ten Days of Return".
For Jews living in Israel who constantly face the danger of terrorism and war, it should not be so difficult to shake a little with fear of the future. If the American president at the outset of World War Two coined the phrase "We have nothing to fear but fear itself", we must turn it around and admit that "We have nothing to fear but the lack of fear".
Fear of Heavenly judgment concerning the future of the Jewish state will hopefully inspire more and more Jews to return to G-d in the Ten Day of Return and secure Israel forever.
