MOSHE TARAGIN

We remember on Sukkot that despite our considerable human ingenuity and skill, we remain dependent on God – not only for the technology itself but for help when our knowledge and tools fall short.

Most mitzvot summon us to perform tangible actions. Teshuva cannot be reduced to ritual or gesture. It demands intent, sincerity, and inner upheaval.

On Rosh Hashanah, we pray that God will enter our world and make His presence unmistakable – for those who strive to push Him away, and for those who have yet to open their eyes to Him.

"Instead, focus on the small, everyday acts of decency, the simple moral choices we are called to make – especially when we feel weighed down by conflict and heated disputes."

Elul is upon us. In a few weeks, we will confess our sins of the body, heart, and mind. This year, let us focus on the sins of the tongue, for they shape the confused, divided world we inhabit.

Elul is a deep dive into ourselves, into the hidden recesses of who we are.

We must never shrink from our story. We are both a people and a faith, bound together across time, building a state grounded in both.

There will be no swift or final victories on these fronts. Instead, like the Great Wall, our progress will come in layers – walls upon walls – built patiently over time.

Memory is essential – it deepens our experience and helps build our shared identity. In Israel, it is even more vital, reminding us that we are part of a larger, unfolding saga.

This is a morally just war – a war of survival against enemies who openly seek our annihilation.