In a chaotic world, unity is under our control

One of the many lessons we learn from the natural world is that time isn’t linear. So much of what surrounds us and dictates the path of time is, in fact, cyclical, with the most obvious examples of the moon and the sun. The moon operates on a monthly cycle, whereas the sun rises and sets every day, circling the earth and having an impact on so much of what sustains our very lives.

Rosh Hashanah is perhaps the most important mark of the cyclical nature of the year. It’s both the end of the previous year, where we look back on our accomplishments as well as our failures and transgressions. But even more so, it’s a moment to look ahead in hope and inspiration as we pray for a better, healthier, and happier new year.

The eve of this new year comes at a point where we are at the end of another truly challenging and painful 12 months. Both here in Israel and abroad, the Jewish people have faced a myriad of tragedies and a state of fear that we prayed was a thing of the past. Of course, as I write these words, our hostages remain in captivity, and while we pray for their immediate release, we know that even those who will be blessed to come home alive will be left with permanent physical and emotional scars. So many Israeli families have lost loved ones, and countless others are coping with children who have suffered devastating injuries from the war. The emotional toll of these past few years is truly overwhelming, and we know that the mental-health crisis which we face is something that our nation will always need to address. Beyond our borders, we are facing a deeply worrying rise in antisemitism that threatens the safety of Jews all across the globe.

Yet, despite the many losses and ongoing struggles that we are forced to contend with, it’s also prudent to remember that much good exists in our world. As Jews with a history that traces back more than 4 000 years to the time of Avraham Avinu, the reality is that we live in a truly blessed era. We have a land of our own; Jews can live in relative security – despite growing fear – in many parts of the world; and we sit on the frontiers of leadership in so many areas of human advancement, whether it be in science, academia, finance, culture, and many others.

This dynamic, in which evil and pain exist alongside comfort and achievement, demands that we be thankful for the good, but also never grow complacent. We must remember that so much of what happens in our world, both good and bad, isn’t in our control.

It demands that we strengthen our faith in Hashem specifically because we cannot always understand His ways. But we still have an imperative to improve ourselves in how we respond in times of challenge. Throughout our history, the sages have taught us that our relationship with our fellow man and woman are a critical basis of religious practice. As Rabbi Akiva famously taught, the commandment to love thy neighbour as thyself is a great principle in the Torah, while Hillel the Elder espoused that the teaching, “That which you despise should never be imposed on others,” is a fundamental concept from which all others can then be learned.

There’s no doubt that as a society, we are failing in this regard. Israeli society in particular, and Jewish society in general, is facing grave challenges in our pursuit of national unity. We are living through times where Jews are ideologically and politically pitting themselves against one another in ways that are bordering on outright hatred and even violence towards the “opposing” camp. Beyond the tragedy of this reality, we know that our enemies are even more cognisant of these divisions and have repeatedly taken advantage of this weakness, choosing these moments of disunity to launch their horrific attacks.

This is a situation which isn’t irreversible, specifically because it is in our hands to change.

If we accept this truth, that our actions can make all the difference, if we are prepared to accept those who think differently than we might without insult or denigration, we can truly believe that this next year can be one of hope, promise, peace, and prosperity. Jewish history has shown us that our ability to overcome even the greatest of tragedies demands that we approach our challenges with greater unity. Our current challenges, as difficult and vast as they might be, can and will be similarly overcome if we accept that truth. May we all be blessed with a year of unity for our families, our nation, and our Jewish brothers and sisters around the world.

• Rabbi Yuval Cherlow is the director of the Tzohar Center for Jewish Ethics and a founder of the Tzohar Rabbinical Organisation in Israel.