If the Jewish people behave well, they can bring the Messianic era quicker, according to Rabbi Elan Adler. But when Jews shame God’s name or even treat each other poorly, they push the Messiah further away.
Rabbi Adler, who discusses the notion of Jewish unity, sanctifying and defaming God in his new Yeshiva for the Nations course, “Introduction to Judaism for Non-Jews,” told Breaking Israel News, “It is our job to please God and to be a light unto the world. If we make God look bad, this is a huge worry.”
Yeshiva for the Nations is a Jewish school for religious studies, designed for non-Jews. Registrants dip into the deep wells of Jewish knowledge by engaging with Jewish texts through the eyes of an Orthodox Jewish teacher.
Rabbi Adler explained that how a Jewish person looks, behaves and carries himself in front of non-Jews can push the nations closer or farther from Hashem (God) and his teachings.
“We have it in our behavior repertoire to create big applause for God or go the other say and shame God by the way we behave,” said Rabbi Adler.
The rabbi noted that God places greater importance on how Jews behave toward one another than on ritual.
“The Temple wasn’t destroyed because we didn’t cut the challah in the right place – not because of how long a person’s tzitzit were, or their sheitel,” he said. “It had nothing to do with ritual. It was all because of our behavior.”
Tzitzit are tassels that are meant to serve as constant reminders of our obligations to God and one’s fellows. A sheitel is a wig that many Orthodox Jewish women wear for modesty.
JLIF101: Introduction to Judaism for Non-Jews
Rabbi Adler said the coming of the Messianic era depend predominantly on how Jews behave. When Jews are more God-conscious, when Jews make God look good in the world and are kind, considerate and decent human beings, the Messianic days come closer.
“Modeling superior behavior, that is what will usher in the Mashiach (Jewish Messiah),” Rabbi Adler said.
Do you want to learn more? Rabbi Adler’s new course, “Introduction to Judaism for Non-Jews,” is available through Israel365’s Yeshiva for the Nations. For more information or to watch the online course, visit yeshivaforthenations.com.
