MICHAEL MEDVED

Restoring a sense of purpose

Sep 22, 2017, 10:04 AM | Updated: 10:29 am

The Jewish high holy day season culminates in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, this year on October 7, and brings patterns of behavior that often confuse and mystify our neighbors.

Why do so many nominally irreligious, unaffiliated people flock to long, demanding services on this solemn day of fasting and prayer? British scholar Chaim Bermant offered one insightful answer. “Not all Jews believe in God,” he wrote, “but most like to think that God believes in them. He is so central to their history that to suggest that He never existed in the first place would be to question the purpose of their own existence.”

The overriding theme of repentance — of t’shuvah, or return — gives a chance to re-affirm that sense of purpose, as both an individual and a people.

May Americans also recognize that we and our country also serve a purpose that’s far grander and more significant than our personal comfort.

Michael Medved on AM 770 KTTH
  • listen to michael medvedTune in to AM 770 KTTH weekdays at 12pm for The Michael Medved Show.

Michael Medved

Gaza attacks...

Michael Medved

Medved: The sad, ‘crazy’ tale of a Gaza water park, and Hamas’ war against fun

After barely three months of operation in 2010, the dream of a fanciful facility to attract tourists and delight locals lay in ruins.

6 months ago

2024 presidential debate...

Michael Medved

Medved: Will 2024 be the year of crucial political debates on TV?

It’s not difficult to imagine either Biden or Trump uttering some inaccurate or incoherent combinations of words that could undercut any momentum.

6 months ago

medved populism...

Michael Medved

Medved: GOP heading to irrelevance as party fails to embrace demographic changes

The spreading speculation about a new civil war isn't based on regionalism this time, but on distinctions in education and identity.

7 months ago

biden...

Michael Medved

Medved: How Biden learned money misdeeds can hurt most of all

The doomed example of "Tricky Dick" demonstrates the way that financial wrongdoing and personal enrichment can upset the public more than sex scandals.

7 months ago

Trump...

Michael Medved

Picking the right running mate could powerfully boost Trump’s prospects

It’s impossible to forecast who Donald Trump will pick as his running mate for the upcoming election of 2024, but it’s safe to say who he won’t select.

8 months ago

trump campaign...

Michael Medved

Medved: Can a new Trump victimhood campaign win back the White House?

Facing more than a half-dozen hostile legal proceedings before next year’s presidential election, can Donald Trump mount an effective campaign?

8 months ago

Restoring a sense of purpose