Almost two years to the day since the October 7 attacks, Israel has achieved peace through strength, and South African Jews have stood firm against the ANC government.

These past two years have taught us powerful lessons about moral courage, unity, and a formula for securing the future.

The remaining hostages have been returned. The war in Gaza has ended. Israel stands victorious, a nation tested in fire, guided by faith, and strengthened by purpose.

In this address, delivered before thousands at the South African Zionist Federation gathering, Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein reflects on what this moment means, for Israel, for the Jewish people, and for the moral future of the world.

This is not just a political milestone. It is a spiritual reckoning, a moment to give thanks to Hashem and to recognize the leadership that made it possible: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who stood firm against pressure; President Donald Trump, whose mediation brought the hostages home; and the countless men and women whose courage and sacrifice secured this victory.

Two years after condemning President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC for standing on the wrong side of history, I return to the same stage to remind the world: Israel’s survival is not an accident of power. It is a testament to divine providence, faith, and moral conviction.

Key insights:

• How Israel achieved peace through strength

• Why Israel’s victory is moral, not just military

• How South African Jews stood firm against the ANC

• The global moral test revealed by this war

• The formula for securing the Jewish future

• The spiritual meaning of victory and redemption in our time
  
  

#Israel #October7 #MoralClarity #FaithAndCourage #JewishUnity #TorahWisdom #WesternValues #HumanDignity #Netanyahu #DonaldTrump #CyrilRamaphosa

What is the purpose of life?

It’s the most important question of all.

Why was the world created? Why do human beings exist? What does Hashem want from us? The Torah begins with Bereishit - the story of creation - to answer these questions.

In this talk, Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein explores the Torah’s vision of purpose through the lens of Pirkei Avot and the great commentators. Their insights reveal that creation was not random, but intentional - shaped by moral and spiritual purpose.

The Mishna teaches that God created the world with Ten Statements, when He could have done it with one — showing that every part of creation reflects deliberate design and meaning. Nothing was created by accident.

That same care and intention extend to us. Through the choices we make, each of us becomes a partner in creation, building or destroying our own personal world.

This stands in stark contrast to those that see the universe as a product of chance or indifference. The Torah teaches us the truth: our Creator who acts with care created us with purpose, which brings the potential for meaning into every moment of existence.

When we understand this, life itself changes. Every action becomes an opportunity to fulfil the purpose for which the world was made.

Key insights:

• Why the Torah begins with creation, and what that reveals about purpose

• How Pirkei Avot uncovers the moral design within creation

• Why God created the world with Ten Statements, and what it teaches about divine intent

• How human choice determines the meaning of our personal world

• How understanding purpose transforms every moment into mission

#PurposeOfLife #Bereishit #TorahWisdom #PirkeiAvot #JewishPhilosophy #Meaning #Creation #ChiefRabbiWarrenGoldstein #FaithAndPurpose #Hashem

Human vulnerability is profound and inescapable.

And yet, one of our deepest psychological longings is for safety and security. We need to know everything will be okay. But the world offers no guarantees.

How do we make peace with being fundamentally vulnerable?

Sukkot provides the answer. We leave our secure homes for the sukkah, a temporary dwelling that must be fragile enough to let rain through. After Yom Kippur's vulnerability, we paradoxically make ourselves more vulnerable, and find joy in it.

Drawing on Pirkei Avot and the story of the Jewish people's birth in the desert, Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein reveals how the sukkah teaches us to transform vulnerability from threat into gift. When we understand that this world's purpose is growth rather than comfort, vulnerability becomes the key to humility, empathy, gratitude, and meaning.

Key insights:

• Why the sukkah commemorates the Jewish people's most vulnerable moment

• What the desert journey teaches about human vulnerability

• Why this world's purpose differs from the world to come

• Why justice belongs to the next world, not this one

• How vulnerability cultivates humility, empathy, and gratitude

• How purpose and meaning create true happiness

• Why radical acceptance of vulnerability leads to joy

#Sukkot #Vulnerability #JewishWisdom #PirkeiAvot #TorahWisdom