Community Magazine July 2009

the land, the invading armies will viciously persecute its Jewish inhabitants 2 3 . The commentaries 4 identify the nations of Paras, Kush and Put as the Muslim countries of Persia (which is today Iran), Assyria (which is today Iraq and part of Syria) and Egypt. These nations will not have much ammunition in their arsenals, but Gog will sup- ply them with arms to wage this battle against Israel. Gd’s Ultimate Retribution “Behold it will be at the time that I return the captives of Yehuda and Yerushalayim, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Yehoshafat and judge them there for what they have done and exiling my nation...” (Yoel 4:1-2) During this war, Hashem will visit His final retribution upon the gentile nations that have caused suffering for the Jewish people throughout the exile. According to the Midrash 5 , all the ancient rulers who had persecuted the Jews will be brought back to life during this war to receive their due punish- ment. These punishments will come in the form of supernatural events that will overshadow even the miracles performed at the time of the Egyptian Exodus 6 . In fact, according to some views 7 , we will no longer be required to remember the Exodus from Egypt, as we will instead praise Hashem for our miraculous salvation during Gog Umagog and for establishing Mashiah as sovereign over the entire world. This final retribution will take place during the holiday of Sukkot 8 , and every year henceforth, the gentile nations will converge upon Jerusalem on Sukkot to pay homage to Hashem who revealed his glory and awesome strength to the entire world on this day 9 . The Downfall of the Gentile Nations “And then prophesize, saying to Gog: So says Gd, sovereign of the world…I have brought you here [to Israel] to make My Name known to all when they beheld the punishment with which I shall afflict you… on that day My anger will be aroused…a tremendous trembling will seize the land…moun- tains will be flattened, towers and buildings will crumble, and fortified walls will fall to the ground…I will cause chaos and man will strike his fellow brother… and I will strike him [Gog] with torrential downpours and huge hailstones; fire and sulfur will rain down on him and all who joined him, and then I will be recognized and revered and all will know that I am Gd.” (Yehezkel 38:14-22) “And this will be the punishment that Gd will deliver upon all the nations who have laid siege on Jerusalem: their flesh will melt off their bodies while standing, their eyes will fall from their sockets, and their tongues will fall from their mouths…” (Zecharya 14:12) Many commentaries 10 assume that the “tremendous trembling that will seize the land” refers literally to a devastating earthquake that will bring chaos to the invad- ing armies stationed in Israel, leaving death and destruction in its wake. The earthquake will occur just east of the Temple Mount, on Har Hazetim (the Mount of Olives), 28 Community magazine