I t seems counterintuitive that we read about the horrors of Gog and Magog on Succos the holiday on which we’re commanded to be joyous. Why are we so happy?
Following the war of words between the chief executives of the US and North Korea does anyone know whether they’ll use their trigger finger in the same cavalier manner that they use their tongues? And now as we open the Neviim to the haftaros of Succos that sense of anxiety is heightened.
In this post-Hiroshima generation with the threat of an Iranian atom bomb and missiles from North Korea looming the apocalyptic images painted by the haftaros of the first day of Succos and Shabbos Chol HaMoed look more real than ever.
The pesukim (Yechezkel 38; Zecharyah 14) do indeed paint the scenario they call the war of Gog and Magog in bold grim colors. “On the mountains of Israel ” says Yechezkel and Zecharyah says “to Jerusalem.” Many nations will take part: “And I shall gather all the nations to Jerusalem to war and the city shall be captured” (Zecharyah 14:2). Yechezkel gives a more colorful description speaking to Gog in Hashem’s name:
