Family members, friends and supporters of Israelis and other nationalities who were taken hostage on October 7 by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas during a deadly attack, complete the final stage of their march from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, in Jerusalem November 18, 2023. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

This week’s Torah reading begins with Joseph being imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. It marked the beginning of the events that would lead to Joseph being released from prison, and promoted to the position of the most powerful man in Egypt after Pharaoh himself.

The Hebrew word MiKeytz in Hebrew, the name of this week’s reading, signifies a passage of time. There is another word that is commonly used in the Bible, Achar, which is an equivalent. It again means a passage of time. Both phrases have also been used to mean something apocalyptic.

The apocalyptic source appears in one of the very last Biblical books, the Book of Daniel, written in Persia — part in Hebrew and part in Aramaic — when Michael appears to Daniel.

This is the only source for using Acharit Yamim to mean more than just a passage of time. The prophet Isaiah uses the same phrase to describe a time when peace will reign not only in Jerusalem — which will become the spiritual center of the world — but when there will be peace on earth. The prophets Jeremiah and Micah also repeat this idea. But again, it seems no more than a hope that things on earth will improve if we help bring it about, rather than through some Divine intervention.

It was only as a result of Roman and Christian oppression — as Jewish suffering increased exponentially — that we looked for a supernatural end to our suffering. And this remains part of the Messianic ideology that permeates much of our religious mindset today, and leads to this penchant for predicting Messianic intervention.

Although I like the Messianic ideal and dream, I also believe we cannot rely on it, and we have to be proactive in ensuring our survival, which is why I was brought up to believe passionately that Israel needs to defend itself and not rely on Divine intervention.

Never in my life has this been more urgent than now, in this frightening new era of post-October 7 hatred. If it didn’t coincide with a festival, that date should be added to our lists of fasts — except that self-denial is not as positive as joy and celebration, and gratitude for being spared.

The author is rabbi and writer, currently based in New York.