One of the essential elements of Judaism is the annual cheshbon hanefesh or “accounting of the soul.” This takes place during the Hebrew month of Elul, which leads up to Rosh Hashanah and the Yamim Noraim (the Ten Days of Repentance) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). It involves a necessary period of introspection during which every Jew reflects on his or her behavior and deeds during the past year. Without it, forgiveness—whether coming from those we have offended or the Almighty—is impossible. It is supposed to result in a pledge to do better in the coming year.

If that’s required of individual Jews, then why not go through the same exercise for evaluating the actions of the one Jewish state on the planet? That’s the justification for pundits who use this time of year to write pi

See Full Page