If you were to draw up a list of the most urgent problems facing humanity, what issues would make it onto your list? Global inequality? Poverty? Hunger? Maybe it's climate change? Or the need to promote peace and justice in the world?
Imagine that world leaders were gathering at the United Nations to make unprecedented, tangible and measurable commitments to tackling all of these problems. Wouldn't such a meeting be so remarkable and so historic that it would be on the minds of every citizen of the planet?
Sadly, it seems not.
Global leaders will, in fact, meet in a weeks' time to adopt what are known as the 'Sustainable Development Goals'. They are the successor to the Millennium Development Goals agreed by the international community in 2000 and they represent the most realistic and unified approach in human history to tackling these axiomatic crises.
In 2013, a survey revealed that only 4% of people in the UK had heard of the Millennium Development Goals, I fear that a similar survey about this month's event would show equally disappointing levels of public awareness.
Next week, the Jewish community will observe the fast of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement - the most self-reflective and solemn day on the Jewish calendar.
Our Sages teach that atonement is only achieved through sincere acknowledgment of past failures and a realistic and resolute intention to avoid repeating them. It is a deeply hopeful message. We can, and often do, succeed second time round.
You may never have heard of the failed business named Traf-O-data, but you're certainly aware of how its founder, Bill Gates, then went on to create Microsoft. And where would Oprah Winfrey be today if she had been deterred at the age of 22, when she was told she was 'unfit' for television?
In the year 2000, the world pledged, among other things, to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger and to achieve universal primary education. This was an ambitious and brave undertaking. Unfortunately, we are still far from delivering on these admirable aspirations. The Sustainable Development Goals present us with another opportunity to make good on God's call to us to 'work the earth and protect it'.
My prayers are with the Heads of State attending the UN Summit. This time round there is no alternative to success. The future of mankind rests upon their shoulders and ours.
As Nelson Mandela put it, "Millions of people in the world's poorest countries remain imprisoned, enslaved and in chains. They are trapped in a prison of poverty. It is time to set them free."
如果让你草拟人类面临的最迫切的问题，你的清单上会有哪些话题呢？全球不平等？贫困？饥饿？或者气候变化？或者促进全世界和平与正义的需要？
想象一下，世界领导人在联合国召开会议，制定前所未有的，切实可行的，效果显著的策略来处理所有这些问题。这样的会议是否足够引人注目，具有历史意义，是否能够引起全球每一位公民的关注？
悲哀的是，似乎不会。
实际上，一周之后，全球领导人将会召开会议，制定所谓的“可持续发展目标”。这些目标是国际社会于2000年制定的“千年发展目标”的延续，代表了人类历史上解决这些不言自明的问题最现实，最统一的方法。
2013年，一项调查披露，英国只有4%的人听说过“千年发展目标”，我担心，关于本月的会议的类似的调查同样也会表明公众关注度令人失望。
下周，犹太社会将会庆祝“赎罪日”——犹太日历上自我反思的最严肃的日子。
我们的智者曾教诲我们，只有真诚地意识到过去的错误，有着实际的，坚定的决心来避免重蹈覆辙，赎罪才能实现。这是大有希望的信息。我们能够获得第二次成功。
你或许从未听说过一家失败的名为Traf-O-data的企业，但是你肯定听说过它的创始人比尔·盖茨，他后来开办了微软公司。还有脱口秀主持人奥普拉，在她22岁的时候，别人告诉她不适合做电视节目，如果当时她踌躇不前，那她现在会在何处？
2000年，全世界承诺消除极端贫困和饥饿，普及初等教育。这是非常有雄心壮志的事业。不幸的是，我们距离这个宏伟的目标仍然非常遥远。“持续发展目标”再次为我们提供了机会，响应上帝的号召，“热爱地球，保护地球”。
我为参加联合国峰会的国家元首们祈祷。这次我们已经没有其他成功的机会了。他们的肩上担负着人类的未来。
就像尼尔逊·曼德拉说过的，“世界上最贫困的国家仍有数百万人被监禁，奴役，被锁链束缚。他们被困在贫穷的监狱了。是时候让他们获得自由了。”
