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As we reach the end of Yom Kippur and blow the Shofar last time, our hope is that we are all written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. But being in a right relationship with God goes beyond our outward appearances. All our fasting, reciting of lengthy prayers, and Tzedakah, is useless if we haven’t truly made the Lord and His teachings the priority in our lives. Too many after this Yom Kippur will go back to spiritual sleep, satisfied they have been sufficiently sorrowful for this year. There is this contradiction where we are devout for a day of the week or day of the year and then do whatever we desire at all other times. This can build and build with more of our lives being sucked away by sinful selfish desires until we reach extremes, extremes best represented by the Purple Gang.

Back in the 1920’s, in the days of Al Capone, there were also Jewish mobsters. They were known as the Purple Gang and were very active in Detroit. The Purple Gang also had a reputation for being more brutal than other mobsters.

But one of the most interesting things about the Purple Gang is that even though they were mobsters who routinely threatened, harmed, and killed individuals, many were also observant Jews to one degree or another. They would keep Kosher, wrap Tefillin, and have Mezuzah. Many would attend Yom Kippur services just like we are today, keeping the fast, and donating to their local synagogue. Then the next day they would go back to killing and threatening people. Tablet Magazine has a great story about one such Jewish mobster:

Sam “Red” Levine was New York City gangster Charley “Lucky” Luciano’s favorite contract killer. According to Martin Gosch and Richard Hammer’s 1975 book The Last Testament of Lucky Luciano, Lucky called Red “the best driver and hitman I had.” Red also had another persona: He was an Orthodox Jew. He always wore a kipah under his hat, ate only kosher food, and conscientiously observed the Sabbath. Levine never planned to murder anyone from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. But, according to Gosch and Hammer, if Levine had no choice and had to make the hit on Shabbat, he would first put on a tallit, say his prayers, and then go and do the job.

Imagine saying your Shabbat prayers and then going out to murder someone! Now this is obviously an extreme example, but these mobsters are just separating their faith from the rest of their lives. But this is not exclusive to mobsters, it is a danger for us as well. It is incredibly easy to just go through religious motions, even fasting of Yom Kippur, and still not be right with God. But the Lord knows all our thoughts and actions, and He desires for us to turn to Him through His Son and be sealed in the Messiah’s Book of Life.

As we close this Yom Kippur, we need to make sure that we are right with God through Messiah Yeshua. Our faith must also exist for more than a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday or holiday. Is Adonai really the Lord of your life or is something else? May the Lord give us the strength and conviction through the Holy Spirit to fully devout ourselves to Him. May we all be written in Messiah’s Book of Life, looking forward to eternity with Him.