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My Dear Congregation,
I know many of you are concerned about the elections next week. Me too. These are moments of great consequence for our country and our communities. Many of you have taken time to share your hopes, concerns, and anxieties with me. I want you to know, first and foremost, that I am here for you—all of you. But I also want to challenge you to be there for each other and to consider what this moment demands of each of us. I believe in the power of our community to transform the world for better. But it will require a great deal of courage coupled with patience, generosity of spirit, and trust to keep our community together as political differences put stress on our bonds of shared Jewish tradition and connection.
Here are a few things I believe we can all pray for in the coming days:
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Peace. One of the main reasons we have elections is to avoid resolving our differences through violence. We pray that the elected officials are gracious in either victory or defeat and promote the peaceful transfer of power.
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Fairness. We pray for the election workers and officials that they may administer a fair election free from intimidation, influence, or corruption.
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Wisdom and Resilience. We pray that God gives us the wisdom to make good choices, knowing that none of us truly knows the ultimate consequences of our actions. May God also grant us the inner resources to cope with the outcome and continue to build bonds of family, friendship, and community that will sustain us.
In addition to prayer, what follows is an outline of a few of my reflections on some key Jewish values that I believe deserve articulation. Amidst the chaos and noise of election season, it’s important to remember our calling as a people and the ethical principles which direct our behavior. To be clear, this is not an endorsement of any particular candidate or party, but rather an expression of values—anchored in our texts and refined through our historical experience—that have sustained us through good times and bad.
1. Voting is a Mitzvah
You won’t find it in the Torah, but when one thinks about the long history of Jewish political power (or lack thereof) in the many lands in which we’ve lived, it’s hard not to feel equal measures of gratitude and obligation to participate in the democratic process. Every time I go to vote, I recite two blessings:
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בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ אֱלֹקינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שעשני בן/בת חורין—Praised are You, Adonai our God, ruler of the universe, Who has made me a free person.
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בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ חוֹנֵן הַדָּֽעַת—Praised are You, Adonai, Who bestows knowledge.
These two blessings are an expression of my appreciation of the blessing of freedom and my fervent desire that God grant me wisdom to make a good choice in the voting booth. Maybe this ritual will be meaningful to you as well.
2. Democratic norms and the rule of law. The Torah requires that a king of Israel must “write for himself a copy of the Torah in a book… And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life…” (Deut. 17:18-20). Imagine if each American president or governor had to hand-write their own copy of the Constitution and read it every day. What effect would that have on their sense of responsibility to the founding document and the principles inscribed in it?
Another requirement is that a king should not accumulate wealth or abuse power, “that his heart not swerve.” (Deut. 17:17). Political leaders should not enrich themselves at the expense of the populace, but always remember they are stewards of public trust and accountable to a higher authority.
3. Leaders should be unequivocal about denouncing antisemitism in all of its forms—not selectively when it emerges from their political opponents’ camp. When they do so, they may seem to be a friend to the Jewish people, when in fact, they are using Jews to score political points. Leaders should distance themselves from overt antisemites and refrain from employing antisemitic tropes in their advertisements or political speeches.
4. Support for Israel should be a major consideration for Jewish voters because the majority of the world’s Jews live in Israel. Jews have a responsibility to care for other Jews around the world, especially those in our ancestral homeland. Because of the historic friendship between the U.S. and Israel and the shared values of democracy and freedom, Jews should consider elected officials’ public stances and past voting records on issues relating to Israel and its security. There is not one way to support Israel, and Jews have different opinions on the best policies to strengthen and defend it. But Israel’s well-being depends heavily on the support of the U.S. As Israel continues to face isolation and demonization in academia and around the world, American Jews have an important role to play in supporting and furthering this friendship and translating the Israeli experience for our fellow Americans. This will help ensure that Israel remains safe and strong and promotes a more secure and peaceful Middle East and United States.
5. Jews should consider which candidates will advance policies that show concern for the most vulnerable in society. One of the Torah’s most frequently mentioned commandments is to “love the stranger” and to care for the stranger, orphan, and widow. Out of our commitment to tzedakah (justice) and hesed (lovingkindness), we think about how we can best alleviate poverty and inequality from our society. The Torah persistently reminds us, “You know the heart of the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Ex. 23:9). We can have disagreements about immigration or economic policy or poverty relief programs, but our general posture toward those in need is one of compassion, love, and concern—not dehumanization or demonization. We should expect the same from our leaders.
6. Respect for truth. “Stay far away from a lying word…” is the way the commandment is expressed in Exodus (23:7). This is a warning both to citizens and to politicians. Citizens must be careful about the information we consume and share with others. A growing awareness of deliberate misinformation and deep fakes puts an extra burden on all of us to ensure that the news we rely upon to formulate our political opinions comes from reputable sources. But it also applies to leaders who have a responsibility to speak truthfully and not repeat claims that are demonstrably false.
7. Jews have a long tradition of mahloket l’shem shamayim—argument for the sake of heaven. Recognizing the diversity of opinions, we appreciate productive discussion of difficult issues. The Talmud’s pages are filled with recorded arguments between the houses of Hillel and Shammai and other rabbis and teachers who model healthy, respectful debate as a core Jewish value. Teachings abound that warn against the dangers and pitfalls when civil discourse and respectful discussion break down. Jews should consider how we conduct ourselves in times of great political division, but we should also judge the quality of candidates’ ability to debate respectfully with their opponents. Do they discuss substance or resort to personal attacks? Jews believe strongly in the power of words. Words create worlds. We ought to select leaders who use language that reflects the best of what we aspire to be as a nation and as individuals.
If you’re feeling concerned about the election, I invite you to come to shul this Shabbat when we’ll have a chance to learn from JTS Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz. We’ll pray for our country and share in the communal bonds that tie us together.
In addition, If you’d like to discuss any of this with me, I’m planning to hold open office hours this Friday (tomorrow) from noon to 1:30 pm and next Tuesday (Election Day) from 10:45 am to noon. Feel free to stop by the office to share your perspective with me or to process any feelings you might have about the election.
May God bless this country and bless all of us as we approach this very challenging time ahead and may we continue to work and live together as a single, strong Jewish community, come what may.
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