If J Street, a fiercly radical left wing anti Israel group is on your side that makes you VERY suspect.
While I will continue to defer to and submit to great Roshei Yeshiva and Talmidei Chachamim on matters of Halacha and Hashkafa, I don’t want them, no matter how “prominent” they may be, to decree whom I must vote for, diagnose the mental status of either candidate, tell me they know with certainty who is better for the Jewish people or Israel, or to oversimplify what is a truly complicated choice.
How can rabbis remain silent when the value system of Biden and those he submits to [i.e. the radical left] is so far removed from what we believe in? On the other hand, Trump, with all of his glaring faults, has proven himself to be a friend of Israel and the Jewish people. Biden is pro-abortion and pro same sex marriage. He also happens to be corrupt [which Trump is as well, so they are on equal ground].
He writes:
What disturbs me most about rabbinic declarations dictating how we vote and articulating with complete confidence what will happen if we don’t is not just the unfair denial of people to think for themselves and draw their own legitimate conclusions, but I believe it is also a significant departure from an important Torah principle.
Long ago Shlomo HaMelech (Mishlei 21:1) taught us, “Palgei mayim lev melech b’yad Hashem, al kol asher yachpotz yatenu, the heart of a king is like a stream of water in the hand of Hashem, wherever He wishes, He will direct it.” We say every single day in our davening, “Al tivtechu b’nedivim, don’t place your faith and trust in princes and diplomats.”
As believing Jews, we recognize that it is the Master of the Universe who orchestrates domestic, foreign, and of course all policies and their consequences. To be a student of Torah and of Jewish history is to recognize the Almighty’s guiding hand. His hand guided our history and ultimately, it is His hand that is guiding our destiny, no matter the outcome of an election, even “the most important one of our time.”
What disturbs me most about rabbinic declarations dictating how we vote and articulating with complete confidence what will happen if we don’t is not just the unfair denial of people to think for themselves and draw their own legitimate conclusions, but I believe it is also a significant departure from an important Torah principle.
Long ago Shlomo HaMelech (Mishlei 21:1) taught us, “Palgei mayim lev melech b’yad Hashem, al kol asher yachpotz yatenu, the heart of a king is like a stream of water in the hand of Hashem, wherever He wishes, He will direct it.” We say every single day in our davening, “Al tivtechu b’nedivim, don’t place your faith and trust in princes and diplomats.”
As believing Jews, we recognize that it is the Master of the Universe who orchestrates domestic, foreign, and of course all policies and their consequences. To be a student of Torah and of Jewish history is to recognize the Almighty’s guiding hand. His hand guided our history and ultimately, it is His hand that is guiding our destiny, no matter the outcome of an election, even “the most important one of our time.”
Our rabbis tell us (Bamidbar Rabba 18a), “Harbei sheluchim la’makom, Hashem has lots of agents and messengers.” While we must make choices based on our finite and limited perspective, the vision of the Ribono Shel Olam is limitless. We don’t know why He chooses to employ any particular person or leader in a given situation or time. When the dust settles and the final votes are counted, the candidate that wins any election not only reflects the will of the people, but much more importantly, the will of our Creator.
That is a specious and deeply flawed argument. "Because Hashem guides history, it doesn't matter who we vote for." With that logic, it doesn't matter which doctor you go to. Go to a dentist for your heart issues. Go to a podiatrist for blurry vision. Hashem runs the show. It doesn't matter who you go to. Don't go to work - On Rosh Hashana, Hashem already decided how much money you will make. Don't take medicine - Hashem heals.
That is a specious and deeply flawed argument. "Because Hashem guides history, it doesn't matter who we vote for." With that logic, it doesn't matter which doctor you go to. Go to a dentist for your heart issues. Go to a podiatrist for blurry vision. Hashem runs the show. It doesn't matter who you go to. Don't go to work - On Rosh Hashana, Hashem already decided how much money you will make. Don't take medicine - Hashem heals.
The answer is that we have to do our hishtadlus and our hishtadlus is to vote for the best possible candidate. Of course, ultimately Hashem will decide but we do our best. That is why Esther went in to Achashveirosh and did what is usually a big no-no in order to save Am Yisrael.
He writes:
He writes:
While I will continue to defer to and submit to great Roshei Yeshiva and Talmidei Chachamim on matters of Halacha and Hashkafa, I don’t want them, no matter how “prominent” they may be, to decree whom I must vote for, diagnose the mental status of either candidate, tell me they know with certainty who is better for the Jewish people or Israel, or to oversimplify what is a truly complicated choice.
In other words "I will completely defer to them when it suits me. Now it doesn't suit me".
And this is not a complicated choice at all. Most Frum Jews don't even have a hava amina of a hava amina to vote Biden. There is a small minority that feels conflicted about it or is all Biden. But stating that what is really simple to most of our people as being "truly complicated" is misleading - at best.
He is entitled to his opinion - and others are entitled to say that following such opinions endanger the Jewish people and the entire Western culture predicated on Biblical ideals.
" ..... diagnose the mental status of either candidate". It really seems quite clear that Biden is suffering from cognitive decline and there is nothing wrong with saying it.
Sometimes immersion in popular culture can twist and distort the clarity even of people who study and teach Torah and have the best of intentions.
