A new week

One benefit of last week’s presidential election is that it must have eased the task of sermon writing for spiritual leaders around the country. Rabbi Noah Cheses, who was hired as spiritual leader of Young Israel of Sharon just a few months ago, spoke movingly, and I provide some excerpts here.

Even if we are repulsed from politics at the moment, we can’t totally disengage because there will be harmful consequences for us and for G-d’s name if we do so. Now more than ever, the political arena needs our voices. In a measured and thoughtful way, we need to use the Torah to help raise moral consciousness in American society. I believe that this is the role and responsibility of Torah Jews and perhaps all ethical monotheists at this juncture in American history. 

Getting more concrete, I believe that we cannot surrender the paramount value that the Torah places on being a good person, on having good character and being a mentch. On Wednesday morning, our daughter Adina asked us about the new president elect and wanted to know some of the good things about him and some of the bad things. We said that that he loves America but that he is not honest. Adina responded, how could someone who lies become the president? Isn’t the president of the America supposed to be a good person?

My heart sunk as I heard this question. There was a two second pause in which I felt like my world as an American and as a parent was crashing down into a million pieces. 

I told Adina that we are hopeful that the president elect will do a better job at telling the truth now that he is in a new position with new responsibilities. I really do believe that people are capable of change, especially when they are brought into a new circumstance. Leaving behind the sometimes ruthless and bottom line nature of the business world and taking up the ultimate mantel of civic duty and responsibility can change a person. My hope is that once assuming office President Trump will be different than candidate Trump. We have seen this happen with candidates in the past—from Nixon to Regan--that they change upon taking a seat in the oval office. 

What I didn’t tell my daughter that I will share with you is that although I am hopeful I am also not naive. If the president elect cannot rise to the occasion then we as Americans, as Jews and as parents need to react and hold him accountable.

Being engaged in the political arena in the years ahead will mean that we need to have the courage to hold the president accountable for the character values that our Torah holds so dear. This will not be easy but we will do it thoughtfully and we will do it together. 

I want to be clear, as I conclude and summarize my message this morning, that this drasha (sermon) could have been delivered even if the election results were different. I don’t see my role as a Rabbi as taking sides or pushing my political opinions. My role, as I see it, is to help us experience the world through a moral lens, through the prism of Torah.  We must leave behind the bad behaviors that characterized the election process, and recommit to the public good in a measured way by raising consciousness of the Torah value that being a mentch (a good person) really matters.  

This is how I think we can heal from the long, exhausting and bruising election season and how we can move forward, with our moral compass intact.

May it be Your will Hashem (Gd) that you give us the courage to heal and to move forward with strength and hope, with faith in the goodness of our country and the goodness of humanity. 

Though we still miss the original “Not Ready for Prime Time Players” of Saturday Night Live, we have made it a point to watch the opening of the show over these past months. Alec Baldwin was frequently on hand to do his uncanny Donald Trump, and cast regular Kate McKinnon has done a terrific job as Hillary Clinton. We were anxious to see what would happen with last night’s show. The death of Leonard Cohen was combined with the defeat of Hillary Clinton by having Ms. McKinnon sitting at the piano in a white pant suit playing and singing a very moving rendition of three verses of “Hellelujah” that really spoke to the feelings so many are having this week. 

Let us all take a good, deep breath (symbolically, at least for me) and do all we can to support the forces of good around us.

Love,

Rebecca