Rabbi Rael Blumenthal

I am not a prophet, and I’d like to believe that I am an optimist. But I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t worried about the next few months in the USA.

Mind you, I’m not concerned about who will or wont end up running for president. I am also not so concerned about who will or who not be found guilty of whatever crimes they are accused of. These details are certainly not in my control, and I must confess that I don’t find them particularly interesting.

That said, I am not trying to dissuade you from playing an active role in politics. We owe it to ourselves to get involved in politics in whatever way will be most beneficial to our families, communities and to the USA.

The cause for concern, however, is what US politics have done, and might continue to do, to the unity of Klal Yisrael.

The most recent election cycles have revealed deep divides in the American public, perhaps even irreconcilable differences. Naturally, the Jews on either side of the divide feel strongly about the correctness of their opinions, and feel equally strongly about the incorrectness of those who disagree.

I am well aware that there is little that I, or anyone else, can say or do to change these facts. But I’d like to offer a little perspective, and a few thoughts that might help to preserve Jewish unity in a world that is ever more fragmented.

On Disagreements

In the introduction to Chidushei Sridei Aish, the editor – Rabbi Avraham Abba Weingrot – tells a personal story of his visit to the Bostoner Rebbe, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Horowitz. The Rebbe occupied a unique space in Jewish life. On the one hand he was a staunch traditionalist, but on the other, he opened his heart and home to Jews from all walks of life; providing comfort, advice and conversation without judgment.

Rabbi Weingtot's question was simple: How do we bring Jews back to Yiddishkeit? The Rebbe replied: There is no singular way… But I can offer you the following perspective to building connections:

When the Torah introduces us to Korach, we are treated to his entire Yichus – his family tree. Or rather, almost his entire Yichus, a fact about which Rashi is sensitive.

וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח בֶּן־יִצְהָר בֶּן־קְהָת בֶּן־לֵוִי – Now Korah, son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi, took himself…

The missing link, of course, is the next generation: “…The son of Yaakov.”

Rashi explains: The pasuk does not make mention of Levi being “the son of Yaakov”, because he (Yaakov) prayed that his name should not be mentioned in connection with their machlokes.

At first gloss, it appears that Rashi is teaching us that Yaakov Avinu took care to disassociate himself from Korach. He wished to disown this troublesome personality. But removing his name from the list seems performative at best. Everyone knows that Yaakov is the father of Levi; and indeed, Rashi himself notes that in Divrei Hayamim, Yaakov is listed as Korach’s ancestor. What then is the point of the omission here?

The Bostoner Rebbe explained: Yaakov knew that there would be many “Korachs” in the future of Klal Yisrael. There would be many Baalei Machlokes – some with legitimate arguments, and others with egotistical and even nefarious intent. There would be those who would rebel against the Torah, the authority of the Chazal, and even against Moshe Rabbeinu himself. But Yaakov davened that no matter how deep the rebellion might be, it should never reach the core; it should never rip apart the identity of a “Ben Yaakov/Yisrael”.

If we can see beyond the points of disagreements to understand that a Jew is a Jew, no matter what, then we stand a chance at not devolving into resentment and contempt.

How to Stay Ahead

It's important to know what we're fighting against. Animosity is contagious and rage is profitable… so long as you’re a news network or a social media company. If you’re a Yid trying to be an Eved Hashem, it’s worth noting that we are and will be encouraged to be outraged. We will be tempted to view other Jews as working against the best interests of Klal Yisrael, and we will feel charged to fight against this destruction at all costs. It is encumbered upon us to resist these urges.

Resisting emotional urges, however, is insufficient. So I’m going to recommend taking proactive steps now to inoculate yourself and your family from the waves of hatred that are coming our way. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Practice empathy and humility actively. We should take the time to upgrade our Ahavas Yisrael. To see the good in others is not always easy or obvious; but it is a skill that we can get better at. Mori V’Rabbi, Rav Blachman told me that Rav Simcha Zissel Brodie once gave him the assignment to get onto a Jerusalem bus at rush hour, and sit there until he had observed and learned something from each and every passenger. When we train ourselves to think of others as sources of wisdom, we are far less likely to act dismissively and disparagingly.

2. Make time to Learn and work on Mussar and Middos. The goal of mussar work is ultimately to train our character to become sensitive to needs to of others and vehicles through which Hashem’s transcendent presence can be felt in the world. It’s the process of practicing “doing right” rather than “being right.” In this vein, the rage and rhetoric of politics should be seen as a training ground for honing our Middos; specifically, holding onto the dialectic of “this is my opinion”, and “I still love you, even though you disagree.”Specifically, whenever we feel the urge to get upset with someone else, we could pause and ask “is this emotion truly the best expression of the person I am trying to become.”

3. Tell the Right Stories to Yourself and Your Children. There’s a well known practice to tell stories of Tzadikim on Motzei Shabbos. This is not exclusively a Chaddishe minhag – the custom prevailed in Brisk and in the home of the Chasam Sofer as well. In our family, it’s become a staple every week following Havdalah, and my kids look forward to it. There are many mystical reasons for telling stories of tzadikim, but perhaps the most profound purpose is to establish firmly: Who are our heroes? What are our values? Politics has a way of making some or another candidate the central focus of our lives – and that’s a tragedy. We have far better stories to tell, far more important values to inculcate into ourselves and educate to our children.

All of this is to say, that we can and should resist the urge to become enraged. We should fight the urge to follow every detail of every story, and consider putting that time and attention into the more consequential pursuits of our lives. At the very least, we need to avoid the temptation to view other Jews are anything other than our brothers and sisters.

The Tefillah of Yaakov – ever for Korach! – should certainly apply to each other. That Hashem should help us to see how each and every Jew is infinitely connected, every Jew is a child of Yaakov Avinu.