By Rabbi Akiva Wagner
It’s that time again. There’s an election on the horizon, and the various candidates of the various parties are trying to convince the American people that they would make the best president for the USA. Various political experts and wannabes are taking to the airwaves and to cyberspace to share their views and arguments on why you should or shouldn’t vote for one candidate or the other.
Now, I’m not a pundit or pontificator, nor will I comment about the huge pool of presidential hopefuls, – though I’m sure there’s plenty to be said about each of them. In fact, as a Canadian, the US election only indirectly relates to me. But I’d like to make an observation about one specific candidate, the one who seems to be leading the Republican party. I’m referring to the one who comes across (most of the time) as a certified whacko, and who America seems to be obsessed with right now. The famous billionaire – Donald Trump.
As Yidden, naturally, our approach to everything is by trying to determine who and what is best for the Jews. (And, of course, that is not separate from the question of who will make the best president and who will be good for the country. Because, generally speaking, whoever will be good for a strong and prosperous America will, subsequently, be good for the Yidden. However, in addition to the general consideration, we also consider factors that determine their direct impact on Jewish concerns).
In the upcoming Canadian election, I believe, the lines are much clearer. One party has a track record of unwavering and unequalled support and backing of Eretz Yisroel, so from a Jewish perspective, the decision seems easy.
In the US of A the lines can be more blurry. Here, therefore, are my thoughts.
I think many of us, myself included, may appreciate certain things about Trump (besides his being a whacko). He speaks his mind, for one. He says what he means, bluntly and clearly, whether anyone else likes it or not. A breath of fresh air after we’ve grown accustomed to the lying, two-faced, dishonest, deceitful politicians. While they say what they think people want to hear, he seems to say what he truly believes (and, of course, we use the word “truly” very loosely with regard to any politician).
For once, someone is standing up to the plague of “political correctness” that has afflicted America for so long. While all the other candidates are being ever so cautious to say only what’s accepted and acceptable, and continuing to tread down the destructive and dangerous path of PC, Trump is – seemingly – saying whatever he (and, apparently, thousands of other Americans) actually thinks and feels, with no regard to how it sounds or seems to the societal judges.
It feels like the culture of blind adherence to political correctness rather than common sense has led to a fanatical protection of criminals, of immoral and unethical behaviours and lifestyles, and an overall decline in many areas in our society. Against this backdrop, this candidate’s daring new approach is encouraging and refreshing.
On the other hand . .
Let’s face it. Chazal have taught us הלכה היא בידוע שעשיו שונא ליעקב. While in recent generations many Jews have become lax in their adherence to Halacha, I believe our gentile neighbors remain, on the most part, very meticulous at following this Halacha.
In this sense, I think the culture of PC’ism works in our favour. Regardless of what they may truly feel about the Jewish nation, it would be scandalous and unthinkable to be seen as actually expressing negative feelings towards us. It would be something totally unacceptable, – not politically correct.
And this, I think, is a very significant departure from the way things used to be. For centuries, it was politically correct in much of the world to hate, persecute, oppress and harass their Jews. So, even if someone – for some inexplicable reason – didn’t feel a natural inclination to behave so, he would nonetheless – in most cases – conform with what was accepted and acceptable by society.
These days, however, there has been a notable and welcome shift for the better in the above area. In fact, it was a complete reversal, in a sense. We live in, what the Rebbe has numerous times referred to as, a malchus shell chesed (I assume that this title to some degree includes Canada). This democracy has had considerable impact on the standards, mindset and sense of political correctness throughout the civilized world.
That includes the fact that today it is neither respectable nor acceptable to hate Jews. And despite what someone may feel inside, he could never get away with open and undisguised antisemitism. It’s just no longer “in” these days. And this has worked very much in our favour.
Which is precisely why this new fellow worries me. On the one hand, it seems great and refreshing that there is someone who speaks his mind without paying heed to the thought police and the culture of appeasement. From the looks of things hundreds of thousands of Americans love it; they agree with him and strongly identify with him (although no one else of note had the guts to take this stand apparently).
But this could be a dangerous situation for us. Because if people are not bound or inhibited by their sense of political correctness, how do we know how long it might be until their inner hatred of B’nei Yisroel starts ch”v being expressed, Hashem yishmireinu. And let’s face it, I, for one, would not want to bank on the hopes that the true feelings of the majority of Gentiles underwent a change for the better.
Think of it: What are the chances that at some point some Jewish person would do something threatening or provocative to Mr. Trump (such as looking at him the wrong way, or accusing him of wearing a toupee). How long would it be before he starts expressing feelings about Jews, that many people may harbour but have been thus far afraid to reveal because of the prevalent political climate? And that could lead us on a very slippery slope ch”v.
So, it might just be that, for the time being, we’re still better off with the prevalent climate of PCism, despite all of its’ obvious flaws.
Which got me thinking.
We are now in the last stretch of Elul, the final days of preparation for Rosh Hashonoh. We have begun the period of yom lachodesh, we started to say selichos, and tonight we start rectifying every day of the week. Every one of us is scrambling to decide on some last minute hachlotos, and to take a few final steps to ensure that the new year begins with a marked change for the better.
But at such times we are often in a quandary. How do we decide on the right hachloto? How do we pinpoint the appropriate change that is both realistic and meaningful, both doable and distinguishable?
So here’s a thought:
As Chabad Chassidim, our emphasis is verily on pnimiyus. We don’t care much about appearances, about what others may think or about how they might view us. We are well aware of the great importance chassidim placed on avoiding blitos at all costs, on taking every effort in order that what we practice should be between us and Hashem, not on display for our fellow man.
[Someone once asked the Rebbetzin if the Rebbeim has payos. The Rebbetzin responded: “In beis haRav iz altz geven ohn blitos” [In beis haRav there was everything without any showiness]. The questioner was unsure if her intent was that they did have payos (since altz iz geven) but it was not noticeable since it was with complete absence of any blitos, or if she was saying that they did not grow (long) payos, since that cannot be done without being visible, and everything had to be, first and foremost, without blitos.
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R’ Moshe Gurkov was a very chassidisher bochur learning in 770, who – however – had a problem of coming late to seder every morning, and the efforts of the hanholoh to correct the problem were to no avail. Finally they asked his roommate, R’ Gershon Mendel Garelick, to speak to him.
On Thursday night, after loosening his tongue with (a wee bit of) l’chayim, RGM learned the following: During a yechidus, the Rebbe instructed RMG to think every day for five minutes about achdus Hashem, in teffillin, without belitos. RMG had a dilemma; – when you are thinking about achdus Hashem, about the fact that ein od milvado, it is hard to be focused on whether people are noticing you or not. Finally he came up with the idea to wake up extra early, and carry out the Rebbe’s directive in his room, in private, before seder chassidus.
However, apparently the focus on achdus Hashem also precludes being able to keep track of the time, hence his chronic lateness (this probably also explains why a number of bochurim I know are not always so punctual in the morning)!].
So, as chassidim it is reasonable for us to be totally unconcerned about how others view us and what they may think about us, and be solely focused on what we know and feel inside.
And yet . .
Many times the Rebbe pointed out how in our times we can’t depend on ourselves, how it is crucial (for example) to give tzedaka and perform mitzvos with publicity and fanfare because that is the only assurance that we will actually follow through. Rabi Yochanan already remarked to his students that “יהי מורא שמים עליכם כמורא בשר ודם”, and in our times it is more often than not that only the concern with the reaction of other humans is what will influence our behaviour.
In other words, while pnimiyus is most admirable, it carries a very real risk; – endeavoring to act according to what we feel inside with no regard to what is accepted and what others may think can lead to a very slippery slope, because we what we really feel can end up being very at odds to what we’re supposed to be doing, and we may find ourselves far removed from the path on which we belong.
Just as – lehavdil – the presidential candidate in question, while sounding refreshingly honest to many, can prove very dangerous (I think) with the absence of the “safety net” of the need to conform with what’s accepted, so too, exactly, is with certain attitudes in life. While it may feel much more honest and genuine – and refreshingly so – to discard the shackles of public opinion and behave according to what you really feel (and convince yourself that you evolved overnight into a pnimi), that is inherently a very risky approach. Because none of us (or at least not most of us . . ) can be certain about where our feelings will lead us with the absence of the “safety net” of a measure of conformism.
If I know that I want people to view me as a chosid, that I have to conform with what others consider proper and chassidish, then there is more of a chance that I will be more cautious and calculated in choosing my behavior.
So, getting back to our hachlotos: alongside our preoccupation with pnimiyus, we need to also spend some time with our chitzoniyus (as nauseating as that may be . .); – with our image. We need to make sure our appearance represents and portrays – to the onlooker – a chosid. And while our pnimiyus is always harder to accurately assess and evaluate, our appearance and actions are easily definable.
Let’s think about what the image of a chosid is, b’chitzonyus, and compare that with what we see in the mirror. And then just determine what details in the picture need to change. As the Frierdige Rebbe once said, quoting a sicha of the Rebbe Maharash: There are a lot of things “vos past far a chosid”, – that are fitting for a chosid, and a lot of others “vos past nisht far a chosid”. Regardless of what he thinks and feels inside. Of course, chassidus is about working on our mind and heart. But we also have to see to it that our overall image fits with what a chosid should look like.
A Jew was once in yechidus with the Rebbe, and was discussing the halachik permissibility (in his opinion) of shaving one’s beard. This Jew was learned, and was able to bring extensive support to his position that it is OK for a religious Jew to be beardless.
During the conversation, the Rebbe gave him a very novel response: “When you picture to yourself Moshe Rabenu, Aharon, the nevi’im, the tano’im etc., do you picture them with a beard or without one?” When the Jew conceded that their image, in his mind, is bearded, the Rebbe told him: “You see, you too (despite all of your academic arguments) recognize that a Jewish image in inseparable from his beard”!
Let us crystalize, in our own minds, what our image of the quintessential chosid is, – how he should appear to the onlooker. We may have an easier time recognizing what we’re supposed to look like, and subsequently, what are some of the areas that our hachlotos need to focus on.
So be a bit more politically correct – in the area of your Yiddishkeit and chassiddishkeit. Focus on conforming with what’s acceptable and traditional, and maintaining the timeless and ageless image of chassidim. With our joint effort in improving our chassidishe image we can have the fringe benefit of avoiding all the madness that going on in the world, because our next President will be Moshiach Tzidkeinu!
L’chaim! May we take advantage of these days of slichos to strengthen both our internal and external connection with the Eibishter, and may we resolve even before Rosh Hashono to elect (or re-elect) the Eibishter as our King and ודוד עבדי נשיא להם לעולם, with the immediate revelation of Moshiach Tzidkeinu TUMYM!!!
