Image Does Matter

Rabbi Yisroel Meyer Kagan - the Chofetz Chaim

Image or substance… which is more Important? The answer most thinking people would give is substance. At least it should be. As our sages tell us, ‘Do not look at the jug but look at what is inside of it. (Avos 4:20). Or as the popular saying goes, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’.

The wisdom of this should be apparent to all. And yet the one segment of Orthodoxy that seems to place more emphasis on image than any other segment is the Charedi world. Over the last 50 or so years Charedim have increasingly insisted on looking a certain way. One which clearly identifies who they are, what they believe, and how they live their lives. 

This is certainly true in the Chasdic world. But it is equally true in the Yeshiva world. The black hat, black pants, and white shirt have become the uniform of the Yeshiva world. I can’t even imagine a student – let alone a Rosh Yeshiva wearing a cap instead of a black hat. 

To the best of my knowledge the last Rosh Yeshiva to wear a cap did so in pre Holocaust Europe… a relatively minor fellow by the name of Yirsoel Meyer Kagan better known as the Chofetz Chaim! The Kipa of choice is now the velvet one. That is what they wear when not wearing a black hat. No card carrying Charedi would dare wear a suede or crocheted Kipa. Nor would they wear anything but a white shirt and black pants.

Those who wear the ‘uniform’ are considered Bnei Torah. no matter how strong or lax their observance might be.  Those that don’t are Chutz L’Machaneh… outside the camp (of Bnei Torah). Even those that are Orthodox. If they dress any other way than I described they are considered either ignoramuses, or ‘Krum’. Meaning that their Jewish values are distorted. No matter the level of observance or Torah knowledge.

It appears that the above advice of our sages has come to be ignored. If the Chofetz Chaim walked into a Yeshiva Beis HaMedrash wearing a cap today, he would be seen as odd. 

This is not to say that Charedim are bad people, God forbid. Most of them are good fearing sincere Jews of the highest order. that in many ways the rest of us should emulate. It’s just to say that it seems like they have elevated style almost over substance. Which what our sages warn against. 

This is not the way it was when I was in high school back in the 60s. Even when I was in Telshe. There were no uniforms then. Baseball caps and colored shirts were the norm back then. 

Why this has happened is beyond the scope of this post. I mention it in a context that might seem odd… that of the current President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. And the fact that the majority of the Charedi world (I’ve seen estimates as high as 80%!) voted for and supports a man whose image and style is anathema to their values.

The response most of them might give is that they do not support who he is. They support what he has done – and continues to do for those very values. I have in fact pretty much said the same thing. It isn’t only Charedim that feel that way. Most Orthodox Jews (who run politically conservative) do too. (Although there is a sizable minority of Orthodox Jews that are liberal and can’t stand him or his polices.)

Yes, I do support most of Trump’s polices - both foreign and domestic. I could not for example be happier with his policies on Israel and Iran (so far). Nor could I be happier about his tax policies and deregulation - which has stimulated an already healthy economy into almost unprecedented territory in certain respects (e.g the lowest unemployment rate in decades  - even in the black community).

And yet I cringe every day at how this man behaves and the constant embarrassing news that seems to come out daily about him. As it did again yesterday when a former black employee revealed that she heard a recording of Trump using the 'N' word. Something you would suspect only a racist would do. 

It is true that substance matters a lot more than style. But as Charedim clearly tell you (if not in words – certainly in deeds) style does matter. The way a person talks and behaves tells you about his character. When that person is the leader of the free world; the leader of the most powerful nation in in history - he ought to behave like a Mentch. And while Trump has been known to have been involved in many acts of kindness in his life, his daily behavior continues to be an embarrassment. Which makes me cringe. 

The influence this has on the public discourse has been horrendous. It has emboldened America’s worst elements from under their rocks to proclaim racists messages unlike any time since the early sixties - when racism seen as a positive value in parts of the American South. His alleged (and in my view very likely) past immoral behavior with prostitutes and 'Playboy' models is not the image a President should have. Evidence that he tried to cover it up does not help his cause either. Nor his his vindictive personality becoming of a world leader.

He is petulant, childish, selfish, egomaniacal, narcissistic and vindictive. None of which is flattering to any human being - let alone a President.  Imagine if there was a Charedi Rosh yeshiva whose knowledge of Torah and Poskim was encyclopedic and authored Seforim with the potential to become the most widely used in the Yeshiva world - behaved like the way the President did? If they can’t even countenance someone wearing a kipa made of slightly different material than what they insist on wearing, can you imagine the kind of condemnation a man like that would generate?!

And yet they look the other way when that man is the President - because  they like his policies. They might argue that the behavior and rhetoric of a non Jew doesn’t concern them. What difference does It make as long as his policies are the correct ones form their perspective. But image does matter. No one believes that more than Charedim do. 

They should realize that when they are seen to support a man whose values are anathema to theirs, they come out looking hypocritical. Instead of genrating respect for Toraah values supporting a President whose values are anathema to thiers will generate scorn. It will make them look hypocritical. 

It is not good for the country or the Charedi world to have a man like this as President. Even if his policies are strongly supported. It demeans his high office and lowers the level of discourse. It brings out the worst in people. It gives comfort to bigots and racists. And it lowers are standards of decency. 

You cannot separate the man for his policies. Sure… we can all say that his behavior does not reflect what we believe in. But we do not live in a vaacum. Another popular saying in Yiddish goes like this: Azoi V’Christltz Zich Yiddil’t Zich. When the nation in which we live lowers its standards ours are inevitably  lowered too. I I don’t believe there is any disagreement about that by religious leaders. Which is why the more rightward you swing, the more you try and isolate yourself from it. But isolation is far from foolproof. Especially these days. Which of course means that no matter how much you try to insulate yourself as a society form the culture, it will still affect you. 

We ought to care bout how our President behaves. And I don’t think there is enough of that right now. This is not to say that I am unhappy with Trumps polices.  As I said, I’m pretty happy with most of them. But I still wish he were not the President. I just can’t stand watching the news about him anymore.