I hope that we still can remain friends after this. I am talking about those among my friends that have developed what seems to be near slavish dedication to the President. Even after the events of last Wednesday when his supporters gathered in the thousands to protest an election they believed was stolen - based solely on the President’s claims.
There is not the slightest doubt that the President lost. And yet there are so many among us that actually believe he did not lose. Some of whom may have been at that protest - albeit surely not having intended the insurrection that followed. There are also many other Orthodox Jews that did not attend but enthusiastically supported the protest harboring the same illusion that the election was rigged. I cannot emphasize how wrong that is. Even while I support their constitutional right to express their views in non violent public protest.
Supporting the President now, well after it has become abundantly clear that he was the one that fomented the horrible scene at the capital last Wednesday is about the worst thing any of us can do as patriotic Americans. I realize that practically all of us condemn what happened. (At least I hope that’s true.) And yet some of us think that it was somehow justified. Making matters worse (and I hope I’m wrong) I sense that many of the President’s strong Orthodox supporters would still prefer he would remain in office even after this!
I get why they feel that way. They see the same things I see. What the President has done for Orthodox Jews and all the people that support the State of Israel is unprecedented. I agree with them about that despite protestations to the contrary by the left. Who always place a negative spin on it.
But to support him after last Wednesday shows a callous disregard for the principles upon which this country was built, and still stands for. Principles that have given us – the Jewish people - unprecedented freedom to be who we are. To live our Judaism to the fullest extent we are capable of. More importantly it's a betrayal of our values as observant Jews.
We cannot support someone that undermines those values and principles. No matter how much they have benefited us. There is a Talmudic saying that goes as follows: Yotzah Sechoro B’Hefseidah! Which essentially means that whatever benefit one has is overwhelmed by the loss it incurs. That is certainly the case here.
What about all the good he has done for is? The likes of which we will not see again soon? While that’s probably true, it nevertheless pains me that it was a man like the President that did it.
Please do not misunderstand. I do not think Biden will be that bad. I just don’t think the interests of Orthodox Jewry will be as well served as they were under Trump. That it was a man like Trump who gave us these benefits should not be a source of pride. Those benefits are tinged by the stain of his terrible character. While we should nevertheless express gratitude for it, it should be muted - while at the same time we must express our outrage at the President’s conduct over the last few weeks since the election.
We all need to unconditionally reject his false narrative and condemn his behavior. Tzedek Tzedek Tirdof. The Torah implores us to seek justice. Supporting a man who is so egotistical that he is willing to trash the Constitution - and trash truth itself - is not something any of us should be doing. There is no justification for it. By continuing to support a man whose behavior is the antithesis of our values we make a mockery of our claim as an ethical people based on the Torah.
I therefore humbly ask those among my friends and all Orthodox Jews to reconsider their enthusiastic support for the President. And instead turn their attention to - and support the next President. If – as has been the case with some of my friends – the attitude continues to be that Biden is an illegitimate President, or continue to insist that his policies will be harmful to our interests, I can’t think of too many things more counterproductive that that.
The next 9 days should be a time of reflection. When January 20th arrives we should all stand up and be patriotic Americans. What about Trump? To paraphrase General Douglas MacArthur, like an old soldier, let him just fade away.
