The Letter and the Rally

It’s complicated. At least for someone like me.  But that is not the way most Orthodox Jews feel about the President. The vast majority support him (over 80% according to a recent poll undertaken by one of the Charedi magazines). In most cases enthusiastically. It is also not complicated for the relatively small minority of Orthodox Jews that do no support him at all. They consider him a disaster. His behavior and rhetoric the antithesis of our values as observant Jews.

As I have noted many times, I have mixed feelings about him. 

The lion's share of Orthodox support is among Charedim, the largest and fastest growing segment of Orthodoxy. Where Daas Torah rules. And yet there is rebellion in the ranks. I do not recall a time where a card carrying Charedi Jew dared to disagree with his Daas Torah. But it is happening even if those that disagree will twist themselves into a pretzel with explanations trying to deny it. Their disagreement is just too obvious. 

One such dissident is Mishpacha Magazine columnist Eitan Kobre.  He is so disgusted by the President that from the very start of his 2016 campaign Rabbi Kobre refused to mention his name in his column. And although he has recently begun to do so, it is almost exclusively in a negative context.

 At this point it is worth trying to define exactly what is meant by Daas Torah.  The simple meaning is ‘wisdom of the Torah. Which in essence  the wisdom of God. best expressed by those with the greatest amount of Torah knowledge. Daas Torah is not so much about Halacha. It is more about Hashkafa. In the Charedi world that wisdom is sought on a variety of personal matters. And it is offered by them on a variety of public policy matters. Those vested with that kind of authority are usually called Gedolim in the Yeshiva world. Chasidim do not refer to it as Daas Torah. But see their Chasidic Rebbes possessing it with even greater authority.

Daas  Torah is being expressed now about the next election.  

Mishpacha Magazine recently republished a letter written back in June. It was a letter of appreciation to the President issued by a group of rabbis deemed qualified to express Daas Torah. It included members of the Agudah Moetzes and many Chasidic Rebbes.  While it was not an endorsement of the President’s  re-election - a glowing letter like that makes it hard to imagine that they would not support him. 

The over 80% of Orthodox Jewry supporting the president don’t need Daas Torah on this one. As noted, most are enthusiastic supporters. As a rally by Orthodox Jews in New York yesterday must have demonstrated. Not that we didn’t already know that. But that rally publicized it more publicly than ever before.

The problem with that kind of enthusiasm by Orthodox Jews is that it makes us appear like we could not care less about the character of the man that leads the country. As long as we get our way on the things that matter specifically to us. It is almost as though the President could be a mass murderer for all we care. Of course none of us would support a mass murderer. But it almost seems that way to the casual observer. I can hear someone saying that.

Is this how we want the world to see us? Do we want to be seen as so self centered that we could not care less about other important issues.  Issues that matter a great deal to the entire country if not the world? What does this level of support say about us?  

This is not so say whether we should or should not vote for him. But even if you believe he is the right choice, the enthusiasm is a massive mistake.You cannot be a light unto the nations if you view this President as the next best thing to the Messiah. Which is what a letter like that and a  rally like the one in New York yesterday might indicate. 

Most people know that I support most of the Presdient’s polices – both domestic and foreign.  I am not going to go into detail. But even so, I am far from convinced that voting for him is the right thing to do. 

I therefore think Eytan Kobre has it right. He ends that column with a lament about that kind of support. Where instead of seeing his flaws which are major...

...it seems we will continue to engage in a feat of mental gymnastics whereby we proudly tout supposed solid frum support for the nation’s leader, while simultaneously shutting our eyes tight to the effect on our community of what he broadcasts in word and deed.