What Kind of Person Are YOU?

First, a couple of anecdotes to put things in perspective.

A politician once asked a rabbi, Why it was that whenever he, the politician, gets up to speak, he shares words of Torah, but the rabbi was always talking politics?

The rabbi responded, It's simply human nature. People like to talk about things they know nothing about!

* * *

A congregant asked his rabbi, Why you are always talking to me about money, while other rabbis talk about Torah?

The rabbi explained, Other rabbis talk about Torah, while worrying about money. I'm talking about money, because I am thinking of how to teach more Torah!

* * *

Knowing precious little about politics, I choose not to discuss it here. Please understand that while I am writing in context of heated political context, what I am sharing is not political. It is moral, ethical, and right. I think.

One week into Trump's presidency, the sky has not yet fallen (at least not here, in Florida). Nor has the Messiah arrived (even here, in Florida).

Time will tell if there was any reason to either fast, or feast, on the day of his inauguration, as some friends tried to convince me.

Meanwhile, consider the following.

On the Shabbos before the inauguration, in the Torah portion of Vayechi, Yaakov (Jacob) requested from his son Yosef (Joseph) to ensure that he would be buried in Israel. Our Patriarch, Yaakov Avinu, the father, bowed to Yosef, his son. Rashi (Breishis 47:31) comments that although the lion is king, when it is the time of the fox, you bow down to him.

On the Shabbos immediately following the inauguration, in the Torah portion of Shemos, Moshe and Aharon first asked the Pharaoh to allow the Jewish people to go and serve G-d "lest he strike us with a plague or with the sword." Again, Rashi (Shemos 5:3) explains, they should have said "lest He strike you", but they imparted honor to the throne, and spoke respectfully.

Finally, in this week’s Torah portion, Va'eira, after being rebuffed by the Pharaoh, G-d instructs Moshe and Aharon to continue to speak to his respectfully (see 6:13, and Rashi).

* * *

Whatever you think of Trump, even in comparison or contrast to the Pharaoh, he is the president of these great United States of America. It behooves us all to treat him with respect.

Furthermore, as I often tell my students, how you behave towards others is not only a reflection of what you think of them, but a reflection of your own self.

Never mind what you think of Mr. Trump as a person or as president.

What kind of person are YOU?

Have a wonderful Shabbos,

And, if you Like it, Share it!