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,
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