By Rabbi Gershon Avtzon
I would like to start by making it absolutely clear: The intention of this article is not in any way to belittle President Trump or to make light of his victory in the elections and his positive attitude towards the Jewish People and Eretz Yisroel. This is not a political analysis article, rather I am going to try to share a perspective that I feel we all should consider and think about.
There are two general ways in which we are influenced. One way is when a person sits with us and explains something to us in a way that we can understand and it penetrates our hearts. Think of the long Farbrengens where a certain Mashpia will speak about a certain topic and bring stories and examples to convey a certain point or message. The other way is to see someone act – or react – in a way which is not logical but it is an expression of their truth and essence. Those occurrences (many times are shocking when they happen) stay in our conscious and subconscious for a very long time.
One of those events happened to me in the year 5756. I was in Shiur Beis of Yeshiva Ketana and the mashpia of our class was Rabbi Yossi Paltiel. It was during that year that Mr. Bibi Netanyahu was running for election (again) and Chabad was very active in the “Bibi is good for the Jews” campaign. Many Yeshivos in Eretz Yisroel has students actively campaigning and we (even though we were in America without any social media) were all emotionally involved in the campaign and were even saying Tehillim in 770 for the victory
When Bibi won the campaign, we were ecstatic. We came to class in a jubilant mood and we expected Rabbi Paltiel to be excited and talking about the election victory. Instead, we saw him in his regular – very thoughtful and serious – self. One of the Talmidim (who did not come from an official Lubavitcher family) could not contain himself, and asked Rabbi Paltiel why he was not expressing joy and optimism in the election result. Rabbi Paltiel sat straight up and said the following: “ Bibi Netanyahu is not our answer and solution. The only solution we have is ‘Yechi Adoneinu Moreinu Verabeinu Melech Hamoshiach Leolam Valed’!”
To say that we were shocked by the reaction, would be an understatement. We actually sat there stunned as we had no idea what he was talking about! We were not in the mindset to discuss what he said and we just left it. It was only when I got older that I began to understand what he was saying: As Jews and Chassidim, we can’t put trust in the promises of man, rather we need to remain focused on our true goal and salvation: The Hisgalus of the Rebbe!
It is not just that people are not perfect, and they tend to go back on their promises and convictions (remember what Bibi did in 5756?!), it is deeper: We have a mission to bring the world to its completion and perfection and that could only be done with the hisgalus of Moshiach. We can’t become complacent and happy because of the result of a particular election.
I know that this sounds obvious and cliche, but we – the frum community and Chassidei Chabad – need to be honest with ourselves: We have become consumed with national politics. While we (still) would not feel comfortable watching television or professional sports games, there has become a comfort level in strongly following politics. We have justified it to ourselves by telling ourselves that these are our “real world issues” (not like sports, where it really has no real-world consequences who wins and loses a tournament).
In the last couple of years, the Frum community (and I am going to focus on the Frum community in America, and there are strong similarities in Israel) has really felt the difference of whom we elect. We suffered government shutdowns and vaccine mandates in the Covid era and we have seen how important it is to elect people with strong connections to Eretz Yisroel that will take a strong stance on Antisemiticism etc. We have allowed this to justify our involvement and passion for politics.
While it is worthy of a true personal Cheshbon Hanefesh if we are gone overboard in this area, one thing is certain and forsure: We must always remember that “the main thing is to keep the main thing – the main thing!” (העיקר: שהעיקר ישאר העיקר:!) We must not rest and be satisfied with what has happened in the election and we must work hard until the complete hisgalus of the Rebbe – Now!!
Please feel free to share your thoughts on the above with me by sending me a personal email: [email protected]
Rabbi Gershon Avtzon is the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Lubavitch Cincinnati and a well-sought-after speaker and lecturer.
