I am probably stepping into a minefield here, but standing up for the truth is not easy.
The visual image of an Orthodox Jew representing Trump in the impeachment trial is bad enough. To make matters worse, he called quite a bit of attention to himself – first on the issue of the kippa and then on the on-again off-again request to delay the trial so that it not take place on Shabbat.
This is really cringe-worthy.
But actually, I have been cringing ever since Trump took over the reins of leadership in the US, with his Orthodox Jewish entourage in tow. Not only that, but I have been cringing ever since Netanyahu started emulating and cozying up to him.
I know, I know. His policies have been unbelievable for us. Moving the embassy, recognizing the Golan, brokering peace agreements with Arab countries, and moving away from the too-often repeated Palestinian narrative are all things which are clearly welcomed by most Israeli Jews and by a majority of non-Israeli Orthodox Jews.
But does all of that justify supporting a man who is divisive, dishonest, and just plain crude? I think that the real question is: why are more of us Orthodox Jews not even having that conversation?
The parasha that we read this week, Parashat Mishpatim, declares in three short words how we should approach falseness: – one should distance oneself from falsehood “מדבר שקר תרחק”. This is not merely a prohibition against lying; it is more far-reaching than that. This is a statement which recognizes that falsehood can creep in under many different guises. Sometimes a falsehood is couched in a cushion of fact, which makes it difficult to recognize. But make no mistake, something that is “mostly true” is actually false. Sometimes a falsehood is perpetuated by a very skilled liar, who may plant a small kernel of a lie amongst certain select people, and then will sit back and let others do the work for them. When confronted with the lie that has been perpetuated and which is suspected to have started from then, they will “innocently” declare: “who? Me?”
Trump is a master at this. That is why, even in the face of overwhelming evidence that he riled up the crowd, he will likely not be convicted.
When you really get down to it, the truly sacred concept that has been completely trampled on is the sanctity of speech. The prohibition against falsehood is just one of many prohibitions which relate to how we use this gift that G-d has given us. We can use this gift for tremendous good; or we can use it to spew falsehood, hate, put-downs, self-glorification, and confusion about right and wrong.
The conflict that we, Israel-supporting, Torah-observant Jews, have, is that while Trump displays repugnant behavior, we are basking in the policy decisions that he has made which are good for Israel. Moreover, we like seeing Orthodox Jews in positions of power. It gives us a good feeling that we are being looked after by “our own.”
So what are we to do in this situation?
I don’t have the answer, but I do think that we have to have the conversation. We have to start to look more deeply into our behavior and the behavior of our leaders and our friends. We have to recognize falsehood, and call it out.
Ultimately, we have to remember our role here. We have been given a role in helping to choose our leaders, but we do not ultimately determine who wins. On an individual level, we have to do soul searching and try to tap into the values that we hold dear. On a grand level, there is a G-d Who ultimately determines who wins and who loses.
I do believe that there is a plan – that a person like Trump would never have made it to the position of president without serious Divine intervention. But I fear that we, the Jewish people, have not lived up to our standards – the ones set up by G-d and placed in our beloved Torah.
May we constantly strive to do better: to seek truth, decency, and kindness; to admit when we have strayed, to stand up for justice, to retain a modest perspective, and to pray for guidance. In this way, we can perhaps start to fulfill our real role in this world: to be a Kiddush Hashem, representing Torah values. It is not an easy task, but this is what we’re here for. Let’s get to work.