In the pulpit it was crucial to be non-partisan (I was always political, b/c halakhah covers every topic). But even out of the pulpit, no signs; e.g. in 2012, despite my support of Obama, I didn't broadcast it.
2/ I never put up signs until I needed to repudiate Trump (ym'sh). As a rabbi & thus a moral leader I had to show my politically conservative community it's possible to be 'civil' & cordial while standing up publicly for what the Torah demanded: anti-racism, compassion, justice
3/ It took a lot of risk. It came with a cost to our social life.
I knew it would be costly, yet that's why bravery is the highest ideal. Courage is risking for a mitzvah. It's what being Jewish is supposed to entail. It's the 'true' in "Torah-true Jew"
4/ But one thing I've learned over the years about bravery: it's a force multiplier. When a leader is brave, followers will be too
You can stand up for them and it strengthens them. They're buoyed by your own sense of self & determination
5/ Without knowing the effect I would have, I used my empathy to reflect that in the same situation I would need leaders to show there's another way.
Moreover, my actions - helping the 20/30% who resisted Trump (ym'sh) - also condemned those who slavishly marched off to fascism
6/ This is one of the hard lessons I believe we need to learn from Lot in Sedom. He's a sullied character; the Torah is explicit about his moral failings. But without his contrast, the depravity of Sedom wouldn't be as clear. He resisted & they hated him for it.
7/ Being Jewish means standing out and saying "yes" to compassion, decency (aka modesty), benevolence but, by necessity & impulse, saying "no" to cruelty, arrogance, & injustice
Our Abrahamic nemesis is Sedom; Mosaic nemesis is Amalek; rabbinic nemesis is Rome. All the same tho
8/ My anti-Trump (ym'sh) stand is designed to provide support for those who need to resist, but also a silent & passive rebuke for those who donned the RedHat.
Based on the rules of 'tochecha' I determined direct rebuke would backfire.
9/ Much of the RedHat program is self-absorbed selfish egotism which keeps them in a cognitive-dissonant cage.
It's mislabeled a sense of 'honor' when it's actually a fragile sense of crushing lack of solid self-esteem. They venerate false prizes; and lies need a system of myth
10/ For any of the cult to do teshuva (repentance), they need to be shown the truth.
I expect them to slowly try to walk back to the right path when the truth is revealed. If they don't? Then they were never salvageable.
227.02/ #ChochmatNashim for #ChayeiSara 5784 2023 (LAST YEAR) @ChochmatNashim.
Downloadable PDF with working links to Divrei Torah by Orthodox women scholars. 19 pages. #ChayaSara #ChayeiSarah
227.03/ The first time through the cruel & stupid Trump (ym'sh) circus I read the news with trepidation because I didn't know what terrible thing he'd do next. This time, I read the news with contempt & anger because the MSM helped elect him and wants him to succeed.
225.02/ Finally dropped off our ballots this morning & took a selfie. A fun thing then happened: a young dad carrying a baby arrived after us & he said that it was his first time voting after becoming a citizen! So I insisted on taking a photo of him (with his camera). USA! USA!
225.03/ Yes, I'm the one who waited all Shabbas for the poll, taught my kids how polls work (social science PhD, baby) & what I hoped would happen (GOP leading by only 5). And they got to see my stunned elation in real time when I read the news.
224.02/ There's sticker shock and then there's "standing on the bathroom scale after 3 three-day yuntifs and 2 major fasts over 3 weeks" sticker shock.
224.03/ BTW, Trump (ym"sh) abd the MAGA-GOP going completely mask-off with racist nativism was very much on my BINGO card.
223.02/ Downside of "October is the Best Sports Month" - mixed blessing really - is that at 8pm tonight 3 of my teams will be on at the same time. NYMets facing elimination, #LIGHTITUPNYL in the last game of the finals, and the Steelers on SNF.
223.03/ #ChochmatNashim for #Vezot #SimchatTorah #SheminiAtzeret 2023-5784 (LAST YEAR). @ChochmatNashim
Downloadable PDF with working links with Divrei Torah by Orthodox women scholars on the topics of the week. 23 Pages drive.google.com/file/d/1pQso-a…
222.02/ #ChochmatNashim for #Sukkot 5784 2023 (LAST YEAR) @ChochmatNashim.
Downloadable PDF with Divrei Torah by Orthodox women scholars on the holiday & other weekly topics. 15 pages. drive.google.com/file/d/154AH4_…
222.03/ Another October sports is awesome moment: Mets playoffs, Yankees playoffs, Monday night football plus the #NYR at home. Pretty much all at the same time.