There is a special State Senate election taking place in Brooklyn today.
While this blog attempts to refrain from discussing people, public officials go into public service with the knowledge that their ideas and character will be discussed; and I've heard from a posek that certain halachos of LH do not apply in the case of public servants.
It seems to me that the fight here is one of values vs. pocketbook. In fact, the ads promoting Lew Fidler's candidacy are signed by "Askonim", whereas the ads in favor of David Storobin are signed by Rabbonim. Granted that there are Rabbonim on both sides of the aisle here, nevertheless this difference is striking.
Now there are those who argue that we take the "full man" when voting for a candidate. If 95% of what the man stands for aligns with our position, we can ignore the other 5%. However, the larger picture here is one of Chillul Hashem. Should the Orthodox come out in force for a person whose innate character is the antithesis of Torah Family Values?
Several months ago the Jews of Brooklyn made a huge Kiddush Hashem when they voted for the non-Jewish Bob Turner when he ran against a liberal Jewish opponent. Today, they once again are presented with the same opportunity. Please vote.
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very dirty campaign with (apparently) lies being told by both candidates.
ReplyDeleteWhy must we be frumer than the kharedi voters of Israel? Which is a greater threat to Ikrei HaDas.. Zionism or marriage Equality? (Too bad neither the Divrei Yoel ZY"A or Rav Avigdor Miller Z'L are around to ask)yet in Israel frum parties / politicians routinely ally themselves with parties that will grant them the most portfolios and taktzivim irrespective on how Zionistic they may be. Why here in the USA shouldn't we vote for the candidate /party that will help out Yeshivos the most irrespective of how pro-marriage equality s/he/it may be?
parenthetically this is the same gripe I have on our Batei Yaakov teaching lashon qodesh in haavara ashkenazis. It's OK for frum girls in Bnei Braq and Har Nof to speak in haavara sfaradit but kholila our good little Briskerette/ Satmarette Soldierettes in America should learn the language in a way that might actually be useful to them as adults.
DeleteIn Israel, coalitions are part and parcel of government, that is the nature of the game. And one votes for a party, not a person, (albeit with the recent change in PM position).
DeleteGranted, some don't participate altogether.
But here, in a Jewish district, it is a sorry state to offer up candidates such as Schumer, Solarz, Wiener, Fidler etc. who represent us but don't come anywhere near representing our values. If the Bob Turner victory was labeled a Kiddush Hashem, this could certainly be considered the opposite.
Finally, we have the chance to show the world that we care more about our values than our purse.
BUT in golus...should we??? is it our job to turn Brooklyn/ America around or to take care of our Mosdos???
DeleteAccording to Karl Marx our values are our purse.
ReplyDeleteBut more seriously, התורה חסה על ממונם של ישראל. The most important thing in politics isn't necessarily symbolic and ultimately fruitless gestures.
Yes, S. I suppose that is why we have dissenting Rabbonim.
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, if one must take a handout privately - even from a Marxist :-), that is one thing, but we should have a certain amount of Bitachon that Storobin could deliver the same funds for our Mosdos. To publicly show the world that we compromise our values for money is a very poor lesson to teach. CH in my book.
Welcome back, and thanks for participating in this conversation even though it does not pertain to Seforim or the history of such.
Who gave Storobin the right to make the election about something which is irrelevant to the lives of New Yorkers on the one hand, and also not preventable, given contemporary politics, on the other? He was manipulating voters by making an election about a sideshow, the same way, for example, somehow the 1988 election for president became about flag burning (if memory serves). Who cares? These are not the major issues and he had no right to make this election a referendum on our values. Storobin will not roll back the tide of public opinion and the changed moral conceptions of New Yorkers in the 21st century.
ReplyDeleteNever went away. :-)
I suppose David Weprin did. David learned from Bob Turner's campaign that there are still descent people in the world and they are even in the majority.
ReplyDeleteWho says one may give up the fight just because contemporary politics deems it backward to fight for moral issues?
Who says that a moral mensch is unable to procure the same funds for our institutions as the more seasoned politician?
Never went away. :-)
ReplyDeleteNice to know I have steady readers - even though the posting is not always steady.
descent*=decent. Freudian downward slip.
who won the election?
ReplyDeleteIt's so close that they won't know for a few weeks, that is, until they count and recount and add the paper ballots.
ReplyDeleteI sure hope you voted.