Many of the readers of the English edition of Yated
Ne'eman live outside of Eretz Yisroel. Even among
those who live in Eretz Yisroel, many of our readers
may not have the right to vote in the Israeli elections for
one reason or another. So why should these elections interest
them?
We could give a practical and a political answer: these
elections have a critical influence on the lives of what is
by far the largest concentration of Jews in the entire world
today (America has less than half the number of hard core
Jews than Israel does), and what happens in Eretz
Yisroel has an important influence in Jewish communities
around the world — for better or for worse Rachmono
litzlan. Also, even those who cannot vote can work to
influence those who can vote. We could also detail the
political issues that affect religious life and whose outcome
will be strongly influenced by the number of seats that UTJ
receives in the coming elections.
However, this time we wish to focus on the purely religious
aspect of the elections themselves and our attitude to
them.
We do not address ourselves to skeptics or even those who
merely watch from "afar" as it were, without feeling any
commitment or identification with our community.
We address ourselves to those who see themselves as part and
parcel of the Torah community, and who recognize and accept
the leadership of Maranan Verabbonon. We address
ourselves to those who have themselves imbibed enough of the
wine of Torah themselves, and have had the opportunity to be
close enough to people with a stronger and deeper
relationship to Torah, so that they can project somewhat and
are able to realize the rarefied purity and clarity of the
vision of the true gedolim of our times.
We address ourselves to those who know that when such people
entitle their call Mi LaHashem Eileinu, they mean it
deliberately as an echo of that long-ago cry of Moshe Rabbenu
— an echo that reverberates through myriad levels of
spiritual meaning of that original cry. When gedolei
Yisroel cry out to the klal hayerei'im vehachareidim
lidvar Hashem-the entire class of those who are in awe of
and deeply concerned about the word of Hashem — we
address those who number themselves in that group.
This is not a group that is defined by political persuasion
or financial interests. This is a group that gedolei
Yisroel define as being motivated by the most basic
concern that can move a Jew, whoever he is and wherever he
may be: the word of G-d.
These are people who view themselves as part of a body that
is known as Klal Yisroel, and who know that the
gedolim are the eyes and the heart of this body. If
the eyes see a matter of importance, and the heart is weighed
down with concern over the outcome, as the gedolim
are, then this group will share those feelings — or
else research the issues until they feel as the
gedolim do.
We are not positive that the Krias Kodesh has the
status of a sichas kodesh and not a sichas
chulin — but in either case it must be studied with
care.
The words of gedolei Yisroel are meant in all
seriousness, and they are not like the slogans of
advertisers. Let us review what maranan verabonon said
in the past.
Speaking before the elections of 5715, Maran HaRav Aharon
Kotler, zt'l, said, "These elections are also a
survey. Everyone is asked if he accepts upon himself
Ma'amad Har Sinai as well as kedushoh and
taharoh, or the opposite. . . . Whoever votes for the
Torah list is mekadesh sheim Shomayim in public . . .
one who does not participate allies himself with the
rosho and bears responsibility."
The Steipler Gaon zt'l wrote: "Voting for the chareidi
list is a declaration before the whole world that we are
faithful to Hashem yisborach and His holy Torah. That
is our main demand and our main purpose, and in doing so we
are mekadesh Sheim Shomayim in public. Those who hate
the holy Torah count all those who fail to vote as among
those who passively and tacitly accept the hefkeirus
that they promulgate, and not among those who protest the
hefkeirus, R'l. Thus, one who fails to vote minimizes,
chas vesholom, kevod Sheim Shomayim, yisborach Shemo"
(in Karaina De'igarta, 207).
It is to those who find that these words speak to them, that
we address ourselves.
Please answer.
