This is not a political post. I repeat! Not a political post. But this stuff is noise all around us, hard to avoid it in the great hype of the election season, so this is an attempt to take some of the non-essential but oft-repeated rhetoric (to find its middle) and derive some lesson or message or life takeaway from all this noise, hype or hyperbole. We’re not taking sides here, this is not an endorsement of anyone in anyways.
I titled it the MIDDLE of Election Rhetoric, because usually that’s where the truth lie. Nowadays, each side usually pulls to an extreme, and the realities are often somewhere in the middle. Not always, and not on every issue, but often it is that way.
We’ll try to avoid in this post the serious real substantive issues (yes, there are significant and substantive issues in this and most election cycles). For the purposes of this developing post focusing only on the noisy nonsense and chaff! But even in that there can be hidden life lessons to extract!
In the spirit of the Baal Shem Tov’s teaching for us to derive life and spiritual lessons from all that we see and hear, here goes (in no particular order) – and please take with a grain or glass of salt!
GREAT AGAIN, VS. NOT GOING BACK
It’s already old hat, everyone knows Trump’s oft-repeated slogan MAGA – Make America Great Again! Obviously the slogan implies that America is currently not great (or worse) and the implied assurance or hope is that Trump presidency would restore America’s old glory. This MAGA slogan is everywhere and everything Trump. However critics ask a valid question: What time period exactly is Trump harking back to? Is it to time of slavery, or before Civil Rights? Does it go back to the times of child labor or the Great Depression? What specific period was American’s Golden Age that MAGA is yearning for? Not sure they have a specific answer for that, only that there were times in the past that were better.
Kamala said “We’re Not Going Back!” and that seems to be in direct response to MAGA. Democrats often call themselves progressives (in contrast to the Republican’s conservatives) and so today is always (or should be) better than yesterday. Why live in the past? Why bring back the darkness and struggles of earlier generations now that we’ve overcome them? Yesteryear seems so outdated and behind-the-times, today we know so much more and we are so much better off socially – or are we?
The truth? is somewhere in the middle. There are aspects of our not too far past that are better than today, and also vice versa. Let’s be honest, it goes both ways. There are aspects of the past that were far superior than to how we have it today. We may have better technology now but kids are having a harder time reading. We have so many more ways to communicate yet people have a harder time being social. People have so many options where to live but we’ve lost some of the extended family and communal integrity. There’s so much more economic opportunity and upward mobility but most people don’t have as much as their parents or grandparents generation. The world is changing faster than ever before and we have much less emotional stability and grounding. Far less people suffer from war or hunger or disease today than 100 years ago, but mental illness, loneliness and unhappiness are much more common. And there’s a lot in the past that wasn’t anywhere nearly as good or as just as we have it now. Think of the progress, the growth, the opportunities! There are so many examples both ways, micro and macro, universal and Jewish… but you get that point.
As Avram Infeld quoted his father, “There is no such thing as Jewish history (of the past), only Jewish Memory (the past that lives on and invigorates our present).” Judaism glorifies the past, we say in our prayers, quite similar to MAGA: “Renew our days of old!” But also so much emphasis on the present, on the growth and cumulative spiritual progress of generations, “we are like dwarfs on the shoulders of giants”. There so many texts and verses and much Jewish thought on the interplay and interconnectedness of past and present into the future (even G-d’s central name connects all three) and both past and present, the strengths of each, are very much part of Jewish life.
Even Kamala of “We’re Not Going Back” famously said or quoted her mother, “You didn’t fall out of a coconut tree!” (which birthed so many memes). The present didn’t arrive here today. We are a product of our past, we ought to respect and appreciate and learn from earlier generations and those who came before us. The past and present are BOTH important. We aren’t going back but we want that past (and its blessings we miss and yearn for) to have our back and be part of where we go today.
CHILDLESS CAT LADIES
So there was much tumult about this (past, older) criticism of JD Vance, of people that he considered not invested in the future of America. This went viral, of course, so soon after he was nominated as Trump’s VP. After all even the widely celebrated Taylor Swift is (as of now) a childless cat-lady! And what does this say to women who can not have children, and to those who haven’t yet found their spouses? And this dismisses step-parents dedicated to raising their spouse’s children. And what of all those who for whatever reason chose or couldn’t have children but still devoted themselves in tremendous ways to community, organizations or country? No doubt, it isn’t and wasn’t a wise or thoughtful or sensitive thing to say. Why would a politician alienate such huge swaths of constituents!? It was ripe for ridicule.
But we ignore it at our own peril! Not about the ladies or the cats, but about a society and culture that is not focused on family and is not replacing itself. Colleges all around the country are terrified of the demographic cliff (their term, not mine) we face, some smaller colleges have started to close. Economists warn that Social Security is not sustainable given the ratio of workers vs. beneficiaries. Look, not everyone can or will have children. But a society that doesn’t celebrate, emphasize, support family life and children, may enjoy itself for a generation or two, but it doesn’t have a future. Even if we like kids, we’re not prioritizing it enough as a nation.
Deeper than the economic and demographic impacts, and infertility or marriage struggles aside, there also can be warning signs of increasing societal (not necessarily individual) hedonism, putting oneself and one’s pleasures, one’s needs and career first and foremost. Speak to any parent who just had a child, or at milestones, or first becoming a grandparent, how this reveals and expresses an inner degree of empathy, and closeness and selfless transcendent love that wasn’t possible or accessible otherwise.
There’s actually a Jewish law/preference that kind of supports JD Vance (to some degree) on this: Jewish law prefers that a high holiday cantor be a father. Because we’re not only seeking a good strong voice or nice tunes, but one who can lead the community in prayer with a deep sense of empathy. Is it possible to have such empathy without being a parent? Of course. Are all parents automatically empathetic? Of course not! But there’s something very real to be said about the selflessness and empathy, the concern and dedication for another that parenthood brings out in us.
Once at graduation weekend students shared what they learned most from the Shabbos House experience. People shared beautiful, meaningful things, many areas of spiritual and personal growth. One girl said that she never wanted to have children but after experiencing family at Shabbos House that’s something she wants in her life. We’ll never forget that.
This short piece is not adequate to argue for the importance of parents and children, and children in a society. My good friend and colleague Rabbi Simcha Weinstein wrote a nice book titled “The Case for Children: Why Parenting Makes Your World Better”. Every healthy family is a good argument for this. The Rebbe was a huge advocate for larger families, encouraging people to have more children.
Suffice to say that it was quite stupid of JD Vance to say this, and yet the retort and refrain of many loudly proclaiming their insistence on choosing not to have children isn’t wise either – especially on a societal level. We love kids!
WHO IS WEIRD
It may have been the democratic VP candidate Tim Walz who got this Weird thing started, dubbing his counterpart JD Vance as weird. Is he weird, is he not? Does he have to defend himself as to whether he is weird or not? Now a slew of clips and photos strewn across the internet with captions of who may be weirder yet. Honestly, its a weird and unbecoming thing to say, but then again, Mr. Walz wasn’t the first to introduce immature derogatory name-calling to the race for the nation’s highest office.
I first thought this whole weird thing weird, and why dignify it even with a mention, never mind a lesson! The devolvement and debasement of our civil discourse is a national tragedy, and it precedes this election. But then I realized that a component, an aspect of this, is indeed worth addressing (but not the name-calling part).
Is normal a compliment? Do we want boring vanilla? Is there not something to be said about being unusual, unique, different? Forget morality and decency for a moment, is dismissing people for being different a good move? Is that valuable? Should everyone be the same? Would that be better?
Abraham was called Ivri, because he was from “the other side”. He was different. It’s OK to be different. It’s not easy, its easier to go with the flow. Swimming against the tide takes much greater strength and motivation. There are books that explain how innovators, disrupters, those who turn the tide are not afraid to be different. They have something different – weird – about them. They’re not trying to fit in and be the same. Normal is not their ideal.
Maybe some weirdness is a good thing. It’s good to be a little different.
STOLEN VALOR
I’m way outranked on this issue, because I’ve not served in the military and do not fully understand nor relate to its culture, procedures, lingo and the like.
But on this issue, many Republicans are accusing Mr. Walz of “Stolen Valor” claiming rank or places of service that he did not do, or that he supposedly intentionally resigned from the service just before his unit was sent to combat. On the other side the response is that this man served in the National Guard for 24 years! That’s a quarter century! People put in retirements, that happens! This paperwork is usually filed long in advance. Whatever the specifics, I’m not wading into either side of it.
But the concept called “Stolen Valor” intrigued me, and that it not just a morality thing but actually a crime on the books! People white-lie all the time about things they did or didn’t do, but when it comes to military service, it is a totally different story! If one lies to claim a military rank or recognition, service or achievement, it can be a federal crime!
What’s to be learned from this – for us not in military service?
Valor has to be really earned. Some areas of life we can talk and fluff and bluff our way through it. But not the military. Interestingly, there are verses that refer to the Jewish people as “The Army of G-d”. The Rebbe adapted this for the children’s club/org/movement he founded called “Tzivos Hashem”. As one company famously puts it “We Answer to a Higher Authority”. Talk alone is cheap, we have to actually serve and do what it takes to earn it.
THE LAUGH
So apparently Kamala Harris has a big hearty laugh and she laughs often, and it can be even in middle of serious conversations. There seems to be a criticism (may this be the worst thing we are criticized for) of this unusual laugh of hers, that she has (to her credit) owned and embraced and turned to her advantage. I get it, it can be confusing, off-putting or even unnerving, and maybe makes it harder for some to take her seriously or for others around her to keep their composure. But Tim Walz’s heartily thanked her publicly for bringing the joy back into political life. There’s something to be said for that, a humanizing element.
Joy is a very big deal in Judaism! “Serve G-d with Joy!” says the Psalmist. “Because you didn’t serve G-d with joy…” in a verse in Deuteronomy that leads into all kinds of problems and troubles. Chassidus emphasizes the need and tremendous value of joyous happy service of G-d. And joy can and should be infectious!
But as Kohelet/Ecclesiastes puts it, there is a time for everything, including a time to laugh, but not always time to laugh. Everything is best in its proper time and appropriate context. Having a sense of context and timing and appropriateness is an important personally, socially and even religiously. Each Jewish holiday has its theme, focus and tone.
On another note, its possible the laugh, especially when seemingly out of place, may be a (subconscious) cover for something, maybe even a fear. And there are texts (psychological, too) that explain how laughter and tears are expressions of the inner heart, when words won’t do, when feelings overwhelm and overcome. There might be more to this trademark laugh, but whatever it is, it certainly fits in this listing on non-essential, non-issue, political rhetoric of Election 2024 that we can try to derive some life lesson from.
Go ahead, LOL!
NO QUESTIONS
Journalists are beginning to be frustrated and political opponents are highly critical that in these weeks since her appointment/assumption of the Democratic presidential candidacy, Kamala is taking no questions, is not speaking to reporters, is not speaking unscripted – at least as of now. She’s obviously deliberately avoiding it, at least for now, as she basks in the glory, adoration and renewed momentum of this rising tide of broad and generous support of her party after President Joe Biden stepped out of the race for his second term.
Now Judaism loves questions! Everyone knows the famous 4 Questions of the Passover Seder. The “Son Who Doesn’t Know How To Ask” at the Seder isn’t left alone but prompted and encouraged to ask. The Talmud goes to great lengths to include not only the answers but also the questions and even questions that have no answers. A Nobel Prize Winner shared that as a child when he came home from school, his parents would not ask him what he studied or what he enjoyed, instead they would ask him, “Did you ask a good question today?”. There is a huge advanced genre of Jewish learning called “Shu”t” which stands for “Shaalot uTeshuvot” = Questions And Answers, or Responsa. Yeshiva learning emphasizes and celebrates questions. There’s an expression that a good wise question is in and of itself a half an answer!
But there’s a level at which there are no questions. Even Moshe was told by G-d, when asking the hardest questions, “Shtok! Kach Alah B’Machshova!” Be silent – thus arose in My Will. IN the face of grief, in the aura of tremendous spirituality, one can be awestruck or dumbstruck, there is simply nothing to say. Sometimes the experience is so overwhelming that questions become meaningless – at least at that moment.
TO DEBATE OR NOT TO DEBATE
That is a big question. Furthering the point above about avoiding questions and off-the-script exposure there’s a lot of talk back and forth between the candidates as to whether they do or don’t want to debate. As someone who remembers presidential debates being the self-evident norm, and not even up to discussion, this seems somewhat cowardly on both ends. But its important to realize that presidential debates weren’t always done. It started after the advent of television, the Kennedy-Nixon debates in 1960 (well before my time) were perhaps the first such presidential debate but quite a few subsequent presidential candidates didn’t do it. But it has become the norm, it seems like voters deserve it, and its one opportunity to hear the candidates answer questions, speak to the broader electorate and hear two sides of an issue. Yet, it is still up for debate whether to debate!
In the spirit of this post, going to focus on the life message, not the issue of the political debate itself. There’s room in life both for areas that are debatable, but also for areas not debatable. A normal person should have both:
There’s an expression: “It’s not up for debate” which means there are some things, core values, deep beliefs, fundamental issues we feel so strongly and deeply about that we’re not even going to discuss it, we’re not going to argue about it. I don’t even have to explain myself. It is what it is, and nothing will budge me from this position. Yes, rational people have many areas of life they are and should be open to discussing, hearing another side, curious what other people think, and open to changing their minds about. But everyone (even the most rational of folks) has those deeply embedded core values (which can vary by the person, both in terms of degree and content) that are unwavering, not going anywhere, regardless of what people think or whatever people say.
There are variables and constants in life. Some things can change with age, location, circles of friends or based on new information or ideas. Debate can have sway in those areas, and may be very be very beneficial. And some things are solid bedrock and are almost impossible to change – not open for debate.
CROWD SIZE
This may not belong on this list, as crowd size can very much be a meaningful indicator of interest, momentum and energized support. It’s a telling sign, a significant marker, not as shallow and silly as the most of the items above. But it has become a little childish online, akin to “my father is stronger than your father” vibes. So we can include it here in this election rhetoric post.
As a Chabad on Campus Rabbi, we do give thought to crowd size. The reason being is that we’re in the business of building campus community, and growth in numbers translates into more communal energy and vibe, in some ways, the more the merrier, growth in number and bigger turnouts does influence vibe, energy, momentum. Also we’re people-minded. We devote tremendous effort into bringing people through the door, engaging each and every student, the more who experience Shabbat dinner, the more who join for Torah study, the more who engage Jewishly – the better! So, yes, we’re into crowd-size!
But – we’re also very not into crowd size. The verse inscribed on our Torah Ark here at Shabbos House comes from Isaiah, “And you will gather the Jewish people, one by one.” The Rebbe oft-quoted this verse and its message of community (gather) and individual (one by one) is very very Rebbe-esque. Look for Moshe’s Bar-Mitzvah speech on this topic or seeing this from a Rebbe Waldo-esque read on a Korach Rashi, among other posts we have on this theme. Waldo means: Never get lost in the crowd, always seek out the individual. This is a hallmark of the Rebbe’s own leadership and how he interprets a greatness of Moshe as a Jewish leader.
It’s easy to get excited about seas of faces, and packed stadiums. There can be lots of energy in that alone. But good leadership sees individual faces and specific varied needs in the crowd, hones in and focuses and doesn’t lose sight of each and every one of them. Rebbe often used that expression “each and every” to describe Jewish peoplehood. Both the every and the each.
And not all events will be a full house. Sometimes 2 or 3 people show up. Jewish campus life is a lot about big Friday night crowds but more so about individual engagement, smaller groups, connecting with people. Don’t get carried away with big numbers or worried about the lack of it. It’s one person at a time. And as the Talmud teaches, and Rebbe often quoted, “One who saves a single person is like saving an entire world!’ It’s worth it for a few people. It doesn’t have to be huge to be significant.
Any other non-essential, non-issue rhetoric that we can tap into for some meaning and message in this Election 2024? Please share with us! We’ll give it a try!