Say it aint so!
http://www.rabbisforobama.com/
The Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, includes in the service a communal expression of sins of the community, where we each pray for forgiveness for sins done by members of our congregation. The sins of pride and hautiness certainly are present in the group of rabbis who found it necessary to bond together to make a statement about their support for Barack Obama. This website states as much as implies that other candidates, such as McCain and Nader, would be disastrous for Jewish interests and would be incompatable with Jewish teachings.
Rabbis are teachers, but also looked at as thought leaders for Jewish matters.
The concept of a group of religious figures telling congregants who they should vote for to be good Jews is not only repugnant, but implies the presence of a foresight that is infallible. Many Jewish leaders supported Adolf Hitler in his rise to power, indicating the fallibility of preconceptions. I do not equate Obama with Hitler, only the hubris of those who believe they know the unknowable (the future). These rabbi-mavens further act to alienate congregants with other viewpoints. Is this a mitzvah? How comfortable would be a dying Jewish Republican to be visited by her Rabbi for Obama?
While it is important that each citizen have an individual stance on politics, this banding together to create a voting bloc or bully pulpit is not something that rabbis should do. It fails the smell test, and these rabbis should know it. I believe that each rabbi on the list should ask fellow congregants for forgiveness and atone to G-d. And vote in secret as is the American way. Amen.
The Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, includes in the service a communal expression of sins of the community, where we each pray for forgiveness for sins done by members of our congregation. The sins of pride and hautiness certainly are present in the group of rabbis who found it necessary to bond together to make a statement about their support for Barack Obama. This website states as much as implies that other candidates, such as McCain and Nader, would be disastrous for Jewish interests and would be incompatable with Jewish teachings.
Rabbis are teachers, but also looked at as thought leaders for Jewish matters.
The concept of a group of religious figures telling congregants who they should vote for to be good Jews is not only repugnant, but implies the presence of a foresight that is infallible. Many Jewish leaders supported Adolf Hitler in his rise to power, indicating the fallibility of preconceptions. I do not equate Obama with Hitler, only the hubris of those who believe they know the unknowable (the future). These rabbi-mavens further act to alienate congregants with other viewpoints. Is this a mitzvah? How comfortable would be a dying Jewish Republican to be visited by her Rabbi for Obama?
While it is important that each citizen have an individual stance on politics, this banding together to create a voting bloc or bully pulpit is not something that rabbis should do. It fails the smell test, and these rabbis should know it. I believe that each rabbi on the list should ask fellow congregants for forgiveness and atone to G-d. And vote in secret as is the American way. Amen.
posted by DocBrain at
8:34 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home