CARLSBAD, California — It is here. Finally! Election Day 2020. What a whirlwind the last four weeks have been! What a whirlwind the last four years have been!
Worry not. I am not going to tell anyone how to vote (I will leave that to professional athletes, actors, the Chinese, Russians, Israeli taxicab drivers, and other political experts). If someone really wants to know my opinion, they know where to find me. If they ask I will respond, “None of your business!”
All joking aside, there is a serious situation to discuss. Tomorrow night, G-d willing, we will have a pretty clear idea of who the next President of the United States is going to be. Besides for Jewish mothers this is by far the most powerful person on earth. That’s just the fact.
Republican or Democrat or Independent, Trump supporter or Biden supporter, Progressive or Liberal or Conservative – all must be treated with R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
The political dialogue in this country has never seemed so divisive, so ornery, so very demeaning. Hatred. Threats. Riots. We have stopped seeing those with differing viewpoints as fellow citizens and started viewing them as enemies. On Facebook I have seen horrific personal attacks. I have seen families divided. I have seen people dehumanized. Because of what?! Politics!
Here is the thing. If you have not already done so, get out and vote tomorrow. How you vote is your business and no one else’s. But we should exercise our civic duty and cast our votes. When you vote – it is important to vote using your head, not your heart. What that means is that you should be an informed voter. Think about the consequences of your positions. In my view it is foolish to vote for instant gratification. Instead think about the long-term. Your vote should reflect your values.
And now for the bottom line.
No matter the outcome of this election we must take the high road! If the election does not go your way it is your obligation to be a good sport, accept the results, and go on in your pursuit of happiness and success. If the election does go your way you should not rub it in to those on the ‘other side’. Instead, be a good winner. Stay classy and kind under all circumstances. Behave as a Jew should behave no matter what, and try to remember, that we are all on the same side!
To be honest, I can hardly wait for this election season to be over. I want us to remember to view each other as friends, neighbors, and fellow countrymen.
G-d bless America!
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Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort is spiritual director of Chabad at La Costa and welcomes readers’ comments and questions via email at RabbiE@ChabadatLaCosta.com.
Thank you so much, Rabbi! I will reiterate your words to my friends and relatives over the next few weeks. I will probably print some copies, so if we have a socially-distanced Thanksgiving, we can all read this.