By Rabbi Dovid Sapirman, Dean, Ani Maamin Foundation
With presidential elections looming, it is time to share a perspective on the hashgachas Hashem involved. Every maamin knows that the outcome is determined by Hashem alone, and the attitude and actions of a newly elected leader are also manipulated by the Creator: “The heart of kings and leaders is in the hand of Hashem,” “The heart of a king is like a stream of water in the hand of Hashem; He directs it as He wishes.”
With this knowledge, we may speculate that it doesn’t matter who wins, that our hishtadlus is not important, because any head of state will only treat us exactly as decreed by Hashem.
This is a grave error. When the Creator wants to manifest His agenda in the world, He does so within the bounds of nature, to the greatest extent possible. Even an open miracle such as the splitting of the Yam Suf was brought about by a wind. No wind can split a sea and cause it to stand in walls, but Hakadosh Baruch Hu utilized this messenger to make the phenomenon seem just a bit more natural, although He did not need it.
When Hashem wishes to bring better times to the Jewish people, He puts into power a person who views am Yisrael with favor. If He wishes to bring harsh decrees on His people, He will place in power one who is an enemy of the Jewish people and what they stand for. Hashem can always manipulate the minds of leaders to the opposite of their natural preference, but this is asking for a miracle.
In Koheles, Rashi explains that a person should daven in advance, before a decree is made, rather than have to pray afterwards to have it reversed. The outcome of next week’s election will impact the fate of the entire world, and certainly the future of the Jewish people. We live in a time of unprecedented danger, something most readers of this newsletter have never experienced. We need to turn our hearts to Hashem in prayer, asking Him to place into office a candidate who is naturally inclined to look positively upon the Jewish people and our values.
Let us daven and do our hishtadlus, and may it be the will of the Ribbono shel Olam to decree upon us gezeiros tovos and an end to our tzaros.
