QUESTION
Should Jews get involved in politics?
ANSWER
It depends what you mean ‘involved in politics’. Jews have to be involved only in avodas Hashem. In politics per se, we have no interest.
However, when we see an issue that involves morality, we should always vote and it's a mitzvah to vote. You have to know Hakadosh Baruch Hu expects Jews to participate in improving the moral environment. If your vote can help out, it's your job to vote for morality. Whom to vote for, that's something that depends on the circumstances but in general voting is not an act of secular activity. It's not chullin; voting is kodesh.
The Gemara tells a story. A chacham of the Gemara was walking in a certain marketplace and he encountered Eliyahu Hanavi. He said to Eliyahu Hanavi, “Is there anybody in this marketplace who is a ben Olam Haba?”
Eliyahu said “Yes”.
“Show him to me” the chacham said.
Eliyahu led him to a clown that was dancing in the corner of the market. He said “This clown is a ben Olam Haba.”
So the chacham approached the clown and said, “Tell me what good things you do.”
So the man said, “Well, I'm a clown by profession. When I hear of somebody who is discouraged, who is in a depression, I visit him and I clown before him to make him laugh and cheer him up.”
That's what Eliyahu Hanavi said caused that man to be a ben Olam Haba.
Now where does it say that clowning is one of the ways of serving Hashem? The answer is when it's necessary to serve Hashem you do it in any way that's necessary. And so if you have to be a clown and go to polls and vote, Hakadosh Baruch Hu will give you reward for that. Don't say “I'm only oved Hashem by putting on tefillin, by davening, by doing the mitzvos everybody else does.” Sometimes avodas Hashem requires us to do queer things too.
And therefore if you can help out in the great battle against immorality and against any form of wickedness, by putting your vote in the right place then you surely are oved Hashem by doing it.
TAPE # 760 (November 1989)
