A Privilege Overlooked
"At 5:35 AM, we woke up: my wife, my brother Reb Shimon Leib, and my brother-in-law Reb Natanel Solduchil. And after we drank coffee, we put on Shabbat clothing in honor of this great and holy day, because 'This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be happy on it.'
"After 2000 or more years of exile, you could say that from the six days of Creation until this day, we have not merited to see a day like this, that we are holding elections in a Jewish state. Shehechiyanu! Blessed is the One who kept us alive and sustained us and brought us to this day!
"So we went to the voting station near Chabashim Street with our identity cards in hand. With great and mighty joy, we walked the short way there, and the entire way I walked as if it were Simchat Torah, circling with a Torah scroll, because I was holding the identity card of our new Jewish state in my hand.
"My happiness and joy knew no bounds! The assistant at the voting station brought the ballot box, and the chairman called out to me and said, “V'hadarta p’nei zaken - And you shall honor the old man," and he told me that since I was the oldest person present, I would be the first to vote. With a thrill of awe and holiness, I handed my identity card to the chairman, who read my name aloud from the card and the voters' register.
"The deputy chairman wrote down my name and handed me the number 1, then handed me an envelope. I went into the other room, where there were ballots from all the parties. With a shaking hand, moved with holiness, I took one ballot marked "B" for the Religious Union party and placed it inside the envelope I had received from the deputy chairman.
"I reentered the polling room and showed them I held only one envelope. Then the holiest moment of my life arrived. The moment that neither my father nor my grandfather had the privilege to experience in their lifetimes. Only I, in my time, in my lifetime, did I merit to experience such a holy and pure moment as this... What joy for me and my portion!
"At 6:28 AM, we returned home and went to pray. What a great holiday!"
This is how Rabbi Moshe Alpert, a haredi rabbi who served as the leader of several Jewish communities in Jerusalem during the Mandate, describes his experience of voting in the first Israeli Knesset elections in 1949.
Nearly eighty years and countless election cycles later, many of us have come to take for granted the privilege of voting for a Jewish government in a Jewish state.
We should not.
For nearly two millennia, our people lacked the opportunity to vote for Jewish representatives in our own country. Regardless of the candidates or the election outcome, we should recognize and appreciate the profound zechut of possessing this right.
How To Choose
Indeed, Jews know how to celebrate elections. Indeed, we take full advantage of the democratic process by consistently fielding one of the world’s largest numbers of political parties per capita.
This situation complicates voters' decision-making. Many party platforms are similar, and numerous significant issues are under debate. How, then, should we choose?
While each of us must ultimately make a personal decision, the Torah provides guidance. The pasuk describing the appointment of a king states: “Som tasim alecha melech - Place a king upon yourself," implying that the people are responsible for the appointment. Yet, the conclusion of the pasuk appears to suggest otherwise: “asher yivchar Hashem elokecha - that Hashem, your G-d, chooses." Who then is ultimately responsible for choosing the king: the people or Hashem?
The Sifri, emphasizing the end of the pasuk, views Hashem as the ultimate chooser, with the Navi designating the individual to be appointed. This was indeed the process by which Shaul, Dovid, and many subsequent kings were selected.
The Ramban, however, identifies a difficulty with this interpretation: the continuation of the pasuk instructs the people to select a Jew, rather than a gentile, as king. If Hashem determines the king through the prophet, the need for Torah guidelines regarding eligibility becomes unclear.
The Ramban therefore cites a second interpretation, which emphasizes the words “som tasim" and asserts that the decision rests with us. The phrase “that Hashem your G-d chooses," on this reading, means that we should use Hashem’s will as our guiding criterion. The appointment of a king, like all significant decisions, should be based on our understanding of Hashem’s desires for us and for the world.
Pirkei Avot instructs us to align our will with Hashem’s, encouraging us to desire what He desires. This alignment should inform both our daily choices and our selection of leaders.
May It Be His Will
Ultimately, the Ramban favors a third interpretation that connects Hashem’s Will to our decision-making. According to this view, the pasuk teaches that Hashem “chooses" whomever we appoint, provided the selection aligns with His guidelines. The decision rests with us, and Hashem affirms our choice.
May we, together with the Jewish people, select leaders in a manner that merits Hashem’s support and blessing for their endeavors.
In memory of my mother, Mrs. Susan Taragin (Shulamit Bat HaRav Shmuel Tzvi Z"L).
Rav Reuven Taragin is the Dean of Overseas Students at Yeshivat Hakotel and the
Educational Director of World Mizrachi.
His new book, Essentials of Judaism, is available at rabbireuventaragin.com.