| Rabbi O’s Weekly Parsha: Lech Lecha (Genesis 12-17)Covenant vs Candidate: What Abraham Might Say About Election Season As election season approaches—especially in New York—it’s easy to feel swept into the Tsunami of headlines, debates, and divisions. We analyze polls, share opinions, and sometimes, without realizing it, we allow our emotional energy and moral focus to be consumed by politics. But Jews have a mission predating any modern nation or political party. It began with Abraham, the first Jew, whose journey reminds us that while we live in the world, our true purpose is not to conquer it politically, but to illuminate it spiritually. In a 1950s lecture, Rav Joseph Ber Soloveitchik (1903-1993), identified three profound disappointments in Abraham’s life, each of which forced him to clarify his life’s mission. The lessons learned from these letdowns speak to our own challenge not to lose sight of what truly has an impact on the local and global scene. The first incident was when Abraham went to Canaan believing his calling was universal. G-d had told him to him Leave your land…and through you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Abraham understood his role as converting the world to monotheism and along with Sarah was successful in this endeavor as is evidenced by that fact that they “made souls in Charan,” teaching faith and morality to the idolaters around them. But he was unsuccessful with the Canaanites, and then G-d redirected him: “To your offspring I will give this land.” The mission narrowed. Instead of transforming all of humanity at once, Abraham was told to build something smaller, deeper, and lasting—a holy family that would become a nation, rooted in a specific land and covenant. This wasn’t a demotion; it was a new development. Abraham learned that bringing blessing to the world does not mean preaching to everyone but, rather, to create a community that lives by divine values so intensely that it radiates light outward. The Jewish people were never meant to rule the world politically, we were meant to influence it spiritually. This idea is especially refreshing in an age when global manifestos tempt us to think our power lies in visibility or numbers. But Abraham reminds us that transformation begins at home—with our own families, our own mitzvos, our own character. Our mission is not to win the world’s approval but to be its moral compass. Abraham’s second heartbreak came from within his family. When conflict broke out between the shepherds of Abraham and those of his nephew Lot, Abraham offered Lot a choice of direction. Lot made the wrong choice by choosing lush plains of Sodom but ignoring the moral decay of its people; he chose comfort over meaning. Lot’s decision taught Abraham—and us—that goodness cannot survive by immersion in corrupt society. We can’t reform the world by becoming indistinguishable from it. Light only transforms darkness when it remains distinct from it. Abraham realized that he could not be a righteous man in Sodom forever; he had to build a new kind of society altogether. This message is especially relevant during election season. The Torah calls us to care deeply about justice and morality, but not to lose ourselves in the systems of power around us. If our speech, social media, or conversations begin to mirror the anger and tribalism of the culture, we have drifted from Abraham’s path, whose lesson is to stand apart and be ethical without being consumed. We can engage without being limited or defined by a political party or agenda. The final incident came when Abraham was drawn into a military conflict when four kings waged war against five and captured his nephew. Although Abraham abhorred violence, he was forced to fight in order to rescue his nephew. He helped to defeat the five mighty kings and rescued Lot—and that’s when Abraham showed his true colors. The King of Sodom offered Abraham the spoils of war.Abraham’s legendary reply was, I raise my hand to G-d… that I will not take so much as a thread or a sandal strap. Rav Soloveitchik saw in this moment Abraham’s full acceptance of his new mission. By refusing the wealth of Sodom, Abraham declared his moral independence from a corrupt civilization. He would build a people sustained neither by politics nor alliances, but by ethical monotheism. Throughout the centuries Jews have participated in politics of local and national concern, but we don’t take our worth or sense of identity from it. Our mission is to bring light, not to seize spoils. As the prophet Zechariah (4:6) said, …not by might or by power, but by My spirit, says the Almighty. Abraham began as an idealist with a universal standard but quickly became the father of a distinct nation. His disappointments were not failures, they were teaching moments for him and us. The message is that G-d’s vision for humanity begins with a small, faithful people living a life of truth and meaning—a small population that for most of their existence has lived without a homeland, scattered among the nations, still, they have been a light for a sometimes-dark world. As John Adams famously said, “I will insist that the Hebrews have done more to civilize Men than any other Nation.” As we navigate an election year, let’s remember that politics might shape policy but mitzvos shape the soul of the world. The true destiny of Am Yisrael, the Jewish people, is not merely to elect leaders who reflect our values, but to actually become leaders of conscience through acts of kindness, Torah study, Sabbat, honesty in business, and compassion in our communities. Abraham learned that changing the world begins not with the crowd, but with covenant; not with dominance, but with devotion. As his descendants, we share his mission to be a nation that walks with G-d and shine His light even in the darkest places. Let’s make sure we are the next link in that glorious chain. Good Shabbos |
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