My Weekly Drash (a mini D'var Torah) - Mattot
Posted by Daniel M. Kimmel on July 25, 2008 | Tags: Matot
"If a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath imposing an obligation on himself, he shall not break his pledge; he must carry out all that has crossed his lips." (Num. 30:3) How ironic to read this verse in Parshah Mattot as we enter the final months of the seemingly endless presidential campaign. A "campaign promise" is almost a synonym for a "lie." Yet the Torah tells us words have binding implications, and are not just hot air. While we respect a politician who honestly changes his or her mind because the facts have changed, we are contemptuous towards those promising pie in the sky when we know those words become "inoperative" upon election. Whether you are liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican, you ought to hold your candidate to high standards. For a change, it would be refreshing to hear a politician say, "This is what I would like to do. We'll see what happens once I'm in office."
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Daniel M. KimmelJoined: October 2, 2007 Daniel M. Kimmel is a Boston area film critic, lecturer and author. He does these weekly mini-lessons for the Mishkan Tefila Brotherhood's newsletter. You are free to use them for similar purposes. Divrei Torah (117) |
