D'var Torah

I cast my ballot on the first day of Early Voting in Wisconsin on Tuesday.   Even though I didn’t get the sticker, I’ve done my civic duty. Have you? We Jews pray for the “welfare of the government” in our weekly worship services.  The Mishnah declares: “Pray for the government’s welfare, for without fear of it [we] would swallow each other alive.” (Pirke Avot 3:2). I sometimes wonder if Noah and his generation were punished with the flood because they did not see to their own proper governance and therefore “swallowed each other alive.”   Perhaps because of this maxim and the fear of the consequences that result from not concerning oneself with governance,  throughout history, whenever Jews have lived in societies that allowed it (and of course, many times we lived in places that did not), Jews have been engaged in activities to improve the community and have shown a deep commitment to political participation.   In a democratic society, the vote is the most basic act enabling us to fulfill this commitment.  Make a plan to register and vote today, and see it through.  The protection of society from corruption and ruin may just depend on it!