Tell the Truth
A brief comment on some ancient, and seemingly out of date, words.
The Torah states: “Moses spoke to the heads of the Israelite tribes, saying, ‘This is what the Lord has commanded: when people make vows or take an oath, they shall not break their pledge; they must carry out all that has crossed their lips.’” (Numbers 30)
The rabbis ask, “Why did Moses speak to the heads of the tribes? Why did he direct his words to the leaders and not all the people?”
The Hatam Sofer, a leading 19th century rabbi, responds: “The reason is that it is often leaders who make all types of promises which they don’t keep. Because they often go back on their promises, this warning was aimed specifically at them.”
Such is the teaching that occurred to me when watching this week’s presidential debates.
Such is the response to those who suggest the Torah has nothing to say about our contemporary struggles.
Leaders, especially those who wish to become president, should be the most careful with their words. They should be even more careful than everyone else.
The Torah remains up to date.
The Torah states: “Moses spoke to the heads of the Israelite tribes, saying, ‘This is what the Lord has commanded: when people make vows or take an oath, they shall not break their pledge; they must carry out all that has crossed their lips.’” (Numbers 30)
The rabbis ask, “Why did Moses speak to the heads of the tribes? Why did he direct his words to the leaders and not all the people?”
The Hatam Sofer, a leading 19th century rabbi, responds: “The reason is that it is often leaders who make all types of promises which they don’t keep. Because they often go back on their promises, this warning was aimed specifically at them.”
Such is the teaching that occurred to me when watching this week’s presidential debates.
Such is the response to those who suggest the Torah has nothing to say about our contemporary struggles.
Leaders, especially those who wish to become president, should be the most careful with their words. They should be even more careful than everyone else.
The Torah remains up to date.