Doggone
Politics
I had
the good fortune of spending this past Shabbos at the home of my esteemed
cousins, Rabbi Sruly and Ruchi Koval .
In addition to the great food and pleasant company, my children and I had the
privilege of interacting and playing with their dog, Wolfie.
I have always loved dogs but have never owned one so it was really enjoyable
getting to spend 24 hours with one, especially such a well-behaved and playful
dog!
Having time to think over Shabbos of the benefits having a dog provides such as
loyalty, companionship and friendship, I also was reminded of a Torah thought
that pertains to current events as well as a passage found in the Talmud that I
recently studied under the “daf yomi” or “page of Talmud a day” program.
This particular passage of the Talmud is foretelling what the state of the
world will look like in the times before the arrival of the Messiah. One
description the Talmud offers is the cryptic statement “The face of the
generation will have the face of a dog.”
The commentators explain the “face of the generation” is a reference to the
leaders of the generation. Ok, so that part of the statement is now understood,
but what is the reference to the second half of the statement, namely the “face
of a dog?” In what way will the “face of the generation (i.e.the leadership) be
likened to a dog?
Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz, a great Israeli sage who passed away in 1979, offers
the following explanation.
When a person takes his dog on a walk the tendency of the dog is to
periodically turn around to see if his master is following him. When the master
is not following or wishes to make it clear to the dog that he does not wish to
go in that direction, he prods and directs the dog to go in the direction that
he, the master, wants to go. In other words, although to the casual observer it
appears as though the dog is leading the master on the way, in truth it is the
master who is leading the dog. All the dog does is turn to see if this indeed
is the path the master wishes to take.
So too says Rabbi Shmuelevits, in the generations before the dawn of the
Messiah the people will be in a sorry state. The leaders of that generation
will pontificate and wax eloquently about their leadership skills but in truth
they will be doing nothing more than following the whims of the people, bending
to the sway of the polls and refusing to take a stand on principle. True
leadership demands virtuous people who are resolute in doing the right thing
and making correct decisions, not influenced because of powerful lobbyists or
the rise and fall of their poll numbers.
If anyone follows the news currently this analogy never rang more true.
It doesn’t matter which side of the political aisle you are on, everyone who is
looking to become the next president is guilty of “leading from behind”
(although some are definitely guiltier than others of this – you can fill in
the name you wish over here!). Rarely are our leaders looking to stand behind
what is right and moral no matter the political fallout from the masses or the
Political Correctness police.
Unfortunately the stands most politicians take are the ones that they think
make them more electable. Our generation is truly one whose face is the face of
a dog.
While a dog may be man’s best friend (go Wolfie!) and be loads of fun to play
with, we would be wise to have higher standards for our chosen leaders. Here's
to a brighter future - and a prayer for the emergence of leadership that will
lead honestly, fearlessly, and with integrity.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi
Yosef Koval
