In last week’s letters to the editor, Mr. Polack advised us all to vote for Donald Trump (“Biden, Obama, Villains and Racists,” February 1, 2024), quoting Yeravam ben Yoash’s bad character, but supposed accomplishments, as a parallel to Trump (it was not a clever satire like Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”; he meant it). Yeravam, a king who was so evil that he was described as following in the ways of Yeravam ben Navat, the paradigm of evil kings. Yeravam, whose son Zecharya was murdered after six months, thus ending the kingship of the lineage of Yehu (Yeravam’s great-grandfather). Yeravam, who only was king because Hashem had promised his great-grandfather Yehu that four generations would rule (Melachim Bet, perek 10). That’s the parallel to arguing for voting for Trump? Please, Biden and Trump supporters, let’s leave Tanach out of future discussions.
