I am writing this the night before the American presidential election. I suspect most people at this point have decided for whom they will vote. I can honestly say I have doubts. I will not pretend that much can sway my mind between tonight and tomorrow, but the doubt remains. One thing I may have more in common with many people is that I am praying. I am not praying for Candidate A to win, nor am I praying for Candidate B to lose. I am praying that my vote tomorrow—though I hope it will be the right one and pray to God that He guides my hand at the ballot box—and that its outcome will be the decisive link in the chain of ethical decisions we and our representatives have yet to make.
If Trump wins, will he guide history in the right direction? Will Harris do the same if elected? We may want to believe that the future is set in stone with the election, but history has shown this to be all too naive. Not just ancient history, but current events. Who could have predicted the pandemic or October 7? Even the biggest naysayers of Trump or Biden could not—would not—deign to make such incredulous claims. The election results are important, but the world has bounced back from worse. We cannot continue to blame the other side for everything, no matter how warranted it may seem to do so. We must open our hearts to understand the other on both sides of the aisle. This must come from the other and from ourselves. The future rests in the ability to cooperate.
That being said, my hope in the future does not prevent me from voting tomorrow. You may think it illogical to vote when preaching faith, but our ability to act in hope, unsure of what the future may bring, is faith. The opening of this parsha is a call to Avraham to wander, לך לך. There is no predicate for this in the Torah. Why did God call Avraham? Perhaps it is Avraham’s willingness to act with faith in the future, regardless of not knowing what tomorrow may bring, that made him worthy. We are the progeny of the exemplar of faith. Let us not simply throw our hands up in despair or revel in our victory; let us be prudent and recognize that there is still much work to be done, whether we are triumphant or despondent. This is the behavior of a descendent of Avraham.
