If the Democrats do consult the Torah, they will realize — right at the beginning — something that may surprise them: They should be feeling great right now.
Interesting piece and perspective. Although I remain a Democrat, the vote for Trump was a no brainer, not even close. What keeps me in the Democrat Party? Representatives like Senator John Fetterman and Congressman Richie Torres, staunch supporters of Israel. Mostly I have become politically homeless, or as my wife and kids say, a political nomad. Knowing I was a Democrat for Trump, many of my outwardly anti-Trump Democrat friends and associates confided that they voted for Trump.
Steve, I think you represent the best kind of voter right now. You have theoretically become an Independant. You do not vote for Party, you vote for Policy and that is how everyone IMHO should vote.
Appreciate the kind words Jerry. I think knowing I remain a Democrat and being openly supportive of Trump is what gave a few of my friends the "courage" to vote for Trump, or to confide in me. Otherwise they would figure no big deal a Republican voting for Trump, nothing to see here, move along. Though in truth who the hell knows how people actually vote once the curtains close. It could all be BS.
I was like you. A life long Democrat who had become a de facto independent. After what the Democrats did to Brett Kavanaugh I had had enough. I withdrew from the party and am now an actual and literal independent.
Thank you for your very kind words. Please email me anytime at mgerson@godwasright.com — and you can sign up for updates on my forthcoming book (God Was Right: How Modern Social Science Proves the Torah is True) is at godwasright.com.
Love it! I have always had many friends who are Republican or independent. Now I am too. A lifelong Democrat, I voted Republican for the first time in my life and changed my registration. I was appalled at the Democratic Party’s response to October 7, lack of defense of Jewish students and adults, total disregard for those of us who live in cities, and distaste for regular Americans. The Republican Party of Philadelphia put out a strong and honest statement in support of Israel and the Jewish people of Philadelphia. The Democrats said pro Hamas protestors had a point. I’m done with them.
As an independent and a Trump supporter, having voted for him all 3 times, I really appreciated getting to read these comments, especially coming from fellow Jews (I assume).
Fellow Trump supporters will often ask me, knowing that I'm Jewish, how come Jews are so loyal to the Democrat party, more accurately THIS Democrat party, this latest iteration thereof, and I didn't have a good answer for them at all.
Best I could come up with to say to them, in a tone that has always been more or less guessing, was that while growing up in my family the Democrat party was regarded as the party of brotherly love and tolerance and helping the less fortunate etc and therefore more aligned with Jewish values while the Republican party not so much, and so it must be that all who continue to maintain such a strong allegiance to the Democrat party must either still believe that or it's just ingrained as a Jewish thing.
Just a guess like I said and not any kind of an assertion.
All that said my spirits continue to be raised every time I encounter fellow Jews who decided to go with Trump this time around which I'm sure had to be fraught with difficulty and concern in many cases, Jews who obviously didn't buy into the Hitler narrative which by the way always sounded offensive to me as a Jew by the time it reached my ears as I always felt it was invoking the term recklessly and irresponsibly causing it to become somewhat watered down which is just reprehensible especially considering the man had already served 4 years in office.
I like that several Commenters so far who show signs of being 100% anti-Torah had to suffer through your delightful writing; your beautiful living examples, and your fine communication of the 'simplicity' implicit in Torah. That 'simplicity' not being all the levels and meanings of Torah but, rather, being the way to connect to the real world i.e. the observable world.
Thank you for your very kind words — I am gratified by your response. Email me anytime at mgerson@godwasright.com — and please signup on the site (godwasright.com) for updates about the coming book (and on the link to my substack that is above).
Come now, why in the world would you want to suggest to Democrats how to improve their situation? Personally, I love the current situation. On the other hand perhaps I am concerned over nothing. The typical Democrat, unless that Democrat is Jewish, knows nothing of Torah let alone G-d.
Thank you Mark. Thought provoking piece. I love writing that makes me think. I love that "Aha" moment when reading words that make something "Click" in my mind. You just did that for me.
"With Abel having given his best and Cain having given an inferior offering, God, we read, 'turned to Abel and his offering, but to Cain and his offering he did not turn' . . . .
God has advice for Cain. First, He asks why Cain is upset — as if Cain’s reaction is unnecessary and even mystifying. But God explains his question, saying: 'Surely, if you improve yourself, you will be forgiven.'"
There may be another reading of the Cain incident. In Gen 3:17 God said to Adam, "Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying: Thou shalt not eat of it; cursed is the ground for thy sake . . ." Cain's offering that's comes from the very ground God cursed, so how could He accept it? In effect, God sets up Caine for failure. Not the first time God has done this as we read about the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, making him a bit of a trickster figure and as frequently happens in these kinds of stories, this trickster winds up biting his own tail.
With a healthy imagination, you can make the Torah explain anything or prove anything. In fact, if you combed the Torah, you could come out with opposite conclusions on anything. The only limits are how far you wish to stretch and bend and play with reality.
Interesting piece and perspective. Although I remain a Democrat, the vote for Trump was a no brainer, not even close. What keeps me in the Democrat Party? Representatives like Senator John Fetterman and Congressman Richie Torres, staunch supporters of Israel. Mostly I have become politically homeless, or as my wife and kids say, a political nomad. Knowing I was a Democrat for Trump, many of my outwardly anti-Trump Democrat friends and associates confided that they voted for Trump.
Steve, I think you represent the best kind of voter right now. You have theoretically become an Independant. You do not vote for Party, you vote for Policy and that is how everyone IMHO should vote.
Appreciate the kind words Jerry. I think knowing I remain a Democrat and being openly supportive of Trump is what gave a few of my friends the "courage" to vote for Trump, or to confide in me. Otherwise they would figure no big deal a Republican voting for Trump, nothing to see here, move along. Though in truth who the hell knows how people actually vote once the curtains close. It could all be BS.
I was like you. A life long Democrat who had become a de facto independent. After what the Democrats did to Brett Kavanaugh I had had enough. I withdrew from the party and am now an actual and literal independent.
Thank you for your very kind words. Please email me anytime at mgerson@godwasright.com — and you can sign up for updates on my forthcoming book (God Was Right: How Modern Social Science Proves the Torah is True) is at godwasright.com.
Thank you!
Love it! I have always had many friends who are Republican or independent. Now I am too. A lifelong Democrat, I voted Republican for the first time in my life and changed my registration. I was appalled at the Democratic Party’s response to October 7, lack of defense of Jewish students and adults, total disregard for those of us who live in cities, and distaste for regular Americans. The Republican Party of Philadelphia put out a strong and honest statement in support of Israel and the Jewish people of Philadelphia. The Democrats said pro Hamas protestors had a point. I’m done with them.
So happy to know you are here. The same exact story is mine too! ❤️
Same! I voted Republican but not for Trump.
Amen!
As an independent and a Trump supporter, having voted for him all 3 times, I really appreciated getting to read these comments, especially coming from fellow Jews (I assume).
Fellow Trump supporters will often ask me, knowing that I'm Jewish, how come Jews are so loyal to the Democrat party, more accurately THIS Democrat party, this latest iteration thereof, and I didn't have a good answer for them at all.
Best I could come up with to say to them, in a tone that has always been more or less guessing, was that while growing up in my family the Democrat party was regarded as the party of brotherly love and tolerance and helping the less fortunate etc and therefore more aligned with Jewish values while the Republican party not so much, and so it must be that all who continue to maintain such a strong allegiance to the Democrat party must either still believe that or it's just ingrained as a Jewish thing.
Just a guess like I said and not any kind of an assertion.
All that said my spirits continue to be raised every time I encounter fellow Jews who decided to go with Trump this time around which I'm sure had to be fraught with difficulty and concern in many cases, Jews who obviously didn't buy into the Hitler narrative which by the way always sounded offensive to me as a Jew by the time it reached my ears as I always felt it was invoking the term recklessly and irresponsibly causing it to become somewhat watered down which is just reprehensible especially considering the man had already served 4 years in office.
I like that several Commenters so far who show signs of being 100% anti-Torah had to suffer through your delightful writing; your beautiful living examples, and your fine communication of the 'simplicity' implicit in Torah. That 'simplicity' not being all the levels and meanings of Torah but, rather, being the way to connect to the real world i.e. the observable world.
Thank you for your very kind words — I am gratified by your response. Email me anytime at mgerson@godwasright.com — and please signup on the site (godwasright.com) for updates about the coming book (and on the link to my substack that is above).
Thank you!
I'm sure Barak Obama and his acolytes are going to consult the Torah to see where they've gone wrong. Sounds like something right up their alley.
Come now, why in the world would you want to suggest to Democrats how to improve their situation? Personally, I love the current situation. On the other hand perhaps I am concerned over nothing. The typical Democrat, unless that Democrat is Jewish, knows nothing of Torah let alone G-d.
Thank you Mark. Thought provoking piece. I love writing that makes me think. I love that "Aha" moment when reading words that make something "Click" in my mind. You just did that for me.
"With Abel having given his best and Cain having given an inferior offering, God, we read, 'turned to Abel and his offering, but to Cain and his offering he did not turn' . . . .
God has advice for Cain. First, He asks why Cain is upset — as if Cain’s reaction is unnecessary and even mystifying. But God explains his question, saying: 'Surely, if you improve yourself, you will be forgiven.'"
There may be another reading of the Cain incident. In Gen 3:17 God said to Adam, "Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying: Thou shalt not eat of it; cursed is the ground for thy sake . . ." Cain's offering that's comes from the very ground God cursed, so how could He accept it? In effect, God sets up Caine for failure. Not the first time God has done this as we read about the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, making him a bit of a trickster figure and as frequently happens in these kinds of stories, this trickster winds up biting his own tail.
Just a small piece of exegesis to mull over.
With a healthy imagination, you can make the Torah explain anything or prove anything. In fact, if you combed the Torah, you could come out with opposite conclusions on anything. The only limits are how far you wish to stretch and bend and play with reality.
papa j