Carrying the Mantle of Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm

For a long time, Orthodox rabbis have struggled with the question of whether or not to address social and political issues from the pulpit – and how best to do it. The answer depends in part on the rabbi’s personal theology, the expectations of the congregation, and the nature of the issue at hand.

In my opinion, no rabbi was better at tackling social and political issues than Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm, zt”l. A leading Modern Orthodox thinker and later President of Yeshiva University, Rabbi Lamm was not afraid to address controversial issues from the pulpit, especially during his tenure at The Jewish Center from 1958 to 1976. His sermons were known for their eloquence, intellectual depth, and engagement with contemporary society, all through the lens of Torah and Jewish values.

During the Vietnam War, Rabbi Lamm spoke with nuance and clarity. He did not join blanket condemnations of US policy – and actually was silent about the issue at the beginning of the war. However, later he changed his mind and expressed concern about the human toll of the war and its impact on American society. He emphasized moral accountability in warfare and cautioned against both blind nationalism and simplistic pacifism.

In terms of the civil rights movement, Rabbi Lamm addressed the moral imperative of justice and equality, referencing the Torah’s concern for the oppressed and downtrodden. While he never aligned with the most radical elements of the civil rights movement, he strongly opposed racism and called out societal hypocrisy.  Most importantly, he often cited the Biblical and prophetic demands for righteousness as a Jewish imperative to speak out against discrimination.

He was a strong advocate for religious liberty, often defending the constitutional separation of church and state when it came to protecting Jewish interests. For example, Rabbi Lamm opposed mandatory Christian prayer in public schools. At the same time, he supported the rights of religious schools (including yeshivot) to receive certain forms of government support.

He often criticized the excesses of the 1960s counterculture movement, especially moral relativism, drug use, and sexual permissiveness, as examples of the breakdown of religious and ethical values. He was very concerned about how these societal trends affected Jewish youth and communal life.

Finally, he spoke out forcefully about Israel. Rabbi Lamm delivered passionate sermons before, during, and after the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War, defending Israel’s right to exist and protect itself and positioning Jewish unity and support for Israel as a religious obligation. He also believed that Israel’s military success was a moment of spiritual awakening and divine providence, while also cautioning against triumphalism.

Today, we live in a dangerous and chaotic world, with many important and divisive issues facing our community: worldwide antisemitism, a long and painful war in Israel with no end in sight, mass deportations and an immigration crackdown, executive power expansion and constitutional concerns, foreign policy shifts and trade, culture wars, and civil and military tension, among other serious issues.

I’ve recently wondered what Rabbi Lamm might have to say about all of this, but the truth is that we can’t really know for sure how he would be reacting. And unfortunately, there are no Modern Orthodox Torah giants who have been willing to address these concerns. In fact, very few Orthodox rabbis want to speak about these issues at all.

However, there is one rabbi who I’ve met on social media, who often writes about political and social matters for Times of Israel and makes his posts available on Facebook.  His name is Rabbi Jonathan Muskat, and he is the spiritual leader at the Young Israel of Oceanside. He agreed to speak to me about what role he believes rabbis should play vis-a-vis discussing social and political issues.

“I think that rabbis can navigate these topics by carefully balancing their prophetic role (navi) with their priestly role (kohen),” said Rabbi Muskat. “From my experience, wisdom lies in framing these issues through Torah values, which fosters reflection rather than division. It’s not about avoiding these topics altogether but about addressing them in ways that both emphasize shared ethical principles and avoid overt political partisanship. For instance, expressing gratitude for actions aligned with Jewish values — like supporting Israel — can unify rather than alienate when phrased inclusively and with humility.”

Rabbi Muskat feels that posting thoughtful articles or letters on political and social matters rather than delivering a sermon about them can often be a much more effective way to address such issues — and they also have broader reach.

Rabbi Muskat provided a good example of how he once was able to ground a message in Torah and Jewish values, which gave it spiritual legitimacy and helped to bridge any divides. “When I expressed hakarat hatov for President Trump’s decision on the Iran nuclear deal during his first term as president, framing it within the context of Israel’s security and the value of gratitude, it elevated the discussion beyond partisan politics to a shared moral and religious imperative,” said Rabbi Muskat.

With that said, Rabbi Muskat did say that the community’s political affiliations should be measured before deciding how and when to discuss these issues. “The political affiliations of a community should be a consideration but not a determinant,” said Rabbi Muskat. “As I have observed, there is a delicate balance between maintaining communal harmony and fulfilling the ethical responsibility to speak out. I often consult diverse viewpoints within the community before delivering a message so I can better achieve this balance.”

Rabbi Muskat also feels there is a moral and halachic imperative to speak out against injustice. “Judaism mandates speaking out against injustice. However, this responsibility must be tempered by the need to engage constructively and avoid fostering further polarization, which may often result in not speaking out against a particular injustice,” said Rabbi Muskat.

Is silence a form of complicity, or is it okay to prioritize unity and pastoral care over public advocacy? Rabbi Muskat said, “Silence can indeed be a form of complicity, particularly on critical moral issues like racism or antisemitism. However, rabbis must carefully consider what qualifies as a critical moral issue, as different people have different thresholds for defining such issues. Some topics, even when addressed with an effort to divorce them from partisanship, may be so heavily partisan that the potential benefits of addressing them are outweighed by the risks of polarization or division they might cause. Moreover, certain topics may require a level of expertise that rabbis simply may not possess, making it challenging to address them effectively or responsibly. While speaking out with balance and grounding in Torah can uphold justice and foster a culture of dialogue and understanding, these decisions must be approached with humility and great care, especially in a polarized environment.”

Rabbi Lamm’s brilliance was his ability to integrate firm Orthodox theology with an active moral conscience, addressing political and social issues without succumbing to partisanship. His approach — rooted in Torah but reflecting modern sensibilities — set a standard for Modern Orthodox rabbinic leadership. Kudos to Rabbi Muskat, who seems to be following in Rabbi Lamm’s footsteps. Perhaps some other Orthodox rabbis will also follow.