This Is The Vote You Should Cast During This Election Season

It’s no secret that we are experiencing one of the most divisive election seasons in recent history. Personal attacks have been launched, friendships have been broken, and walls of antagonism and hostility have been built between people.

But are our minds too small to hold two differing opinions? Are our hearts too narrow to embrace someone who thinks differently?

And so, before the cracks in our “one nation under G-d” deepen, we must take responsibility and cast our first and most crucial vote: a vote for peace within our homes. The future of our world depends on this vote. And as we commit to this, let us keep these five guiding principles in mind:

World Peace Begins With Family Peace

One of the most popular Jewish holidays is Passover which celebrates the birth of the Jewish nation.

Yet, interestingly, Passover is not celebrated with grand national gatherings and street parades. Instead, we are commanded to hold intimate Seder meals in our homes with our families and friends. The reason is poignant and surpassingly beautiful: Over three millennia ago, Judaism understood that the foundation of a strong society is a strong family, and that the seeds of change in the world can only blossom if they are planted in the rooms of our own homes.

Similarly, a study held in 2015 revealed that strong family bonds contribute to lower crime rates and greater stability in society. When the family unit is strong and filled with love, respect, and mutual responsibility, the societies of our world are also stronger, healthier and safer.

Parenting Is Modeling

A 2020 study found that children as young as three years old are influenced by the behavior and conflict management styles they observe in their parents. Children who witness constructive handling of disagreements are more likely to develop healthy coping mechanisms, while children exposed to hostility are more prone to anxiety and depression later in life.

Think about that: Your children are watching how you handle differences of opinion. If they see you tearing apart a family member over politics, they will internalize that as acceptable behavior. But do we really want to raise children who believe that it is acceptable to choose political affiliations over friends and family?

Holding Grudges Harms Mental Health

Our generation suffers from an ever-increasing mental health crisis. Anxiety, depression, and stress are rampant. But dare we ask: how much of this stems from our inability to let go of anger and resentment?

According to a 2014 study, people who hold grudges suffer from higher stress levels, increased blood pressure, and a weakened immune system, and they are more likely to experience chronic anxiety, depression, and heart disease.

Perhaps this is why our Talmudic sages teach that “the world endures only in the merit of those who restrain themselves during a potential quarrel” (Chullin 89a).

And so, before we sever ties with friends and family members, we must ask: Is it worth destroying our mental health and relationships for the sake of being right?

Yes, there’s Good in Everyone

The Lubavitcher Rebbe once quipped: “Imagine you could open your eyes and see only the good in every person, the positive in every circumstance, and the opportunity in every challenge.”

One of the shining examples of this radical approach was Rabbi Meir, a Mishnaic sage of the second century. Rabbi Meir continued to learn from his teacher, Elisha Ben Abuya, eventhough most of his peers had ex-communicated him after Elisha became a heretic. When Rabbi Meir was asked how he could learn from such a person, he responded: “I am like a person who eats a pomegranate. I eat the fruit and throw away the peel.”

As we enter this election season, we too must not allow political labels to blind us to the inherent goodness in others. Every person has something valuable to offer, and we have to learn how to “discard the peel” and focus on “eating the fruit.”

G-d Is in Control—Let Go of the Rest
It’s easy to become consumed by the politics of the day and believe that the fate of the nation hinges on one political candidate or another. But we must remember: G-d holds the future, not us.

On September 17, 1945, General Dwight D. Eisenhower visited the saintly Klausenberger Rebbe, Rabbi Yekutiel Yehuda Halbershtam, at the DP camp set aside for Holocaust survivors in Feldafing, Germany.

General Eisenhower arrived during the morning services, but Rabbi Halbershtam refused to speak with him until he had finished his prayers. When Rabbi Halbershtam was done, he apologized for his delay and explained to the general: “I was praying before the General of generals, the Holy One, Blessed be He. So, the general had to wait.”

Let us also place our trust in the General of generals, who, in King Solomon’s words, “controls the hearts of all kings [and all who hold positions of power]” (Proverbs 21:1). We do not know what our future holds, but we know Who holds our future. And, at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.