We Are All Kavanaugh

(Andy Blumenthal)

As the vote for Judge Kavanaugh for Supreme Court Justice nears, emotions are raw and overflowing. Whether you believe him or his accusers about whether he committed the very serious crime of sexual assault, 36-years ago, as a minor, and with little to no corroborating evidence, one thing is clear:  Everybody, when put under a microscope is guilty.

The microscope pictured above is almost as tall as a two-story building. Yet, you don’t need it to find the guilt in any person. Guilt doesn’t present in just microscopic elements, but rather we are all guilty, in our own way, of something smaller or larger.  Have you been a perfect parent, child, sibling, friend, colleague, or whatever?

My father used to say, “There are no angels in this world.” Even the greatest Prophet of all Moses, who got to see G-d’s glory (Exodus 33:18-22) committed sin (Numbers 20:6-11) and was not permitted to enter the Promised Land of Eretz Yisrael (Deuteronomy 32:51-52).  Let’s just say, compared to Moses, how much more so do we sin as everyday human beings.

Could anyone of us stand under the scrutiny of the media, the political pundits, the FBI and not be found guilty of one thing or another. In Psalms 130:3 it states: “If you L-rd kept a record of sins, L-rd who could stand [before you].” One of my good friends commented to me about this, “If G-d isn’t keeping track of sins, who am I too?”

Of course, we need to ensure the “best and brightest” and the people of the highest integrity get the critical positions that set the course of our great nation, businesses, and organizations. Also, we need to ensure that there is a deterrence for bad behavior as well as justice for the victims.  Yet at the same time, we need to at least try to emulate G-d and weigh both the good and the bad in people, and not hold them to a bar that literally no one could stand up to.