In this season of political fervor, it is inspiring to see the Gemara offer its own take on how to pick the best candidate:
נוקמיה לר' אלעזר בן עזריה דהוא חכם והוא עשיר והוא עשירי לעזרא הוא חכם דאי מקשי ליה מפרק ליה והוא עשיר דאי אית ליה לפלוחי לבי קיסר אף הוא אזל ופלח והוא עשירי לעזרא דאית ליה זכות אבות ולא מצי עניש ליה
When they overthrew the authority of Rabban Gamliel, the community elected R' Elazar ben Azariyah to replace him because he possessed three qualities:
1. He was wise
2. He was rich
3. He was the tenth descendant of Ezra
We know Obama is quite smart, and that Romney's finances are stable, so shall we start checking their pedigrees?
In all seriousness though, what does this advise us? It advises us that:
1. Wisdom is key when making difficult decisions,
2. An effective leader needs sufficient resources for recourse, and
3. Where a person comes from says a lot about where they can go.
If these and no other principles were guiding our electoral choices, what sort of government would we see?
I think that they're presented here in the order they're intended to be valued. If that's the case - and wisdom is the highest quality sought after, then I think that our political system should favor that person that makes consistent, honest, and well-considered decisions. For me, that person is President Obama.
ReplyDeleteIf for whatever reason they aren't in order of value, and are all equally valued - then Mitt Romney would have a lot going for him. He's beyond wealthy, and he hails from the best imaginable political pedigree.
The government the rabbis are imagining is of course one with a singular head-of-state and premodern values - but it seems to me fair to extrapolate that they would elevate wisdom especially in the context of our current era. Money and good birth are pretty much givens when it comes to political access - true wisdom is what's really lacking.