Post Election Musings

Well, it’s finally over! The election season in the United States lasts at least two years and sometimes feels like 20 years has mercifully come to an end. Regardless of how anyone identifies politically, it’s our responsibility to pray that President-Elect Trump successfully governs and brings America as a global leader to a new level of peace and prosperity. Trump also made history as only the second president to return to the White House as President for a second term after losing his initial re-election bid. Grover Cleveland, our 22nd and 24th president, was the only other president to receive that distinction. Originally from Buffalo, who went on to be Governor of New York on his way to two presidencies, Cleveland achieved many accomplishments. He was controversial in ending a railroad strike, among other things. Other than historians specializing in presidential history, Grover Cleveland is pretty much a forgotten name. That makes sense, as he left office in 1897, and there has been much going on since that time. I think about this as I wonder what the name Donald Trump will mean to people in about 125 years. I am not one to make bold predictions, but this story of an unprecedented political comeback may be largely forgotten. I am not comparing Cleveland to Trump, but time has an interesting way of causing people to forget and move on. I raise this point as we are in the immediate aftermath of an emotional and intense election. Many have even called this the most critical election in our lifetime! (I have heard this line in every election since the first election I voted in since 1996.) Some of us not only spend so much time and energy on politics but actually get consumed by it. It has unfortunate consequences as many have friendships and relationships ruined simply because another person has voted for a different candidate than you preferred. The larger point here is that although we need to be active in the political process mainly by voting, there are other priorities in life that we may have more influence on and, for some reason, choose not to exercise our influence. To mention a few areas: a) Investing time and energy in our marriages so that we and our spouses may have a meaningful and joyful relationship. b) Investing time and energy with our children. Passing on our most sacred values to them won’t happen by itself. It requires being intentional and thoughtful. c) Making a priority to improve and enhance our relationship with G-d. There are many ways to accomplish this, from transforming our davening or allocating some precious time in our daily schedule to delving into His wisdom through Torah study. I would posit we have far more influence on any of these areas than any dent we can make in the arena of politics. We only have a certain amount of time and energy in our lifetime. It’s up to us to allocate this finite energy most wisely. Have a Peaceful Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch