Thursday, May 18, 2017

Kvod Malchus

I am worried about the USA and the world. The President is clearly a very flawed human being [we all are - his flaws just seem much more glaring] and could definitely use psychotherapy to work through his various issues. I often think how much the world has suffered throughout history due to the emotional and moral flaws of it's leaders. It would be great if everybody was super emotionally aware and attuned to his own strengths and weaknesses and was in a process of personal growth and expansion. But most people are not and everybody around them suffers for it. If I could make a law that all people in public office have to see a therapist from time to time - I would.  

The problem is that [from what I hear] America is making a leitzanus [mockery] of Trump. The talk shows, Saturday Night Live, op-ed columnists and the press in general hold him in contempt and never tire of making him the butt of their jokes and incessant criticism. In general, Hollywood is controlled by the left [as documented in Ben Shapiro's excellent Primetime Propaganda: The True Hollywood Story of How the Left Took Over Your TV] and the left hates Trump with a passion [as I would surmise, do his ex-wives].

I am not defending [or attacking] Trump or his policies [whatever they happen to be today...] but it is critical that we treat our leaders with some degree of respect. Otherwise, all of our democracy and law and order are in danger of eroding. Chazal say in Avos - הוי מתפלל בשלומה של מלכות שאלמלא מוראה איש את רעהו חיים בלעו. Daven for the ruling authority for if not for its fear, people will swallow each other alive. 

Paroh - who was worse that Paroh?? Yet the pasuk says: 

"וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל משֶׁה וְאֶל אַהֲרֹן וַיְצַוֵּם אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶל פַּרְעֹה מֶלֶךְ מִצְרָיִם לְהוֹצִיא אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם (שמות ו, יג), 

And Rashi explains that Hashem commanded them to honor the king. :

 "צום לחלוק כבוד למלכות"

A king, no matter how evil - and a President, no matter how awful you may think he is - deserve their Divinely mandated respect. 

It is dangerous to live in a world where people constantly degrade and demean the most powerful person on the planet. For if we don't respect the office [and person] of the President - who will we respect??

This doesn't mean that we should just sing his praises all day - but it does mean that an elementary amount of respect is required.