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The Issue of Character By Rabbi Yonason Goldson
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
I have a lot of admiration for Dennis Prager. His ability to articulate common sense conservative values and politics without resorting to dogma or hyperbole is refreshing; his passionate defense of Israel against the groupthink of Western academics and politicians is reassuring.
However, even the best and the brightest sometimes wander off the reservation.
Reflecting on the accusations of infidelity and sexual harassment that have scuttled Herman Cain's presidential aspirations, Mr. Prager suggests that we really shouldn't care. After all, JFK served as an effective chief executive despite his many peccadilloes, while Jimmy Carter possessed neither political aptitude nor moral clarity despite his faithfulness in marriage.
Both true. But then Mr. Prager invokes "G-d Himself, who apparently thought that King David deserved to remain king — and even have the Messiah descend from him — despite a particularly ugly form of adultery."
Mr. Prager's argument fails on two counts: first in his representation of biblical history, and second in his outlook on moral philosophy.
The subject of King David's involvement with Bathsheba is enormously complex, and requires far more attention than we can give it in this forum. Let it suffice to say that just as no self-respecting literary scholar would suggest that Shakespeare's King Lear can be appreciated by superficially skimming the surface of the play, similarly have three thousand years of Jewish scholars understood that scripture often presents an incomplete — and sometimes misleading — narrative that forces us to search for deeper meaning.
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The narrative of King David's background provides much of the evidence. Unjustly hunted down as a criminal by King Saul, David rejects the chance to kill Saul and claim the kingship, then further risks his life to prove his innocence. Attracted to Abigail, whose husband David believes deserving of summary execution, David stays his own hand when the husband's guilt is called into question. Twice betrayed by his general, Joab, David nevertheless spares Joab's life rather than risk his own betrayal of the loyalty Joab had shown in the early days of David's rise to power.
Does this sound like a man who would go out of his mind with passion after catching sight of a pair of legs from his palace rooftop?
Furthermore (and contrary to Mr. Prager's assumptions), if David had committed adultery with Bathsheba, Jewish law would have considered their son Solomon an illegitimate mamzer and thus disqualified him from ascending the throne. That Solomon was accepted as king both by the Sanhedrin and by G-d, there must be another explanation of David's transgression.
And further still, when David was confronted by the prophet for having sinned, he immediately declared, "I have sinned before G-d." Had David truly been guilty of adultery, repentance to G-d for a sin committed against his fellow man would have been meaningless.
But these are technical points, mentioned here only to restore honor to the reputation of King David. Interested readers can find exhaustive essays based on classical Torah sources elucidating the true nature of David's sin and proving that he was guilty of a much more subtle and nuanced indiscretion.
It is Mr. Prager's more general assertion that deserves most of our attention. Are we truly wrong to believe that leadership is inseparable from character? Should we really overlook corruption in private if our leaders serve competently in office?
From a superficial and purely utilitarian perspective, this argument might seem sound. After all, the sexual misadventures of an airline pilot, a surgeon, a symphony conductor, or a platoon sergeant should have little effect upon their professional ability and performance. Why should it be otherwise with our Executive-in-Chief?
The simple answer is that the presidency is more than just a job. The office is a symbol, and the president is charged not only with piloting the ship of state but with upholding the standards personal integrity that lie at the core of American values. The French and the Italians may laugh at our intolerance of sexual misconduct, but we can only shake our heads at their disdain for the commitment to virtue that is woven into the fabric of American society.
The Roman Empire was, at its peak, the most powerful, far-ranging, and efficient political machine in the history of the world. But as it became riddled with moral corruption, when the culture of bread-and-circuses eroded the foundations of a civil and stable society, it began its rapid decline toward oblivion. And now, as we watch our own country founder on the cultural waves of entitlement and immediate gratification, it is not enough to hope for a president who is a skilled statesmen; it is equally important to find a leader who will inspire us to recover the individual and collective responsibility implied by e pluribus unum and the moral greatness implied by the motto In G-d We Trust.
One without the other is not partial leadership. One without the other is no leadership at all.
And so I say to Dennis Prager: Thank you for your candor and your insight, thank you for your political acuity and your moral clarity. Thank you for defending American values and the value of Israel. But please, Mr. Prager, please leave Jewish theology to those who have devoted their lives to studying the time-tested traditions of our people. And please consider that, although we may have to settle for imperfect leaders, we should never forget what leadership is supposed to be.
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Comment by clicking here. JWR contributor Rabbi Yonason Goldson teaches at Block Yeshiva High School in St. Louis, MO, where he also writes and lectures. He is author of Dawn to Destiny: Exploring Jewish History and its Hidden Wisdom, an overview of Jewish philosophy and history from Creation through the compilation of the Talmud, now available from Judaica Press. Visit him at http://torahideals.com .
© 2011, Rabbi Yonason Goldson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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