Bernie Sanders: “A Jewish Candidate with a Non-Jewish Outlook”

By Michael Derfler

“To be for the Israeli people and to be for peace in the Middle East does not mean that we have to support right-wing, racist governments that currently exist in Israel.” – Bernie Sanders

This quote fills me with disgust. I would respond with an essay, but I don’t have time for more than a few relevant quotes from rabbinic sources (separated by a thousand separations from the candidate’s vile words).

“…judge the whole person favorably.” – Pirkei Avot 1:6

“Every part of you is fair, my darling, There is no blemish in you.” Song of Songs 4:7. Rashi explained Song of Songs as a parable: it is the conversation between God and Israel. In this verse, according to Rashi, God is saying that He sees no blemish in Israel.

“The righteous person (tzadik) … constantly seeks and finds the magnificence that exists in Israel as a collective and as individuals….” – Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. See Likutei Moharan 17:1.

“…a person cannot rise to the broad circle of universalism except by means of one’s strong connection to his own people….” – Eyn Ayah, Shabbat A:1:49

“Expansiveness of the heart, that comes sometimes to place the entire world, the entirety of humanity, within the category of the unique affection that is revealed for Israel, it requires investigation. When the awareness of the outstanding holiness of the unique treasure of Israel stands in its character, and from its brightness the affection spreads with a good eye upon every nation and person together, this is the character trait of our father Abraham, ‘father of a multitude of nations,’ ‘and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.’ But it can happen that the foundation of this expansiveness of affection comes from dimness of feeling and darkening of the holy light of awareness of the sublime Israelite treasure, and then it is poisonous, and the content of its action is full of horrible destruction, from which one must distance himself like from a goring ox….” – Orot Yisrael 8:5

To call the democratically elected government of Israel racist is to call the people of Israel morally incompetent, if not outright immoral. First, this is not the approach of a righteous person. While the prophets pointed out Israel’s failings, they did so believing that Israel was fully capable of correcting her failures on her own. Bernie believes that Israel must be coerced by outside forces.

Second, Bernie’s accusation is false. The state of Israel grants full human rights and rights of citizenship to a great many non-Jews (many of whom would be happy to see her demise). It should also be noted that the Jewish nation is not determined by race and the state of Israel’s policies are not dictated by racial concerns. Rather, the state is motivated to protect the Jewish people, regardless of race.  Like every nation, Israel is morally obligated to defend itself from those who seek to destroy it. Further, the state of Israel is morally obligated to prioritize its resources for the benefit of its own people rather than other people, especially enemies.

Furthermore, Bernie’s statement suggests that he is unaware of the genocidal intentions of the people from whom Israel must constantly defend herself. Certainly he knows that the Palestinian Liberation Organization came into existence before the so-called “occupied territories” were liberated by the Israel Defense Forces in a defensive war. He seems also to have also overlooked the other less than progressive outlooks and practices of Israel’s enemies. But he ignores reality to pander to his ignorant and/or ill-willed audience. Truth is a central value in Jewish thought. (I assume this statement does not need to be supported by quotes.)

Another criticism of Bernie’s sentiment is that it is elitist: the people of Israel and their leaders are painted as being beneath “righteous” Bernie. Elitism is also not Jewish. While we acknowledge the simple fact that there are elite people and that they ought to be in positions of leadership, we do not accept the idea that the rest of the population is beneath them. Rather, all people are incomplete. Normal people lack the talent of the elite, but normal people have healthier natural instincts about life. (See Shmonah Kvatzim 1:463 and Orot HaKodesh B 2:28.) The general population benefits from the talent of elites and the elites benefit from the intuition of the general population.

One problem that elite thinkers sometimes suffer from is the delusion that they have the ability to engineer a utopian society. It would seem that Bernie is deluded in this way. (I don’t think Bernie is an elite thinker, but I do think he sees himself as one.) Here is a relevant talmudic passage followed by rabbinic comments on the subject:

“Raba b. Mehasia also said in the name of R. Hama b. Goria in the name of Rav, ‘If all seas were ink, (all reeds near swamps) were pens, the heavens parchment, and all people scribes, they would not suffice to write down the space of government.’ Said R. Mesharshia, ‘What verse (suggests this)? “The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable.”’” – Talmud Shabbat 11a

‘The space of government’ – “The depth of understanding needed for several states, for established taxes, for several wars, and for several laws, and all in one day.” – Rashi

“According to the simple meaning this is an exaggeration – how can any human(s) have such power? According to the words of Rashi, this was said in jest. He explained that the phrase ‘the space of government’ meant the depth of understanding that government needs, but in truth it does not have. Therefore, kingship is only fitting for the King of kings, the Holy Blessed One. For Him it is becoming and befitting.” – Sfat Emet

“The systems of society are a great chain, the details are too many to investigate, and they are interconnected. Therefore, one should not rush to break through to destroy the socio-economic systems of society even if one sees in it many details are not in line with righteousness and uprightness in one’s view. For one who destroys a building intending to fix it must include in his mind all of its features. And in that it is impossible for a human being to grasp all the ways of society in all its details, he is not able to rely on his understanding that in place of destroying some systems to be replaced with better systems, according to his evaluation, he will not thereby cause great damage in the many other systems that are unapparent to him….” – Eyn Ayah

In summary, Bernie and his ilk have at least four non-Jewish outlooks: they have a negative view of the people of Israel; they are not overly concerned with the truth; they are elitists; they believe they can engineer a utopian society.