Writings from Rabbi Glickman

Dear President Bush and Senator Kerry,

We’ve been hearing a lot about you two lately – about how President Bush’s foreign and domestic policies have betrayed our nation, and about how Senator Kerry is wrong on the economy, wrong on terrorism, and wrong on everything else. It is election-year springtime, you see, the season when we breathe in what some have called “the deep, rich aroma of American electoral politics.”

As we move ever more deeply into the mudslinging of this election season, I’d like to share with you an important Jewish insight about human speech, an observation, and a plea.

The insight is that Judaism recognizes the immense power that each of our words can carry. Words, as we all know, can warm a person’s heart with love, and can also torture a person’s soul with cruelty. The ancient rabbis noted that our words are more powerful than knives, for a knife can only injure a nearby victim, while words can destroy the lives of people thousands of miles distant. “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me”? Please! Any of us who has ever been the brunt of hurtful speech knows how ridiculous such a statement truly is.

One of the results of this is that Judaism forbids gossip – gossip of any kind. Whether what we are saying is true or untrue, whether mean-spirited or even kind, Judaism forbids us from speaking about other people – period! And what’s more, Judaism requires us to ask those whom we hear gossiping to stop.

Thus, if we hear a rumor – whether true or fabricated – we mustn’t share it, but instead ask the person from whom we heard it not to share it with anyone else. If we “get the goods” on someone, being good in Judaism requires that we keep it to ourselves – even though the gossip could be so fun. If someone wrongs us, we have the right to seek compensation, but not to destroy the wrongdoer’s name in public.

There are exceptions, of course – it’s OK to warn a person that someone else is coming to kill them, or to testify in a trial against a violent criminal – but those exceptions are far fewer than we might think. In Judaism, the basic principle is that, when speaking of others, we shouldn’t speak at all.

The observation I’d like to share is quite obvious, actually – gossip has become the primary focus of American political discourse these days. Senator Kerry, you know as well as the rest of us that the real question of the Democratic political debates was that of who could most effectively bash the president. And for your part, Mr. President, the pundits have recently praised you for “coming out swinging,” by which they mean, of course, that you have shown your willingness to get into it with Senator Kerry and to give it right back to him.

Thus, at a time when our nation yearns for direction, hope and meaning, at a time when we find ourselves facing increasing violence overseas, a trying economic situation here in our country, and a host of other serious challenges as well, you two are so busy lambasting one another in the media that you can’t give us what we need – a compelling vision of what our nation can be.

I could say more, but I’m afraid I may already be gossiping. So instead, I’ll conclude with this plea: President Bush, Senator Kerry, on behalf of all Americans I would like to ask that you simply stop talking about one another. That’s right – just stop. Quit your gossiping cold-turkey – and instruct your campaign staffs and supporters to do the same. Sure, it’ll be difficult, but imagine what could ensue from such a courageous step. In such a gossip-free atmosphere, you words could inspire us to work with you, rather than disgust us with a litany of your opponent’s flaws. Your words could elevate us and encourage us to reach toward our enormous potential as a nation, rather than pull us down into the morass of political backstabbing. You could show how we can continue enjoying the blessings of liberty in America, and remind us by example that the right to snipe is not one of them.

I know you probably won’t heed my plea, and that the gossip will probably continue. But if you could at least check yourself from time to time, if you could raise the level of discourse at least a little bit during this election, then you will have given our nation a great, great gift.

It’s like our mothers used to tell us – the world would be a much better place if each of us – presidential candidates included – would simply watch our words.

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