Jewish Law and the Duties of a Leader
By Nathan J. Diament
As Published in The Washington Post
Tuesday, August 8, 2000; Page A25

The news of Sen. Joseph Lieberman's selection by Al Gore to run for the vice presidency has prompted many questions about the prospects for a Jew on a national ticket for the first time. Some of the questions have focused upon the darker side of America--asking whether some latent anti-Semitism will rear its head in reaction to the Lieberman candidacy.

The answers to these questions are, one would hope, obvious--like other forms of bigotry, antisemitism should be given no comfort in the United States, and those who would use a candidate's religion as a wedge against him should be repudiated.

There are, however, some questions that are asked out of ignorance and can be answered straightforwardly. Many of these questions center upon how Orthodox Jews observe the Sabbath and whether that would interfere with a vice president's duties.

The wisdom of Jewish law and tradition provides a balance between prodding its adherents to "guard the Sabbath and keep it holy" and the demands of a person who must fulfill great responsibilities in serious times.

Long before the age of cell phones and pagers, Jewish law structured the Sabbath in a manner that is designed to optimize the opportunities for spiritual reflection, refreshment of one's self and reconnection with one's family and friends. The kinds of activities Jews are asked to desist from are derived from the activities employed to construct the Holy Tabernacle described in the Bible. These specific activities were understood by the rabbis to be a paradigm for categories of activity that, essentially, demonstrate man's mastery of the physical world. We desist from them on the Sabbath to recognize G-d's role as creator.

Perhaps most relevant to the activities of a vice president, the Sabbath's laws prohibit the active use of fire, which, in modern times, our rabbis understood to include electricity. Thus, Sabbath-observant Jews will not use any technological devices such as cars, planes, telephones or computers on the Sabbath. This is why on the rare occasion the Senate has voted on a Saturday, one could find Lieberman walking across Washington to cast his vote.

Most significantly, Jewish law contemplates situations that may arise on the Sabbath in which people's health, or even their lives, may be at risk. Because of the high value Judaism places on life, the laws of the Sabbath provide that one is not only permitted but also obligated to violate the Sabbath when even a single person's life is at stake. This provision would almost certainly allow a Vice President Lieberman to fulfill the duties of that office in most serious situations. In circumstances where the stakes are lower, other provisions of Jewish law would allow other persons to carry out tasks directly on behalf of the Sabbath observer.

Other observances with which an Orthodox Jew complies--whether it is eating only kosher food or finding time to pray three times a day--will have little if any effect upon a vice president's duties. Kosher food is now ubiquitous in America (even Oreos are kosher), and one can say morning prayers at dawn and evening prayers at midnight.

One pair of questions that have been raised with regard to the Lieberman selection might be called "the JFK question." In 1960, some wondered aloud whether a Catholic president would be taking his marching orders from Rome. Today, some have wondered whether Joe Lieberman's positions on Israel-related issues or others would be biased by his faith. There are two key answers here. First, on Israel, Al Gore has a career-long pro-Israel record, and one would be hard pressed to find a difference between his positions and those advocated by Lieberman with regard to America's Middle East policies.

As to other issues, during his Senate tenure Lieberman has consistently given John Kennedy's answer to the question originally posed in 1960: He was elected to represent and serve the people of Connecticut, not the American Jewish community. There is little question that while Orthodox Judaism's values have and will inform his views, they will not dictate them.

More significant than any of the challenges we've heard are the qualities that Lieberman brings to the public debate. They include a respect for faith and the power it has on people's lives, a commitment to policies that help American families rear their children and a belief in the nobility of public service. Each of these are traits we should expect from all our political leaders, certainly our highest ones.

The writer is director of public policy at the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America.

© 2000 The Washington Post

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