Tefillah Tips - Ahavah Rabba 8

“POLITICS”

Ki Kel Poel Yeshuot Atoh Uvanu Vacharta Mikol Am Velashon - Because You are the G-d that activates salvation and You have chosen us amidst all the different nations and cultures…

As the 2008 presidential election approaches the newspapers, radio shows and other media are focusing considerable amount of attention on politics. Politics seem to surround us at every facet of our lives. There is Israeli politics, national politics, community politics, office politics, organizational politics and even family politics that are of concern to us.

Rightfully so – politics can and do affect many outcomes that effect our lives drastically. We are frightfully concerned with the politics of the current Israeli government and their unilateral ideas to give away the holy soil of Israel. Whoever will be the next president of the United States could politically switch course overnight regarding the War on Terror, our approach to foreign policy and on all of our internal matters.

There is a well known phrase that goes; We can discuss anything you want except religion and politics. It is interesting to note that at the majority of Shabbat tables I have ever encountered the primary discussions had to do with religion and politics (all kinds).

There is only one entity that transcends all differences in politics and religion of the world – and that is G-d himself. G-d does not answer to anyone but Himself. G-d is above it all. Hashem is all knowing, all powerful and He Himself chose us to be His nation. Out of the thousands of nations that have risen and fallen throughout the centuries, Hashem chose us.

This is the message of the verse above - Ki Kel Poel Yeshuot Atoh Uvanu Vacharta Mikol Am Velashon. We declare that G-d on His own can and will deliver us. Why? How do we know? Because G-d chose us Himself. May we merit seeing the deliverance soon.

Shabbat Shalom Rabbi Ephraim Epstein