Yes

“You’re a bit out of touch Rabbi Grylak ” a reader from New Yorkgently explained to me in a phone call following last week’s column. “Why are you telling us about the Yom Kippur experience of some chiloni journalist now? Aren’t you aware that in less than two weeks we’re having national elections here inAmerica which will seal our fate for the next four years? Haven’t you got anything to say about this charming pair Obama versus Romney something to help us see which of them is better for the Jews religious Jews in particular and most of all for you over there inJerusalem?

“Couldn’t you be a bit more topical Rabbi Grylak? Yom Kippur comes every year but these elections are once in a lifetime.”

***

Nevertheless my dear reader with all due respect I believe that I’m being more “topical” than you in writing what I wrote raising the question I raised at the end of my article. You would like to read one more commentator’s two cents about which candidate belongs in the White House and who in my opinion is more fit to rule over the free world for the next four years.

What can I tell you? I believe in the dictum of Chazal which I learned from my teachers that “the heart of kings and ministers is in the hand of Hashem.” So regarding the fate of this earth’s population the American people and especially regarding Am Yisrael it is my confirmed belief that world leaders do not act by free choice. They can do neither good nor harm except in accordance with the Divine Will and therefore viewed from the angle of the truth expressed by the Torah and Chazal it doesn’t matter who sits in the White House let him be white or black Democrat or Republican — because whoever is elected we the people will get good or bad government commensurate with our deeds and our deeds will be judged by the Ruler of all creation.