Rabbi Efrem Goldberg Shares Thoughts on 2024 Elections

um I too am very optimistic and hopeful and positive that hostages will come home and that a threat from Iran Iran might be a little more nervous and quaking in its boots that an economy might turn around and that war Israel's Wars might end and that peace with Saudi Arabia May result and there's a whole list of things one could be incredibly optimistic and hopeful and grateful for this morning but I want to remind and caution everybody and a lesson that we should have learned over the last four and eight years if not over all of history is Hashem coronates Kings but he is the only royalty he has all the kingship I think that the great people of our history and the great people of our present regulate their emotions when something doesn't go their way they don't get too depressed or despondent and too fatalistic that this means it's the end and it's a disaster and it's going to destroy because they realize you know what hashem's in charge and conversely when something does go their way they don't announce this is it and it's mashiach and everything's amazing and now I understand why and this per to be a person of Faith to be a yid to be a person of am is to have a calm and a tranquility and the serenity that amuna provides that I did Myas I voted I campaigned I argued I persuaded I did what I could do because that's my job but now even when it went my way I'm cautiously optimistic you know I don't know whether it was jok or it was serious there was a group one of them in y should they say Hal this Hal you say Hal after a miracle we have no idea what's about to happen we think we know we're hopeful optimistic with what will be we believe it will be better than what might have been or the alternative when I say we I don't mean everybody I'm not speaking for everybody many many think but if there's one word to describe where we're going it's unpredictable and so anyone who could enter a zone of unpredictability with complete confidence has no faith in who's really in charge one thing we've known so I I I just feel such an incredible fear worry that particularly the fir Community who it's almost a moment that's a test for us be grateful Express gratitude if you feel it not everybody does if or those who feel it be grateful tohm say m in your say thank you hasem keep it going as far as we see and I hope this tracks in the direction that I'm I'm hoping for and that we need be grateful don't don't be Express gratitude but be only cautiously optimistic don't have complete confidence don't put Faith in people we say it every day in our daving don't trust don't put your faith in elected officials in princes in royalty don't put your faith of course we develop relationships we Lobby we hope we support we guide we encourage of course that's the way of the world that's the world that Hashem put us in 1,000% I last night was texting I'm grateful to be able to text our Congressman I'm so glad that he won he's outstanding Jared mosat has been phenomenal on Israel we may agree disagree on everything else but on Israel he's been fantastic and our Senator is amazing and anyone with whom I have the the privilege of Richie Tores I I expressed enormous gratitude and and Hope and Faith and encouragement to them but if from says that's how I live down here that's my responsibility down here but only a piece of me is down here my is up there where I really live is up there Hashem decides the outcomes of Elections but he is the king he is the king he is the king maker and he is the king and don't ever ever ever forget it don't get conf confused about it we have to operate down here that's the world he put us in we live in we work we operate we're grateful we're hopeful fantastic but we're talking mere mortals unpredictable mere mortals forces and variables we have no idea what's going to happen in the world and therefore simultaneously we continue to operate down here but where we really focus is up there where we really the next decisions that will be made appointments that will be made policies that will be made they're coming from above they're coming from above and that's the place of our faith and that's the place that we put our trust that is what a a Jew does so a Jew regulates their emotions I would have said this today whatever the outcome of last night if w a different direction I would have said relax don't cry don't tear Kaa don't sit Shiva whatever the outcome and maybe for those that's what they're doing today again I'm not assuming where a person fits or falls on this issue just speaking to what the polls show are the majority at least of the Orthodox of the Orthodox Community a Jew a faith a person of amuna has regulated emotions we don't become too depressed or despondent when we think it didn't go our way because we know he's in charge and because we don't know his plan and we don't become too gleeful and Overjoyed when we think it did go our way because we don't know his plan we're regulated we express our gratitude we're cautiously hopeful and optimistic and we put all of our trust in him shine I said enough I hope I didn't get in any trouble