No Rebuke

As the race for the White House kicks into second gear, it seems as though every day brings a new scandal to the campaign of Hillary Clinton. The Democratic frontrunner has to face questions about her handling of Benghazi and reassure Americans that she is competent enough for the job. But the other, more recent, scandals — whether related to her handling of her emails as secretary of state (she used a private server, and only turned over to the State Department those emails which she chose to) or the lingering questions about the Clinton Foundation — don’t raise questions about competence; rather, they insinuate corruption.

The almost daily drip-drip of stories wherein a large donation was made to the foundation — whether by an individual, a company or a country — that later benefited by some action taken (or not taken) by the Department of State, leads any unbiased observer to the conclusion that there definitely is some “there there.” When coupled with the deleted emails — possibly spoliation of evidence on her part — it just makes it hard to believe that there is no foul play involved.

Yet, her base of support remains solid. Her backers remain behind her, and top officials working on her campaign told reporters last week that the public — her supporters in particular — don’t really care about these allegations. The question that needs to be asked (and answered) is: Why?

There is a well-known Gemara on the last amud of Maseches Sotah (49b). The Gemara details what the state of the world will be in the period at the end of galus, right before the coming of Moshiach. “B’ikvos Meshicha, chutzpa yasga. … v’al mah yesh lanu l’hishaen, al Avinu Sheba’Shamayim” — a period wherein all that has always been recognized as convention will be discarded, accepted norms which had unanimous acceptance will be overturned, to the extent that we will be at a loss as to how to live on. The only thing we can do is increase our connection with Hakadosh Baruch Hu so that we can survive this era.

One of those items that Chazal say will be a departure from the proper way of life is “v’ein tochachas — there will be no rebuke.” Rebuke, explains Rav Yerucham Levovitz, zt”l (Daas Chochmah U’mussar, vol. 2, 71) is something people should be happy to receive. If someone was wearing a soiled garment, he would want someone to let him know about it; as a matter of fact, he would certainly point it out to his friend if the shoe, as it were, was on the other foot. Al achas kamah v’chamah for ruchniyos — which is why this is listed as one of the counterintuitive practices of the generation of ikvesa d’Meshicha.

Moreover, Rav Yerucham points out, Chazal do not say “Ein mochichim — there will be no rebukers.” Rather, they say “ein tochachas — there is no rebuke.” Rebuke becomes something that will cease to exist entirely, and it becomes accepted that people shouldn’t ever rebuke each other for practices or actions which are unbecoming.

Rashi explains how “ein tochachas” comes about. If all people are involved in behaviors which are deserving of reproach, their ability to help others improve is mitigated. As soon as they open their mouth, they will be reminded that they, too, are in the same boat.

The Gemara (Pesachim 113b) says that Canaan bequeathed a list of ideals to his children. The list begins: “Ahavu es ha’gezel, ahavu es ha’zimah v’ahavu zeh es zeh — Love theft, love licentiousness and love each other.” At first glance, it seems that one of these things is not like the others. What does loving one another have to do with the rest of the list of negative character traits and practices?

Rav Yerucham writes that the entire purpose of loving one another is only so that everyone can freely engage in theft and other negative behavior. In order for a society to be able to function with all doing whatever they want, there is a needed precondition that everyone loves and accepts everyone else — despite their lying, cheating, stealing and the like. So Canaan commanded his children: you need to have an unlimited amount of tolerance of your fellow person’s misdeeds; that’s the only way you will be able to do whatever you feel like doing yourself.

Is it any wonder, then, that people would not demand more from their leaders than the standard to which they themselves want to be held? If a candidate for president can get elected despite graft and corruption, there is nothing that common citizens will feel is beyond them. Perhaps that is why her backers don’t seem to mind all the improprieties on her part.

This article appeared in print in the June 3rd, 2015 edition of Hamodia.