Why Aren’t More Orthodox Jews Pro-Biden?

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Opinion By Zerachya Licht 

The purpose of this essay isn’t to convince anyone to vote for Biden, nor is it to convince anyone not to vote for Trump – I consider both options legitimate. Its goal is to lay out the case that both options make sense for a Frum Jew, and to dispel the notion that, as a Frum Jew, one must vote for Trump (and that supporting Biden is nothing short of treason).

It is easy for me to understand the case for Orthodox Jews to support re-electing President Trump. He is outwardly and unapologetically pro-Israel, he supports pro-business policies, and he commuted Mr. Rubashkin’s sentence. Our community naturally aligns with conservative policies regarding many social issues. Perhaps there are further arguments, but these seem to be the common refrain heard in our circles.

There are two aspects of this that I cannot understand:

For one, how can an Orthodox Jew support him with fervor and enthusiasm? On a personal level he is, and has always been, the very antithesis to anything religious Jews hold holy.

Secondly, why is there not a significant faction supporting former Vice President Biden? Shouldn’t it at least be an open question?

Let us take a closer look at the reasons that lie behind the Frum community’s strong support of Trump:

With regards to the first argument, that Trump is a great supporter of Israel, there is little room for disagreement. But there are two further questions that need to be asked:

Are Orthodox Jews always to be a one-issue voting bloc? Does this one single (and certainly vital) issue outweigh all other considerations such as public health, homeland security, and the culture which surrounds them?

Secondly, is Trump (while definitely pro-Israel) truly better for Israel? Vice President Biden, to the best of my knowledge, and by his own admission, is a staunch supporter of Israel. He also claims to have launched his campaign in reaction to vile anti-Semitic chants in Charlottesville (which the President legitimized as emanating from “fine people”).

On to economics; a discipline I don’t know much about. But I’ve read enough to see that Mr. Trump’s record on the economy isn’t as rosy as he and his supporters would like the American people to believe. He inherited an economy on the rise, and it continued to rise under his watch until the Pandemic struck. It is well-known that the impact of the executive branch on the economy is something of an open question, but as it turns out, the growth rate of the stock market under four years of Trump is actually significantly lower than during the first terms of Presidents Clinton and Obama.

There is also much debate nationally as far as which policies are better for the economy. From an Orthodox perspective, I don’t see why religious Jews need to have a homogeneous opinion. Why shouldn’t they debate this like the rest of the country does? It would make sense that people from different socioeconomic backgrounds within the community should diverge on this. Perhaps the wealthy business owners who don’t benefit from the Affordable Care Act, and do benefit from the 2017 Trump tax cuts should vote for Trump. People in the middle class, and those still struggling to make it there, who indeed benefit from Obamacare rather than the tax cuts, should oppose him.

Moving on to the issue of the Rubashkin pardon, I recently spent a couple of hours in Mr. Rubashkin’s company and he certainly came across as genuinely nice, Frum individual. It makes a lot of sense to me that his friends and family should support the president who ultimately set him free from his bondage. It still surprises me, though, that this personal favor bestowed on single member of the community should obligate all Jews to choose Mr. Trump over Mr. Biden. Did all Orthodox Jews vote for Hillary Clinton because she facilitated the clemency her husband granted to Chaim Berger of of New Square?

Another common argument I hear is that Rabbi Avigdor Miller always said encouraged voting for the more socially conservative candidate. The truth is that not all Gedolim agreed. I was personally present when Rav Miller declared his support for Pat Buchanan’s presidential bid, despite his anti-Semitic views, because he was conservative on social issues. To the best of my knowledge, Rav Miller was a lone voice at the time.

One can also question whether Rav Miller would have promoted a candidate who has glorified promiscuous behavior his entire life, and was himself pro-abortion, only changing his position to win republican support. Being a student of Rabbi Miller, I can attest to having heard from him many times that the people who promote promiscuous lifestyles are very detrimental to religious sensibilities. Whether Rav Miller would have supported a candidate of such low moral character is a particularly good question, but there is no doubt that he would have been personally disgusted by him.

With all of the above, there is still a legitimate argument for the Orthodox to support Trump.

The point to ponder is how can Donald Trump engender such enthusiasm within the orthodox community? How can a popular Orthodox singer get up in front of impressionable youths and sing a laudatory song in his honor? On a personal level Trump has led and celebrated a life steeped in materialism and sin. He openly stated that he doesn’t consider adultery is a sin. His family life was a mess. He promoted a lifestyle of pathological adultery and other unapologetic indulgence.

He is a singularly dishonest person, even by the standards of contemporary politics. He used bankruptcy many times to the detriment of numerous people employed by him. He has never promoted any virtuous behavior, and expressed genuine surprise at, and derision for, people who would choose to pursue anything other than power and wealth.

Trump has earned the support of the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups. This itself should give any Jew pause. He also has been awfully slow and reluctant to repudiate them (unlike many other groups, less friendly to him, that are quick to earn his sharp rebuke – justified or not). One can suggest that he is not personally anti-Semitic and highlight his Jewish family members as proof, but a friend of the clan still shouldn’t excite anyone.

The overwhelming argument against his re-election isn’t only his personal faults or affiliations. It’s the fact that he is very unfit for this high office. This was obvious to many prior to 2016 and his tenure only served to reinforce that notion.

He is a very coarse person and promotes bad character traits such as selfishness, boastfulness, apathy, vindictiveness, racism, and much more.

He talks and acts like an unruly child (a child any one of us would be mortified and heartbroken to be the parent of). Calls people names, and throws tantrums when criticized. Never admits even the shadow of an error, or takes any responsibility when things go wrong. This behavior betrays a lack of seriousness and maturity. He comes across as a seventy-year-old man-child. Who would trust a man like that to run a large organization, never mind the most powerful country in the history of the world?

He has a record tainted by many failures which caused catastrophic harm to its victims. If someone loses $300 million in real estate and then earns $400 million in the entertainment industry, he is still a millionaire. In the game of wealth attainment, all that counts is the bottom dollar. But in governance if you bankrupt homeland security and public health, but you make peace in the middle east, you are still an unforgivable disaster. Judging by his mixed record of flashy successes and spectacular failures, he should not have gotten near Pennsylvania Avenue.

This behavior and these attitudes strongly impact the general society, and subsequently the orthodox Jewish culture. This can adversely affect religious Jews from without and from within. A general society which learns to adore selfishness and bigotry, can easily turn on the Jewish minority. Would the Jewish community relish being left to the mercy of the people who embraced Mr. Trump’s attitudes?

His attitudes also permeate the hearts and minds of the members of Orthodox community; thereby eroding the good traits which they pride themselves with.

Trump’s administration was something of a revolving door: many capable people got chewed up and then spit out by it. Then they went on to write books exposing him to be the ignorant irresponsible person he appears to be. If this were any other company or institution and its chief executives would keep getting fired or resigning – and in such a disorderly fashion – would people invest or trust in that institution?

We do not know how much – if any – responsibility is borne by Trump for the American carnage wrought by Covid19. We do know that he lied to the American people. He is on tape admitting to Bob Woodward that he is fully aware of the danger, at the same time he was dismissing it to the general population as “no worse than the flu”, intimating that it is nothing but a Democratic hoax. I personally urged an elderly woman, before Purim, to take precautions, only to watch him – on the basis of Trump’s false reassurances – carelessly disregard this warning. She ended up hospitalized. Who knows how many victims (orthodox and not) might have taken the warnings seriously had they not been constantly undermined by their beloved President? We also know that he continues to publicly belittle the advice of his own public health advisers, (ultimately allowing the virus to penetrate the most heavily guarded office complex in the world: his own). Does sanctity of life end at birth?

So much for the case that a Frum Jew might not jump to support Trump. But why support Biden?

The first response is why not?

He is, by all accounts, a decent man who hasn’t shown any extremist views throughout his decades-long career. He’s long stood for decency, law and order, empathy, and anti-bigotry, while supporting working people. His personal story of suffering and perseverance is far more inspiring than Donald’s exploits and evasions.

Throughout the Democratic primary process, he stood as a bulwark against the extremists of the left. He forcefully reiterated over and over that he does not embrace the extreme left, and will not allow them to control the agenda of the Democratic party. He is vocally against socialism, and supports incremental, rather than revolutionary, change.

Mr. Biden is pro-science and pro-facts. While, like all good politicians, he has misspoken in the past and said some things that did not hold up to scrutiny (such as claiming he earned a full scholarship to college for his brilliance, when in fact he only received half a scholarship, due to economic hardships) he is incomparably more honest than the pathological liar who currently inhabits the White House.

He is pro-Israel. He has spoken out countless times – especially during this campaign – against anti-Semitism and the KKK. His running mate is married to Jew.

The USA is Israel’s greatest ally, and it is in Israel’s greatest interest that the USA should remain the strongest and greatest country. Just thinking about the impact of the administrations immediate policies can be shortsighted. Trump is considered a buffoon by most world leaders. Diminishing America’s standing in the world can be worse for Israel than leaving the USA embassy in Tel Aviv. A strong, stable Israel depends on a strong, stable USA.

In recent history, the economy has thrived under Democratic presidents. The Clinton and Obama years yielded a lot of growth. There is no logical reason to fear that the Biden years should be any different. Both Bushes and now Trump’s presidencies have ended with economic disaster.

As mostly second, third, and fourth generations Americans, the Orthodox should embrace a pro-immigration candidate who believes in pluralism. The candidate of the white supremist should scare any thinking Jew.

As stated from the outset, my goal is not do get-out-the-Biden-vote. At the time of reading this article most of our community members may have voted already. My goal is to reflect on what brought about this pro-Trump fervor in our community. Does it stem from a deep love for our fellow Jews, a profound sense of responsibility for social morality, or perhaps we are being influenced by outside forces. Points to ponder.

{Matzav.com}


82 COMMENTS

  1. Never in my life have I read such a non-sensical, left-slanted, pro-communist waste of time. Biden represents the democratic party which has fallen off its rocker in the last few years. No Jew, Orthodox or not, can vote for it guilt free.
    They support everything we vehemently are against. Period. Matzav, I thought you were better than this.

  2. Besides for the many mistakes such as buying the liberal media’s edited version of what Trump said about Charlottesville (his full statement was clearly not as suggested by this writer). The writer ignored the most basic reason to vote Trump. All the gedolei Roshei Yeshiva and Admorim have said so. None said vote Biden. For a Toradik yid, this should be the beginning and end of the debate.

  3. Apparently, Harav Zerachya Licht, shlit”a doesn’t see anything against voting for Biden. Harav Shmuel Kamenetzky, shlit”a and other gedolim must be mistaken when they publicly opine that if Biden wins, this country is in serious trouble

  4. the democrats values are completely against the Torah, such as abortion, gender identity, etc. i cannot support a system which denies all my lifelong beliefs. i think both sides are guilty of lying, cheating, etc. which is also against jewish values, so my choice was to not vote at all or to choose the lesser of two evils

  5. Read toras avigdor miltiple emails about r millers opinion of liberals and your whole article falls apart. Everything that he said in 1980 about liberals is even truer today and joe biden is PART of them, dont be in denial. You can but you”ll come back to admit it very soon. G-d bless you in your effort.

  6. Your not a talmid of Rav Miller and your a certified idiot! Sorry I don’t have time to refute your stupidity point by point bit for the shallow minded my comment will act as some push back to Treifa Hashkafa!

  7. Because orthodox Jews know that the original Biden has already joined the Obamas and the other criminals deep down under and wouldn’t vote for a clone.

  8. you’re nothing more than a leftist liberal hack!! I’d love to debate you on your simplistic childish and ignorant msm talking points sometime!!

  9. It is clear from your obvious pro biden slant that you have been clearly brainwashed by the main stream media. Do a bit more research and you’ll find that Biden is corrupt and a menuval with ”family issues” too. He has a long history of racist remarks and his cognitive decline is only getting worse.
    Harris is married to a Jew? That’s something to make me feel proud???? Trumps daughter converted and married a Jew! He has Jewish grandchildren. And we know who will be running this country – the extreme far teft liberals who will ruin this counntry in minutes.
    As one presidential candidate said many years ago – ”we are one generation from losing our freedom”. Unfortunately, that needs to be ammended. ”We are only one election away from losing our freedom”, and a whole lot more.

  10. i don’t support Biden because he loves the Palestinians
    I don’t support Biden because he supports mayhem and looting under the guise brotherhood and love

  11. Never mind, I read some more. You are a flaming democrat, you’re echoing garbage talking points of the left, and you ascribe positive things to Biden that are simply untrue, and negatives to Trump that have been thoroughly debunked.

  12. Too many words on such a simple question. Not sure where to begin… First, not one word about corruption. Not one word about a vast record of bad decisions. Growth under Clinton and Obama? Really? – Obama was a self admitted disaster, and clinton was controlled by a conservative house. Check your history. Anyone who knew Rav Avigdor Miller would NOT question who he would support. Pro Israel? He already said he would reopen the PA office in Washington and restore their ‘aid’… Why do I feel when I look back to the article that I’m wasting my words…

  13. Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris conveyed in an interview with Arab American News over the weekend that a Biden administration will restore aid to Palestinians that President Donald Trump halted due to it being used for terror purposes, The Jerusalem Post reported on Tuesday morning.

    Harris stated via email to the Detroit-based bilingual weekly that immediate actions would be taken to restore economic assistance to the Palestinians, provide humanitarian aid to Gaza and reopen the US consulate in east Jerusalem.

    A Biden administration would also make efforts to reopen the PLO office in Washington – which Trump closed – and oppose “settlement expansion,” annexation and any Israeli unilateral actions that would hinder a two-state solution.

    “We are committed to a two-state solution, and we will oppose any unilateral steps that undermine that goal,” Harris wrote. “We will also oppose annexation and settlement expansion.”

  14. No one has time to read this. We vote for Trump because every Rav that I know of has said so. Most publicly, Rav Shmuel Kaminetsky Shlit”a. I am happy to show my children that ‘major singers’ follow Daas Torah. And yes, we are ‘monothilic’ when it comes to following the Torah. (this is besides the obvious fact that Biden would be quickly replaced by a radical Leftist, and the Democratic party in general is becoming unhinged. This is not a good thing, but it is a fact.) Maybe you would have a point if there was mainstream Torah personalities who say to vote for Biden, but since there aren’t, you are wrong.

  15. he is incomparably more honest than the pathological liar who currently inhabits the White House.

    Puhleaze. At the second debate he clearly stated that he is not against, and will not ban fracking. He challenged Trump to disprove it and Trump totally proved that he did say it

    JOE BIDEN IS A TOTALLY CORUPT PATHOLOGICAL LIAR

  16. “The purpose of this essay isn’t to convince anyone to vote for Biden, nor is it to convince anyone not to vote for Trump – I consider both options legitimate.”

    Both of those “legitimate” options being “vote for Biden” and “not to vote for Trump”.

    This article is pathetic, and its author – nebach – is blind and has been duped. Go back and research facts, not to be swayed by emotion fed by left-wing propaganda.

  17. Every time I skim this, I keep laughing out loud at its utter lunacy. This is literally so many bad words matzav wouldn’t publish if I commented them, and I’m not going to write a rebuttal, but c’mon, man!

  18. Hi, this is my son Beau!

    (Wait a minute. Can’t be. Beau is dead.)

    Oh wait! This is my grand daughter Natalie.

    No, wait! I got it wrong again! Thats Natalie. This is Finnegan, Beau’s daughter

  19. He talks and acts like an unruly child, Calls people names….

    And did Biden not call the president of United States a “clown”?????

  20. The question should be asked is why should any orthodox Jew vote for Biden, It’s a known fact that Biden if god forbid wins will not be in control of his administration he will just be a figurehead doing and saying what his handlers will command him to do and we all know who is nowadays in control of the Democrat party and if you don’t know yet do some due diligence and maybe your mind will be opened.

  21. unfortunately I did not have time yet tp read your entire essay, though I want to correct an assertion you make early on regarding the economy. You are apparently believing or merely regurgitating the media’s talking points. The recovery during President Obama’s tenure was extremely sluggish – don’t take my word for it, look up what non-partisan economists were saying. President Obama’s administration publicly declared that there was a “new normal” – that the adjusted GDP growth rate would no longer be what it was and would not exceed 2%. Enter Trump and suddenly that’s not true anymore. The removal and easing of restrictive regulations and bureaucracy which had tied the hands of small and medium and even large businesses, and lowering of taxes, all helped lead (with Hashem’s creation and orchestration of course,) to a boom in the economy that benefitted not only the rich white people (as the media will have you believe), but even minorities. After 8 years of President Obama and his VP Joe Biden and countless administrations before that, Trump presided over the lowest Black unemployment rate ever. To say that Trump merely inherited an economy on the rise is laughable.

  22. I stopped reading after this line “He also claims to have launched his campaign in reaction to vile anti-Semitic chants in Charlottesville (which the President legitimized as emanating from “fine people”).

  23. To Matzav: Please don’t print garbage to get more clicks.

    All the Gedolim say to vote for Trump. Is this guy claiming to be smarter than them?

    Biden is a puppet for Harris who is anti-religion, immoral, highly anti-Semitic, an extreme liberal socialist, ANTI-POLICE. She is a narcissist with a very low self esteem and serious chip on her shoulder who was disgustingly degrading and offensively disrespectful to people such as Justice Amy Coney Barett and Mike Pence. I can’t listen to her talk for more than a minute without getting sick to the stomach.

    There is much, much more to say. But I won’t waste my time on hopelessly foolish people.

  24. According to Kamala Harris, Biden will restore aid to the Palestinians and Gaza and reopen the PLO office in the USA.
    Is that where you want your tax dollars going?

  25. He is “oiver butel.” He will not be the president were he to G-d forbid be elected. He was very antagonistic to Menachem Begin and the list goes on and on. Shame on you for not showing Hakaros Hatova to Trump.

  26. Simply read Ruth B. Gizburg’s ruling on religious rights and compare that with Amy Coney Barrett belief’s. and this can and does affect so many different issues of religious rights and even freedoms.

  27. The gedolim have said to vote for Trump. This is the reason why a case can’t be made to vote for Biden. I’m actually surprised and saddened when I hear of a frum Jew that did not adhere to the call of our leaders, as if they are entitled to their own opinion.

  28. You are wrong on so many counts that I will not expend all my time to enumerate all the reasons here to refute what you stated.

    Biden is surrounded by anti semites who are antithetical to Israel and the Jewish community.

    If you care about our nation, you would know that Biden and his Marxist minions want to destroy our country. https://joebiden.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/UNITY-TASK-FORCE-RECOMMENDATIONS.pdf

    They want to break down our suburbs by introducing low income housing under HUD rules enacted by Obama. They want to bring statehood to DC creating 2 democrat senators for perpetuity.‬

    They want to legalize 22 million illegals in our country who will vote for democrats. Our country will become a 1 party state and republicans will never win a national election again.

    They will eliminate the senate filibuster making it impossible to stop their radical agenda.

    They will transform the Supreme Court by packing it with progressive justices who will legalize all that we as Jewish consider blasphemous and make it very simple to continue to destroy our country and culture.

    Our county will become a socialist communist utopia where religion will be obliterated and Gd will not exist. Our children will be indoctrinated for generations to come.

    The left has declared war on our traditional family based culture. This can be seen by their making the validation of same sex marriage, transgender rights, more extreme abortion rights the norm.

    They oppose school vouchers so that our children be forced to go to public schools where they can be exposed to the radical left agenda.

    They also seek to eradicate religion and increase government control of our lives by minimizing capitalism and increasing socialism in our economy.

    This is all part of their war on our culture. That’s why they are filled with hate. They hate, not just oppose the average American’s traditional values

    This is utterly frightening. This election will determine the future of our country. We will either go down the path of Rome and other great empires or continue as the GREAT United States of America.

    I spoke to Rabbi Miller many times. He was vehement in his support for President Nixon because he understood that the left was attempting to expel him from office as they’re tying to do now with President Trump for the same reasons. They both represented conservative values and belief in a Creator.

    The differences now are that the biased media has been marginalized by social media and other outlets. Had Nixon had these platforms he might have been able to resist the cabal and the republican senators who were intimidated into facilitating his ouster. The left was trying to oust Nixon for the same reason that they’re trying to oust President Trump. It’s all about ideology.

    To disparage President Trump for personal behavior in the past is extremely shortsighted. We don’t expect non Jews to be saints besides which you don’t know that he hasn’t changed as no allegations have been made against him during his term in office nor in quite a few years prior to his becoming President.

    We expect those who lead us to be friends of the Jewish people and believe in the principles our country was founded upon. That is what’s important and what is sufficient for us.

    I suggest you listen to the sage Rabbi Kessin expound on this subject before you veer off on this topic and mislead many people not educated on this subject.

    https://youtu.be/PvSpNEYnfHc

  29. We should vote for a candidate because his running mate is married to a Jew? Bad enough that both candidates have sons married to Jews ( not the daughter-in-law,who converted) but for a non-Jew to marry a Jew shows disrespect for his religion. Think of Cozbi .
    President Trump, through his actions, has shown support for Israel. When Biden was vice-president, Obama was terrible for Israel. The democratic party wants to have a two-state dissolution and a palestinian embassy.
    The Republican party speaks out against immorality, unlike the democrats who embrace every deviant behavior.

  30. Any discussion without focusing on the supreme court and religions freedoms is dishonest.
    The democrats have a huge history of tryin to make peace in Israel by forcing only Israel to concede again and again and supporting or at least looking the other way on terrorism.

  31. This is a terrible, scurrilous attack on the President that should not be countenanced by a reputable news site. Who is the author? (Provide some details, not just his name!)?
    “The purpose of this essay isn’t to convince anyone to vote for Biden, nor is it to convince anyone not to vote for Trump”–really? “As stated from the outset, my goal is not do get-out-the-Biden-vote. At the time of reading this article most of our community members may have voted already. My goal is to reflect on what brought about this pro-Trump fervor in our community.”
    Again, really? The whole article is a screed against the President, a vile regurgitation of every bad tidbit that has ever been thrown at him (usually without evidence, as the media likes to say), and a presentation of Biden-as-saint (although this is COUNTER to evidence the public has seen of his true self). (We should consider that because his running mate is intermarried to a totally secular Jew, Biden is closer to the Jewish community than the President, whose daughter and grandchildren actually live a Jewish life? Why don’t you mention that Biden’s son Hunter’s latest wife is nominally Jewish, and his daughter is married to a secular Jew, too, just like Hillary’s daughter is, and all three of them are just as non-Jewish as they ever were. In fact, why don’t you mention Hunter?)
    Throughout his presidency, the President has conducted himself more in accordance with Torah values and has shown more awareness of and honor to Hashem than all the Democrats put together. Rather than be considered a “buffoon,” he is respected and admired–if not feared–by other world leaders, and has accomplished more in the world theater than Biden in his almost-50 years of public disservice. Despite falsely promoting itself as an invitation to soul-searching, it really is a shameful, biased, and mendacious last minute attempt to sway some mythical undecided voters–as if there are any at this point. Any ponderous soul-searching should be done by those who think articles like this are appropriate vehicles for their “altruistic” message.

  32. kamel face gave an anti Israel speech in Dearborn. Wants to give $$ to terrorists. Wants to pressure Israel to surrender land. OBUMER most anti-Israel president since Carter

  33. The question is not only about our enthusiasm to vote for Trump, which he has earned, it is the fear of putting in Kamala Harris and her left wing radicals that now control the Democratic Party. Can’t understand for the life of me how a Jewish frum person with half a brain in their head can vote to put Iran, the PLO, BLM, Antifa and socialism in charge of our country.
    I’m tired of hearing about Trump’s character. We are looking to be meshadach with him. If you are interested in knowing what kind of mechutan he is, ask Charles Kushner.)
    How do people like you ignore the fact that Biden is unfortunately a senile old man who will not be making a single decision. He will be a left wing puppet.

  34. President Trump at Charlottesville was not calling the hate groups fine people – he condemned them. He also has condemned anti-semitism , unlike Biden who proudly befriended segregationists, touted an award from George Wallace, honored a former Exalted Cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan, worried his kids would grow up in a “racial jungle,” marveled that Barack Obama was “articulate” and “clean,” bragged about being from a slave state, and repeatedly used the n-word. https://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/fact-check-after-charlottesville-president-trump-specifically-and-totally-condemned-neo-nazis-and-white-nationalists/

  35. The author states re Biden, “He is, by all accounts, a decent man who hasn’t shown any extremist views throughout his decades-long career. He’s long stood for decency, law and order, empathy, and anti-bigotry, while supporting working people. His personal story of suffering and perseverance is far more inspiring than Donald’s exploits and evasions.”

    Joe Biden, as VP in 2012, came out publicly on tv for toeivah “marriage”, when the President had not done so. He was a פורץ גדר, פורץ מגדרי עולם על עריות, משבע מצות בני נח. That led to the President himself openly changing his position in that direction shortly afterward. Additionally, Biden himself performed a toeivah “wedding” at his official residence in 2016 (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/vice-president-joe-biden-gay-marriage-wedding-home-washington-law-order-episode-cameo-a7168331.html).

    Someone who is a such a poretz geder is not a “decent man”.

    He is an evil פורץ גדר, a רשע!

  36. while I disagree with most of the article, I’m glad to have read an article that is only pointing are one nominee. May hashem bless is with the better of the 2 candidates for 4 more years of national success.

  37. You have been listening to way too much radio and news. You should be listening to more of Rabbi Miller and you will see how he predicted the rise of socialism in the USA. Biden and his pals which invoice left wing radicals want to make our country a socialist country. You actually believe that the economy was up because of the useless Obama that destroyed the economy. Please less of fake news and more of Rabbi Miller

  38. So the whole gist of this article is “why do yidden like Trump?” Then a very small sample of some of the reasons why, then some unconvincing lies about why they shouldn’t. All of the positive things the author said about biden are more true of Trump, as shown by the stretches the author needs to make so biden sounds good (how is a yid marrying a goyish VP candidate better than the president’s own kids and grandkids being not only yidden, but frum?). Bottom line, Trump is amazing for most of the things frum yidden care about, and we don’t expect non-jewish political leaders to live up to our standards. Biden has no frum support because in the best case scenario, he is maybe almost as good as Trump.

  39. long and drawn out letter. The answer, for me, who did not vote for him the first time, is that the enthusiasm is more about what Trump stands against, than what trump is.
    You mention immoral and dishonest.
    Do you know who Biden takes pride in hanging out with? Snakes like AOC, Kamala, and the bunch.
    This is not against Biden per se, its against a biden-who-is-cozy-with-the-left.

    That is also the answer to the enthusiasm, Trump is a brash and blunt figure, faulty by any standard, but against a snake who wears sheeps clothing everyone roots for him.

  40. hope these words will be understood. THE FACT THAT A FRUM YID CAN WRITE AND PUBLICIZE THIS IS ITSELF PROOF OF THE TERRIBLE DAMAGE THAT THE LEFTISTS HAVE AFFLICTED ON SOCIETY…. EVEN OUR OWN.

  41. HOW DARE ANY OF YOU SCHMENDRICKS SO CRUELLY ATTACK A FELLOW JEW AS SUCH? YOU APPICORSIM ARE NO BETTER THAN TRUMP HIMSELF!!!!

      • 5:42
        name one gadol who said one is required to vote for one or the other candidates? nu… ?? some gedolim might have said one is better than the other. but nobody said one is required to vote one way or the other. stop making up new halachos that not even the gedolim enacted!!

  42. I have read your piece and I considered that maybe I was wrong when I voted for Mr. Trump.

    1. Maybe Mr. Biden is right in restoring funding to the PA.
    2. Maybe Mr. Biden was right when he opposed the moving of the embassy to Yerushalayim.
    3. Maybe Ms, Harris is right when she announced that she and Joe oppose unilateral moves by the parties (The Medina and PA) because they support (an Arab-slanted) two-state solution.
    4. Maybe Mr. Biden was right when he did not demand that the PA discontinue its “Pay to Slay” program. I can hear the PA singing a song now. “Slay bells ring. Are you listenen? On the sand, blood is glistenen, a beautiful sight, we’re happy tonight, killin’, in a winter wonderland.”
    5. Maybe Mr. Biden was right when he said he would eliminate our dependence on fossil fuels because oil pollutes.
    6. Maybe Mr. Biden was right when he said he would end fracking and maybe Mr. Biden was right when he said he would not end fracking.
    7. Maybe Mr. Biden was right when he said that the electorate had no entitlement to see a list of his Supreme Court appointments before the election. Obviously, among the Democrat leadership, Mrs. Pelosi’s “We will have to pass the legislation before we know what’s in it,” trumps Mr. Trump’s “Truth in Packaging.”
    8. Maybe Mr. Biden was right when he assaulted females.
    9. Maybe Mr. Biden was right when he delayed for weeks and months before he criticized the rioters in several cities.
    10. Maybe Mr. Biden was right when he announced he would be raising taxes and repealing Mr. Trump’s tax cuts.
    11. Maybe Mr. Biden was right when he failed to protest the governmental spying on Mr. Trump’s campaign and administration.
    12. Maybe Mr. Biden was correct when he boasted that he had threatened to withhold $1B of American aid to Ukraine unless they fired a prosecutor investing Hunter Biden.
    13. Maybe Mr. Biden was correct when he claimed that he has never accepted any money from a foreign government.
    14. Maybe Mr. Biden was right in not speaking up against Mr. Obama’s redifa against Israel.
    15. Maybe Mr. Biden was correct when he repeatedly lied and committed plagiarism.
    16. Maybe Mr. Biden is not a racist just because he said “Poor kids are just as smart as white kids,” or when he worked with avowed racists in Congress.
    17. Maybe Mr. Biden was right when he supported the entire falsified Russian Collusion narrative.
    18. Maybe Mr. Biden was right when he opposed Mr. Trump’s wall on the southern border.
    19. Maybe Mr. Biden was right when he announced that he would extend Obamacare to illegal immigrants (violating Mr. Obama’s commitment no to do so.)
    19. Maybe Mr. Biden was right when he supported reallocating funds and defunding the police.
    20. Is it possible that references in Hunter’s emails were references to money to be provided to his father?
    21. Maybe Mr. Biden was right when he chose to deny his son’s influence peddling rather than own up to it.
    22. Mrs. Pelosi appointed Rep. Ilhan Omar to a spot on the Foreign Affairs Committee. (Was that a smart choice given her experience with foreign affairs?) Maybe Mr. Biden will make a similar smart choice should he appoint her to the post of Secretary of State.
    23. Maybe Mr. Biden is right in supporting AOC’s Green New Deal.
    24. Maybe Iran, China, N. Korea, Palestinian Authority, Black Lives Matter, Antifa are wrong for supporting such a strong candidate as Mr. Biden.
    25. Maybe Mr. Biden will appoint Mr. Keith Ellison (Minnesota’s radical Islamist State Attorney General and an admirer of Rev. Louis Farrakhan) as Attorney General of the United States.
    26. Maybe Mr. Biden is right when he advocates the end of suburbia and works to eliminate the construction of single family homes.
    27. Maybe Ms. Harris is correct when she advocates policies which will ensure “equality of outcome” not just equality of opportunity.”
    28. Maybe Mr. Biden is correct when he promises to resurrect the the Iranian nuclear deal. Should the lives of millions of Yidden in Israel be important to us?
    29. Maybe Mr. Biden is right to continue Mr. Obama’s transformational presidency pledge which I recast as,
    “Give me your dollars. I’ll give you some change.”
    30. Most of our rabbinic leaders, starting with Rav Shmuel K support Mr. Trump.

    No. Mr. Biden was/is not correct. Clearly, I was correct in voting for Mr. Trump.

    Finally, I believe, “Biden’s laptop matters.” Don’t bump Trump. Support patriotism not hatriotism!

  43. Mr. Biden is pro-science and pro-facts.

    What that really means is that he believes that whatever theories are currently being pushed by the scientists ARE facts. Such beliefs do not bode well for the frum world.

    Ever since the times of Yevonin we had problems from such people.

  44. notwithstanding that trump was endorsed by a large number of Gedolim, and simply that we should show him hakaras hatov, of course….

    i don’t care what world leaders say if the Gedolim (and the middle east), say otherwise

  45. First of all I’m quite disappointed that this article was published at all. While I’m not against hearing opposing views and to the contrary I’ve been looking for ways to understand reasons to vote for Biden. This article is full of lies and half truths to slander Trump and there by creating a reason to vote for Biden. The author starts slandering Trump claiming he said all people in Charlottesville were fine people but that is blatantly false. It is what the media would have you believe. However I listen to the full speech multiple times and he clearly and outright denounced those that promoted violence and hate. He then quantified his statement saying that not all the protesters were bad and that there were fine people on BOTH sides.

    The author then goes on to claim that Trump only became pro life so he can run as a Republican. But that too is false. While he did only change his opinion on the pro choice/ pro life issue recently. It was a few years before he even thought of running for president. The reason he changed his opinion was because he became friends with was supposed to have been aborted and he came to a realization that there lives are worth something.
    He then claims that Trump has the support of the Kkk and white supremacists. That is also false as a matter of fact most if not all supporters of the kkk and white supremacists groups support BIDEN. The author then goes on to emphasize his point by claiming that Trump has always been a racist and anti semite. Another outrageous lie if you look at his history he was always considered a friend of the black and brown community as well as respectful of Jews until he ran as a REPUBLICAN for president.
    The author then claims that he hesitates to denounce anti semitism and racism the only explanation I can give to such a claim is to say we have different definitions of hesitation. He has always jumped to condemn racism and he renounced them over and over again only to have the media claim that he doesn’t this is straight up false.
    In regards to covid-19 while the president did downplay it originally he also took it very seriously and made moves to limit the spread immediately. He put in place a travel ban before anyone else thought it necessary. Biden even said that trump was being xenophobic. The fact that Trump tried to calm everyone’s fear is not a knock against him but rather the sign of a strong leader who doesn’t want to cause unnecessary panic. The panic that is till today destroying our country.
    The author then goes on to question how much better Trump has been for Israel than Biden. To even compare the two is blasphemous. One brokered multiple peace deals and the other gave BILLIONS of dollars to a government that has sworn to destroy Israel.
    Next he decides to argue that we should not vote for Trump because of how he acts in his personal life. First of all who cares what he does on his personal life as long as it doesn’t effect how he runs the country. Two Bidens personal life is just as messy it may not have always been public knowledge but now it is. He has been accused of groping children and sexually assaulting staffers. He has been selling his office for all kinds of favors and he may even be involved in trafficking women for abuse. Biden is known to have been friends with known kkk members and he even eulogized one and called him a great person. He is and has always been a pathological liar and he has no values what so ever. While he did stand up against the extreme left in the primaries he has completely embraced the extreme left in his presidential run. He has refused to denounce the extremist many that are rabidly anti semitic.
    When it comes to the economy you question the job Trump has done. I can tell you that he has in fact done an amazing job and a big part of why it has not been bigger is because people were not sure how things would play out. Knowing what we do now we’re can expect things to get much better. In regards to welfare while I do believe that it is needed it should not be used as a handicap that prevents people from eventually being able to support themselves on their own. As such the tax breaks are a great way to help people be self sufficient. On top of that reducing and removing welfare benefits will also encourage people to become sufficient. The democratic parties idea of welfare has always been detrimental to the will to succeed because why try to earn money if it means paying more taxes and losing benefits. (Personally I think a system that weans people of welfare gradually is the way it should be and not an all or nothing dollar cut off).
    The claim that Biden follows the science and is pro facts is also completely false. He has been very wishy washy when it comes to the facts and when the science first recommended not having large gatherings he continued to have rallies until his team decided that they can use that as something against the president.
    Please let us hear both sides but let us not present falsehood as the basis for one side. I am truly horrified that so many baseless claims can be posted as a reasonable reason to consider Biden.

  46. Matzav, I believe you have done something gravely wrong by printing this article by this misguided individual. Ask a true Talmid Chacham to find out if I’m right.

  47. It saddens me to read this. First, we have seem so much support from Trump from all of out Gedolim. Rav Berel Pavarsky said that we must thank Hashem for giving us such a tremendous Ohev Yisroel in the White House. Rav Shmuel Kamenetzsky defended his course behaviour, with a possuk in Mishle, attributing it to his wealth. Jointly, every major Chasidic Rebbi and top Litfish Rosh Yeshiva wrote a letter, personally thanking him for defending religion. Getting so many Gedoleim from every side of the Jewsih spectrum is alone a tremendous accomplishment. I think that this alone should be enough for any frum Yid.

    As per your points, in a few words: Biden was Vice president under one of the worst presidents for the Jews ever, and has proven himself to be an enemy of the Jewish people. He has now been caught selling out American interests for millions of dollars in personal profits, he is encouraging the violence which threatens the safety of every Jew in America, he favors abortion and Toeiva marriage, and has many many racist comments on record. I really can’t imagine how any frum Jew could even consider him?

  48. I voted for Trump not because he is an examplary human being. I voted for him because he and the Republican Party are much more aligned with my values.

    To address some of the pro Biden points you raised.

    Mr. Biden lies too his son and he himself are involved in questionable bussiness practices. He was accused of plagiarism the last time he ran for president. Not an unfounded accusation.

    So he is not the decent person he is depicted by MSM who are covering up for him.

    His running mate just told some Palestinian Organization the Biden Adminstration would turn the clock back to Obama’s terrible policies. Restoring funds to the PA would mean financial support support for jailed terrorists etc. The US will rejoin the Iran treaty.

    As for the pandemic the Democrats act as if no other country had any deaths it is all Trump’s fault and no other leaders are culpable.

    Finally the Biden team are pro abortion pro Toeva, pro Progressive Marxist policy.

    These are just some of the good reasons Orthodox Jews won’t vote for Biden or Democrats.

  49. I thought you would at least give one compelling reason to vote for Biden, but you gave none. I would give you at least four reasons not to vote for Biden. 1) Biden himself, watch almost every speech he gave in the last few weeks and you see he is in serious mental decline. 2) Harris, was rated as one of the most liberal senators 3) Bernie Sanders 4) the squad led by AOC. I’m sure others can add to this. As far as Trumps personal behavior there were many politicians who were just like Trump. Do the names Clinton, Kennedy, LB Johnson ring a bell. A real garbage article to say the least.

  50. This is an election year of parties, not individuals. The Democratic National Platform, which said party was kind enough to mail me unsolicited, advocates violation of the most severe Torah violations for both Jew and Gentile. The Republicans advocate nothing of the sort. Their platform is based upon policies that you can agree or disagree with. But nothing that would make HKB”H kaviyachol vomit.

    The Republican thrust is to improve one’s self and one’s country. Sometimes right, sometimes wrong, but based upon faith in the good of the American people.

    The Democratic approach is to knock one’s country, make White people into villains by definition, and revise American history. In short Democrats do not respect themselves, except for those who riot and loot. Witness the decriminalization of shoplifting (see the WSJ) in California, and the resulting closing of chain stores.

    I have too much self-respect to consider voting for today’s Democratic party.

  51. My thoughts exactly. When Trump was running in 20016 and he was talking about not letting in Muslims into the country etc. I told my students: Jews should not vote him in, because first is the Muslims then it’s applied to the Jews (G-d forbid). The same thing with the south border, the last ones to agree with this administrations policies should be the Jews after which they had coming from the holocaust.
    May G-d protect us all.

  52. I read a part of this article and it’s very obvious that the writer believes in the russian hoax. You also “BELIEF” the blm protests are peaceful, rather let people lose their livelihood and lock down, than work on masks etc. Their businesses are going bankrupt, so they run in to their stores only to be fined to oblivion by your socialist friends. Amazon should grow unimpeded for 3/4 year at the expense of other businesses. So, “on the economy”, you state the economy wasn’t as great as he pretends it to be. You are starting to show your true beliefs. Me for one, I paid less taxes last year. The stock market is another part of the picture, the unemployment rate is another piece in the puzzle. I understand it’s hard for a democrat to recognize the good trump did, no he’s not a g-d, yet his removing the obstacles placed by previous administrations were the obstacles. This is a no brainer. Get rid of the democrats for some time and things will get better. They got out of hand already.

    I voted for trump and it’s time the dems see we do vote as a block and they should stop stabbing is at every turn of the corner.

  53. To the author of the obviously slated article! You claim that you spoke many times with Rav Miller. Was it Harav Hagaon Rav Avigdor Miller, ZT”L, who refuted every liberal talking point that you espoused? Or, was it “Rabbi” Fred Miller? How any Yid could vote for a ideology that is totally Anti Hashem and His Torah is beyond me. I will have you in mind and your ilk, when I recite Birchas HaMinim in Shimoneh Esrei!!

  54. Zerachya Licht: you can change your name to “chashchus finster darkness”. Your article is full of stupidity! Why are you embarrasung yourself and Matzav?

  55. They are both rashayim and you are fooling yourself if you think otherwise. But at least pick the rasha that will help you the most.
    All Biden said is that he will not be Trump and that was his main message. Trump has personality quirks but his actions speak louder and he always tries to do whats best for USA. So why would anyone not want that?

  56. Short and sweet: Jews who vote for Trump do so, if anything, out of pure hakoras hatov for what he has done for yidden as President of the USA. And for yidden, since our very names denotes “appreciation”, voting out of hakoras hatov, and nothing else, also means to “stand on principle”.

  57. Well, if you like Delaware, we can see a send in. The man in office is breaking the brackets. We do not know if he will be a ready cradle for the 2nd term. But Biden? A scape grade milk.

    Milk and honey. Somehow, we will still be milk and honey.

    Cinderella can dance the gold bearing Kamela’s buck work. She is just the glass milk they want. Dunce man.

  58. To the Writer
    How could you possibly day that Biden is Pro Israel? Are you forgetting that he was part of the Obama administration? A key player in the Obama administration actually. I don’t think it’s necessary to elaborate on that. If that’s not proof enough then then I don’t know what is and you’re just too stubborn.

  59. Wow! Matzav are geniuses. Their goal is to get people to their website and keep them engaged. Look at this! some of you took hours to write long megilla’s on why Trump and why not Biden. So much rage and hate. The author is entitled to his opinion and so are you. Nothing in this world is black and white, well almost nothing. AIN OD MILVADO is black and white. Who the president is or isn’t HAS NO BEARING ON ANYTHING. HASHEM RUNS THE WORLD NOT THE FILTHY LIARS THAT GET ELECTED TO PUBLIC OFFICE. Perhaps the message in a Biden win, if that turns out to be ratzon Hashem, is that we put too much faith in a “friend in Washington” and forgot Who is really in charge.
    If you ask me, I hope they both lose.

  60. I am rather saddened by the discourse I see in these comments. Mr. Licht’s article is certainly not inflammatory. Perhaps you may argue that at times he may stride the line towards cynicism but overall the tone is noticeably curious and he does ask genuine questions (Even the claim of Daas Torah does not invalidate the legitimacy of many of his questions, it just excludes the possibility of a change in policy). Yet the responses that I have seen here are largely ad hominem attacks. I will not bother listing all the Gemaras that discourage such rhetoric. I will, however, share my hope that we can act as a community and engage in a dialectic that will elevate us all.

  61. Biden’s landslide election win will be confirmed by the Electoral College in a few hours. It would behoove the frum community to cease and desist from the campaign of slanderous lies against Biden and Harris. Neither hates Jews (Biden has Jewish grandchildren and Harris is married to a Jew) but this campaign of attacks is not going to convince either, or any Democrat, to lift a finger to help frum Jews.

    Fortunately it looks like the Modern Orthodox world again voted against the moral degenerate and will still have some standing with the public.

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