Pirkei Avos

There is a custom among observant Jews to read from Pirkei Avos, Ethics of the Fathers, on a Saturday afternoon of rest during the Sabbath. It is a collection of the moral arguments and lessons of our great Sages.

The motivation for Pirkei Avos is the belief that the fall of the second Temple is largely rooted in the moral divisions among Jews who were otherwise observant of the forms of worship. It is not a book of lists of great moral maxims or slogans. It is the delicate discussion of the very many small choices of how we choose to live our daily lives, which cumulatively bring us closer to building the world we care to live in, one that the Messiah will find worthy to come.

For those inclined toward Bible study or morality study, it is one of the most enriching experiences to set aside a time each week to consider these collected wisdoms.

In our daily lives we also need to have friends whose example leads us into these considerations. I’ve been blessed to have many such friends in my life. Those friendships have been forged most often in the field of battle, some of those friends coming from my adversaries at the time whose wisdom later earned my understanding and respect.

It is in that vein of openness that just after reading in my Pirkei Avos the words of Rashi (“Do not act in a fashion that will cause you to view yourself as wicked,” and the comment, “Be careful how you act today so that you will not come to question later how you came to do such evil.”) that I opened one of my and your favorite blogs, Powerline.com, and read: “Some ground rules are better than others when it comes to confirming judges, and an approach that involves deference to the president has much to recommend it. But the most important thing is that the rules be consistent so that the ability of the parties to confirm their nominees is a function of their standing with the public, not more favorable rules.” (Paul Mirengoff)

I won’t judge, I am not qualified to stand in judgment of someone whom I respect so much for so many of his merits and contributions. I hope I am missing something in my darkness, and will learn it.

At this moment, however, this statement of, perhaps, political truth, does not appear to me to be a moral truth as overriding as consistency in observing the process of the Constitution and fairness. Just because some liberals may not follow those rules does not mean that conservatives should surrender the moral high ground, that is the root of our unity and strength and attraction to those whom we want as allies, in order to come down to the level of our political adversaries.

In the 2000 election campaign, candidate George W. Bush said, "In my administration, we will ask not only what is legal, but what is right - not just what the lawyers allow, but what the public deserves." That's whom I voted for.