18th century Hasidic rabbi impacts Democrat debate
February 4, 2016Rabbi Simcha Bunim Bonhart of Peshischa (1765–1827 CE), who was one of the key leaders of hasidic Judaism in Poland, made a mark on the Democratic Party debate between presidential hopefuls Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton Wednesday.
The town hall meeting in Derry, New Hampshire, broadcast live and moderated by CNN’s Anderson Cooper, came six days before the New Hampshire presidential primary vote.
Rabbi Jonathan Spira-Savett, who heads Temple Beth Abraham in Nashua, New Hampshire, asked Hillary Clinton a question, after quoting a teaching by Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Peshischa: “Every person has to have two pockets and in each pocket they have to carry a different note. And the note in one pocket says the universe was created for me. And in the other pocket the note says I am just dust and ashes.”
The rabbi asked the candidate: “How do you cultivate the ego, the ego that we all know you must have, a person must have to be the leader of the free world, and also the humility to recognize that we know that you can’t be expected to be wise about all the things that the president has to be responsible for?”
Clinton replied at length. “When you put yourself out into the public arena, I think it’s incumbent upon you to be as self-conscious as possible,” she said. “This is hard for me. You know, I never thought I’d be standing on a stage here asking people to vote for me for president. I always wanted to be of service. I met my husband, who was such a natural, knew exactly what he wanted to do. I was happy to support him while I worked in the Children’s Defense Fund and legal services and taught law, and, you know, had our daughter.”
Scripture lesson every morning
She elaborated: “I never thought I would do this. And so I have had to come to grips with how much more difficult it often is for me to talk about myself than to talk about what I want to do for other people… So I’m constantly trying to balance how do I assume the mantle of a position as essentially august as president of the United States (and) not lose track of who I am, what I believe in and what I want to do to serve?
“I have that dialogue at least, you know, once a day in some setting or another. And I don’t know that there is any ever absolute answer, like, OK, universe, here I am, watch me roar or oh, my gosh, I can’t do it, it’s just overwhelming, I have to retreat.”
Clinton revealed that she receives a scripture lesson every morning “from a minister that I have a really close personal relationship with. And, you know, it just gets me grounded. He gets up really early to send it to me. So, you know, there it is in my in box at 5 a.m.”
“I have friends who are rabbis who send me notes, give me readings that are going to be discussed in services. So I really appreciate all that incoming.”
Clinton also cited Catholic theologian Henri Nouwen, who wrote about practicing “the discipline of gratitude,” from whom she learned that “regardless of how hard the days are, how difficult the decisions are,” one must always be grateful. “Be grateful for being a human being, being part of the universe. Be grateful for your limitations. Know that you have to reach out to have more people be with you, to support you, to advise you, listen to your critics, answer the questions.”
She returned to the hasidic teaching at the end of the town hall when she spoke of her yearning to spend time with friends. “They keep me grounded,” she said. “They keep me honest. They deflate my head. They deal with the universe in one pocket and the dust and ashes in the other.”
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