30 Jun WAKE UP CALL; LAZINESS AT THE BALLOT BOX: HOW MAMDANI GOT ELECTED

The recent
Democratic primary
elections underscore
the critical
importance of our
Jewish community
showing up at the
voting booths. The danger is no longer
theoretical—we are witnessing the rise of a
candidate who is a declared antisemite,
openly supports the BDS movement, calls
to globalize the intifada, and threatens the
very legitimacy of the State of Israel. His
agenda doesn’t stop there: he has called to
defund the police, a move that would turn
New York City into a lawless zone
resembling the Wild West.
His divisive and inflammatory statements
include proposals to over-tax white
communities based on their race and arrest
Benjamin Netanyahu when visiting NYC.
This isn’t just dangerous politics—it’s a
direct threat to the safety, stability, and
values of our city and our people.
And yet, despite all this, much of our
community did not show up to vote. That
reality raises a painful and urgent question:

if this is not enough to move us into action—
what is? When the threat is real and close,
silence and passivity are not options.
Of course, some may argue that many didn’t
believe this extremist candidate could
actually get elected, while others were
registered as Republicans and therefore
unable to vote in the Democratic primary.
But the truth is, these are weak excuses.
When faced with a real and immediate
threat to our community on so many levels,
each person had the responsibility to find a
solution. Personally, when I went to vote, I
simply changed my party affiliation at the
polling site from Republican to Democrat—
because that’s what the situation demanded.
What’s most alarming, however, is that
many didn’t even try. Instead, they chose to
enjoy the start of summer in the mountains
or in Deal, others stayed in their air
conditioned homes and offices, ignoring the
urgency of the moment. By doing so, we
jeopardized our safety, our livelihood, and
our communal voice.
Think about it: would you lounge by a pool
in the mountains if there was even a 1%
chance of danger to you or your family? All

the more so when the threat is not just
possible—but likely. This is a wake-up call.
We cannot afford to sit out the next one.
The High Cost of Staying passive
The root of this passiveness lies in plain
laziness. While we may be highly active and
passionate in many areas of life, when it
comes to voting, we often fall short. This
laziness numbs our sense of urgency and
puts us to sleep—exactly as Shlomo
HaMelech says: “Laziness leads to deep
sleep” (Mishlei 19:15). Laziness breeds
indifference, and indifference leads to
dangerous silence.
When the Jewish people are alert, united,
and focused, no one can stand in our way.
We see this clearly in real time with the
unity and strength displayed in Israel during
times of crisis. But when we slumber, we are
left vulnerable—and suffer defeat.
Shlomo HaMelech adds another powerful
message: “I passed by the field of a lazy
man, and by the vineyard of a man lacking
heart, and behold—it was all overgrown
with thorns, nettles covered its surface, and
its stone wall was broken down” (Mishlei
24:30–31).
Orchot Tzaddikim (ch. 16) explains that a
lazy man’s field doesn’t just fail to produce
crops because the lazy doesn’t work it—it
ends up growing harmful things like thorns
and weeds. And even if he manages to plant
something good, his laziness causes him to
lose it. Why? Because the stone wall that
protects the field is broken, and he’s too
lazy to fix it. As a result, animals and
thieves come in and take whatever grew.
Shlomo highlights this point by saying,
“and the stone wall was broken down”.
Even though the wall was strong, it still
collapsed—because the lazy person didn’t
bother repairing it in time. His failure to act
on time caused something strong and secure
to fall apart.
To connect this to our discussion: when we
are lazy and fail to rise to the challenge, we
put our homes, communities, and businesses
at risk. This is especially troubling because
voting is not a difficult task. It takes little
effort—yet has major impact.
The Ben Ish Chai writes that before putting
on a tallit, one should have certain
intentions. He adds that if a person doesn’t
have them, Hashem is in a fight with him,
because the task is so easy that there’s no
excuse not to do it. When someone faces a
truly difficult challenge, we can understand
if he struggles. But when it comes to
something as simple as showing up at a
voting booth and potentially saving the
day—there’s no excuse for staying home.

Bitachon vs. Laziness
One might argue that everything is in
Hashem’s hands anyway, and that true
bitachon (trust in Hashem) means remaining
passive. However, this idea is clearly refuted
by Rav Eliyahu Dessler. He warns: “One
must be careful not to confuse laziness with
bitachon. Some people fail to act out of
laziness and claim it’s bitachon. But know
this—someone who avoids doing his part
because of laziness will lose out, because
only genuine bitachon brings Hashem’s
help, not laziness.”
We can explain how to test whether a person
is being guided by real trust or by laziness:
look at how he behaves in other areas of life.
For example, does he go to work each day or
stay home and expect Hashem to provide
for him? If he gets up and goes to work,
clearly he understands the need for
hishtadlut—effort. And if so, how can he
justify not going to vote, which takes far
less effort and can have enormous impact?
If you act when your own livelihood is on
the line, you must also act when the safety
and future of your family and community
are at stake.
Final Warning
The next election is our moment. Let this be
the wake-up call. We cannot afford to repeat
the mistakes of the primaries. Laziness is
not trust. Inaction is not faith. Standing by
while others decide our future is dangerous—
especially when the candidate in question
openly supports BDS, violence against
Jews, shrinking law enforcement, and
questions Israel’s legitimacy.
The Jewish population in New York City is
nearly one million—far more than what’s
needed to decide the outcome of an election,
if people show up and vote. This means that
if our community unites and uses its voice at
the ballot box, we have the power to shape
the future leadership and policies of the city.
The numbers are there—what’s needed is
participation.
If we value our homes, businesses, and most
importantly, our Jewish community—we
must vote. The cost of staying home this
time could be far worse than any
inconvenience. The future depends on our
participation.