04 Nov MAMDANI IS JUST THE SYMPTOM, NOT THE DISEASE

The current events
surrounding the New
York elections signify
something deeply
concerning. Behind
the curtain of the
candidates running
for office lies a global movement of
antisemitism that is now taking a firm hold in
America at large—and particularly in New
York. A candidate only represents what the
people feel and desire. The fact that a
majority of New Yorkers want an antisemitic
mayor—and even more so, if one deducts the
Jewish vote, revealing that an overwhelming
majority of non-Jews support him—shows
that our New York neighbors are either
harboring hatred toward Jews or, at best,
indifferent to their Jewish neighbors. Even
more troubling is that the Democratic
candidate was elected while openly
campaigning on anti-Jewish themes—
mocking Jewish holidays such as Chanukah,
cheering on the intifada, and supporting
antisemitic protests on college campuses.
We, as Jews, know what comes next—and it
is not pleasant. Now, I don’t know if real
danger is imminent, and I don’t claim to have
authentic Da’at Torah to make decisions of

what Klal Yisrael should do, but at the very
least, we can discuss this as a potential option
if it becomes necessary.
Tanach Illustrations:
We learn from Yaakov Avinu that when his
mother sensed danger from Esav, she sent
him away; similarly, when King David was
pursued by King Shaul, he fled. These
examples illustrate the principle that one
should not remain in a place that is unsafe for
oneself or one’s family.
Eliyahu and Yermiyah also provide examples
of how even the greatest of prophets had to
flee in order to preserve their lives.
Eliyahu, after boldly confronting the idolatry
and corruption in Israel under King Achav
and Queen Izavel, faced immediate mortal
danger when Izavel vowed to kill him
(Melachim1 19:1–3). Despite his
extraordinary spiritual strength, he did not
remain in place; he fled into the wilderness,
seeking safety while continuing to serve
Hashem in exile. This illustrates that when
the environment becomes hostile even a
prophet must remove themselves from harm.
Similarly, Yermiyah endured constant
persecution for his prophecies, warning the

people of Yeudah about the consequences of
idolatry and moral decay. At times, the threat
to his life was so severe that he had to seek
protection, hiding in cisterns or fleeing from
the authorities (Yermiyah 37–38). His actions
show that preserving one’s life to continue
Torah service is not only permitted but
necessary when surrounded by hostility.
Our Rabbi’s Perspective:
Let us review what our greatest rabbis
instructed us to do when times become
difficult. The Rambam addressed this in his
letter Iggeret HaShmad, written during a
period when Jews were persecuted.
The Rambam writes clearly that the following
advice applies to places where there is no
forced conversion or coercion to abandon our
faith. In such a scenario, one is absolutely
obligated to leave that place. However, the
Rambam explains that his advice here refers
specifically to places where Jews are
persecuted and harassed — in those cases,
one must do everything possible to leave and
find a peaceful place to live.
He writes: “And the advice that I give to
myself, and the counsel that I desire for
myself, my loved ones, and anyone who
seeks my guidance, is this:
He should leave those places and go to a
place where he can uphold his religion and
fulfill the Torah without coercion. He should
not be afraid, but rather abandon his home,
his children, and all his possessions.
Moreover, even if there were two Jewish
communities, and one of them was more
righteous in its conduct, more careful in
mitzvot, and more submissive to the
commandments than the other, one who
fears Hashem is obligated to leave the less
upright community and go to the better one.
Our Sages have already warned us: A person
should not dwell in a place that does not
have ten righteous people. They brought
proof from Sodom, as it is written (Bereishit
18:32): “Perhaps ten will be found there,”
and He said, “I will not destroy it for the
sake of the ten.”
All this applies when both places are Jewish
communities. But if the place is among
gentiles, how much more so is a Jew
obligated to leave that place and go to a
better one. He should make every effort to
do so, even if it means putting himself in
danger, until he is rescued from the evil
place where he cannot properly uphold his
faith, and travel until he reaches a good
place.
The prophets have already explained that
one who dwells among heretics is considered
like one of them, as it says (I Shmuel 26:19):
“For they have driven me out today from
attaching myself to the heritage of Hashem,

saying: Go, serve other gods.” From here we
see that dwelling among non-believers is
equivalent to serving other gods.
So too, the pious and those who fear Hashem
are obligated to despise evil and its doers, as
David said (Tehillim 139:21): “Do I not hate,
Hashem, those who hate You? And do I not
contend with those who rise up against You?”
And he also said (Tehillim 119:63): “I am a
companion to all who fear You and to those
who keep Your precepts.”
Likewise, we find with Avraham Avinu that
he rejected his family and his homeland,
fleeing for his life to escape the ways of the
heretics”.
When the Magen Avraham lists some
halachot that the Shulchan Aruch omitted
(Siman 157), he writes that from the story of
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, who fled his home
to escape the Romans, we learn that one
should seek to escape danger. He adds that
this obligation applies even if doing so might
cause pain or inconvenience to others.
Still, we should maintain the proper mindset:
if we decide to leave, it is not merely out of
fear, but primarily out of disgust—similar to
the feeling one would have when leaving a
city infested with rats and roaches, plagued
by drug addicts, crime, and ruin—which, in
many ways, describes the current state of the
“Big Apple.”
It seems that the decision to leave New York
for a safer and more stable environment is
not limited to Jewish residents; many others
recognize that relocating may be the best
option as well.
According to a new poll reported by the
Daily Mail, nearly 765,000 of New York
City’s 8.4 million residents say they are
preparing to leave the city if socialist
candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the mayoral
race. The survey found that about 9% of New
Yorkers would “definitely” move away under
his leadership — a potential mass exodus that
could mark the largest population flight in
U.S. history. The alarming findings were
released early Monday, suggesting that
hundreds of thousands are ready to bolt from
the Big Apple if Mamdani becomes the city’s
111th mayor.